Thousands have attended and been helped by DFCU’s Financial Education Seminar Series since the program was created in 1999. Budgeting/credit expert Charles Hoff, AFC--our Financial Literacy Counselor--has a no-nonsense, easy-to-understand approach to this often confusing subject matter.
All seminars are free to members and potential members, and are scheduled from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated. For a complete schedule and seminar descriptions, check out the sections below. Then just click the accompanying links or call 313.322.8476 to reserve your spot today!
After you register for a webinar, you will receive a confirmation email containing a link to join the presentation. If you don't receive the confirmation email in your inbox within a few minutes of registering, please check your 'junk email' folder as it may have been routed there.
Medicare planning can be stressful. There are a lot of plans to choose from and a lot of advice being offered.
This presentation will go a long way in helping you understand your options. We start by reviewing the basics and then walk you through the entire Medicare system and process. We cap off the presentation with a valuable Q&A session where you can have your questions answered by a Michigan-based insurance agency that works exclusively in the Medicare space. We'll discuss:
- Original Medicare vs Medicare Advantage
- Steps for transitioning coverage
- Coverage options and cost
- Missteps as you transition from workplace coverage
Register for Medicare 101
During our Medicare Missteps seminar, we'll build upon the information presented in our Medicare 101 seminar.
Medicare is a complex topic with plenty of opportunities for the average consumer to take a wrong turn. In this presentation we'll expand the discussion beyond what is presented in Medicare 101. We will cover some of the most common missteps people make with Medicare and how to avoid them. We'll discuss:
- The enrollment process & differences in plan coverage
- Proper selection: Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage
- Pre-existing conditions
- Transitioning from workplace coverage
Register for Medicare Missteps
Retirement comes with a lot of questions, many of which are about how retirees should handle their Social Security benefits. During this seminar, we’ll answer the following questions:
- Taking Social Security early vs. later
- Important survivor benefits for a remaining spouse
- Maximizing tax strategies
- The impact working will have on your benefit
Register for Social Security
So you're retired (or getting ready to). What now? Is the lifestyle you've grown accustomed to a thing of the past? Attend our Wealth Retention webinar to learn how to plan for, and live, a sustainable lifestyle throughout retirement. We’ll discuss:
- Common financial retirement mistakes
- Financial tools at your disposal
- How Roth conversions are used to reduce taxes
- Strategic approaches to current economic conditions
Register for Wealth Retention
Thanks to the miracles of modern medicine and technology, many seniors enjoy an invigorating lifestyle, full of travel and excitement. Unfortunately, as the years pass these questions begin to arise:
- Achieving the greatest quality of care without going bankrupt
- What can be done legally to protect assets
- The differences between alternative care options
- Options for how to pay for your care
Fortunately, care alternatives to the traditional nursing home have emerged. To pay for these services, however, many seniors quickly go through their entire life savings and assets—
unnecessarily. Whether you are concerned about preserving your own assets, or those of an aging or ill parent, our Elder Law seminar will help you understand how to mitigate or eliminate these costs.
Register for Elder Law
Estate planning is a task we often avoid for too long or until it’s too late, but the right time to start planning for your future is now. Whether you’re in your 20’s or nearing retirement, you’ll benefit from our Estate Planning Seminar as we explain the process and how you and your family can most effectively navigate it.
This doesn’t have to be a gloomy process and, in fact, it’s quite fulfilling to know you’ve taken the necessary steps to take care of loved ones. Not having an estate plan could leave personal decisions concerning your assets to be determined by the state in which you live, leaving your beneficiaries to face possible legal obstacles and unwelcome tax burdens.
- Why have an estate plan and when to update it
- Misconceptions about estate planning
- Dangers of not planning
- Avoiding legal obstacles and burdens
Register for Estate Planning
Many people mistakenly believe the secure retirements that prior generations enjoyed will naturally translate into one of their own. In fact, there is a new retirement reality we all must face. If we’re to adapt to this new reality, we have to take control of our own financial futures. Put yourself on track to enjoy a sustainable retirement. During this presentation, we'll discuss:
- Housing cost - a real threat to retirement
- Rediscovering the "forgotten approach" to a successful retirement
- Identifying flaws in long-held financial "rules"
- Wealth-building tips
Register for Retirement Readiness
Healthy Credit, Healthy Life: Strengthening Your Credit Score the Smart Way
Building and maintaining a solid credit score is important and often difficult without a road map to guide you. This seminar will teach you:
- Obtaining your "true" FICO credit score
- Understanding FICO's algorithm
- Important ratios impacting score
- Strategies to raise your credit score
Register for Healthy Credit, Healthy Life
Fiscal Fitness: Strategies for Financial Success
The foundation of any successful financial plan is a sound, realistic budget. During this seminar, we’ll discuss how to create a budget as well as how to most effectively plan for unplanned expenses to dig--and keep--yourself out of debt. Other topics include:
- Creating budgets to avoid debt
- Determining the amount of credit you can afford
- Finding money to invest
Register for Fiscal Fitness
There’s a lot to take in when it comes to student loans. Whether you’re getting ready to start your college career, currently enrolled, or a graduate paying on your student loans now, our newest seminar will provide you with the information you need to make informed financial decisions. A college degree can dramatically influence your earning potential – but if you’ll be financing it with a student loan, don’t go in blind. Make sure you understand the impact it can have on your financial future. Topics explained:
- Things to consider before investing
- How to determine amounts you can afford to borrow
- Pitfalls to avoid when repaying loans
- Forgiveness programs
Register for Student Loans & Financial Freedom
Unfortunately there are unsavory individuals in this world that try to take advantage of others. And senior citizens continue to be a preferred target for many of them.
During the course of this webinar, we'll cover some of the prevalent scams being used to prey on seniors and what to watch out for. We'll share real world examples and tips on how to identify fraudsters so you can protect yourself. We'll discuss:
- How prevalent the problem is
- Common scams being run
- The financial and other impacts
- What to look out for
Register for Senior Scams and Elder Fraud