Roadmap to Financial Success
2022 will likely continue to be a tough year financially for many folks. So we are partnering with Rooted Planning Group to offer 12 amazing classes on different aspects of your finances.
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The topics for each of the classes are listed on this page. Choose one, two or all of the classes depending on which topics are important to your financial success. These classes are typically offered at $50 per session. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County is pleased to be able to offer them at only $15 per class (or $10 if you purchase all 12 sessions).
This will be a year-long training - each month's information is ready for you to work on at your own pace. We look forward to giving you the tools to get on top of your personal finances.
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Click on the box above for the access you wish to receive.
View the monthly options of topics in the sidebars to the left and right.
Proceeds from the purchase of these classes will benefit the Financial Education Program at Cornell Cooperative Extension. Classes are offered by Rooted Planning Group of Corning, NY. The information provided should help you get a firm footing in your financial affairs. If there is a specific area in which you need more information, you may want to talk to a financial planner.
Last updated November 29, 2022
Finance
Jan-June Topics
January Challenge
Getting Organized - Paperwork Management
This class has three sections: Setting up your Mindful Spending Planning, Paperwork Management and Weekly Financial Management. Together these three short videos/classes will show you how to set up and maintain your files, manage weekly paperwork and stay organized for the year. It also has helpful hints of what to put in each file, WHY you want it, whether it goes in a cloud, on paper, and/or wallet, and when to toss or shred! It’s a full system and a guide in case you (or a family member) need to access your information quickly and efficiently!
February Challenge
Take Stock! Annual Financial Summary & Analysis
This critical class shows you how to do an annual review, to check your progress using your key indicators and make your plans for the year. You’ll review the Mindful Spending Plan thus far or decide on your new budget after evaluating last year’s. This way you can make sure your getting what you want and planning for the variable expenses, so you don’t get caught short for predictable expenses (like birthdays and car repairs).
March Challenge
Prepare! The Tax Man Cometh OR Taxes x@!#
We know you really don’t like doing this, but we promise to make it as easy as possible. Besides, you might even find some last-minute moves you can make that will make you giggle in glee at pulling one over (legally) on the tax man. We will be giving you good practical advice on how to prepare and get the most from your tax advisor. This will also set the stage for making tax moves this year to make next year less, well, taxing!
April Challenge
Investments Review
There’s more to managing money than looking at returns. This class will cover the whys and how’s of assessing RISK, RETURN, FEES, TAXATION, & IMPACT ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF GOALS to help you determine whether your money is in the right place at the right time. We will give you some of the easy to use calculations and guides that professionals use and a list of questions to ask your advisor.
May Challenge
Protecting You & your Family - Personal Finance
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June Challenge
Projections & Planning
Retirement – the Dream! Who wants to be 80 looking for work so you can eat? We all know that for a dream to become a reality, steps need to be followed. Retirement planning goes beyond how much you need to save and how to invest those savings. Where you will live in retirement, how much debt you will have and potential health issues all play a role. This class will teach you what you need to know and how to craft a plan to achieve a comfortable retirement. For example, did you know that reducing your monthly expenses by $200 between now and retirement will have a bigger impact that an increase of 1% in your return? (This is based on age and other factors.) You will be guided through a retirement projection, starting with a minimum lifestyle budget. You will then be given access to a planning tool that will let you monitor your progress and play with the variables as you take the steps to reach your goals. Once you reach your minimum lifestyle budget, you can choose to retire earlier or with more money. You’ll be able to see the impacts and choices. Long term care costs and issues are covered during this month also.
July - Dec Topics
July Challenge
Getting to Where You Want to Be - Goals & Debt Reduction
Earlier in the year, you identified what you wanted from your money and clarified goals. This challenge is broken into three parts: Overview of Achieving Goals (strategies for addressing goals), Breaking Debt (strategies for addressing debt which can cut YEARS off your debt free date!), and Funding a Future (education planning). You choose whether one or all three of these are topics you want to address. We will explore creative strategies, tax efficiency, and money saving tips for each of them.
August Challenge
Defusing Legal Bombs - Legal Documents & Crisis Planning
Getting the right legal documents can be daunting. If you don’t know what you need or want, it can be even more expensive to have an attorney take you through the concepts and develop your personal plan. Additionally, there’s more to crisis planning than legal documents. Our brains don’t make great decisions when under stress, so pre-planning and family discussions set the stage for better decisions. We will help you create crisis plans, including preparing you to get the documents you need at a reasonable cost! For those that have their documents done, we will let you know what changes in estate planning and documents have occurred over this last year that may require changes on your part. We will cover:
September Challenge
Me? Sued? Liability Insurance Review: Auto, Home, Umbrella, etc.
Who likes to waste money? Who wants to fork over $500,000 of assets or future earnings? We know we need this stuff, but how do we get the right insurance at the right price without driving ourselves nuts? What mistakes can you avoid with your insurers? For example, did you know that, depending on your state and/or insurance company, if you don’t have your fishing boat insured on a base policy, it may not be covered for liability on your umbrella policy? Ask us about the widow who forked over 2 million dollars because of this oversight!
This class reviews critical information you need to know, a tool for assessing your risks + needed coverages, AND gives you the “request a quote” forms that you can send out to providers to get quotes.
October Challenge
Get the Most from Employee Benefits
It’s easy to let last year dictate what you do this year with employee benefits, but that can be costly! This class will walk through how to:
November Challenge
Year End Steps: Taxes & Holiday Budgets
Stop! Before you write that year-end check gift to charity, can you give them some appreciated stock instead and give away your capital gains too? Can you defer or should you accelerate your medical expenses? Are there tax moves you can make now that will help you reduce taxes AND achieve your goals more efficiently such as funding a Roth IRA or 529 plan? Also, what do you need to do to bring your budget in line with your goals before the holiday season spending? This class covers:
December Challenge
Finding Financial Peace & New Year's Resolutions
As we go into the holiday season, followed by New Year’s Resolutions, it’s helpful to remember what you really want from your money. By reviewing your goals and seeing where you stand on your budget, your chances of sticking with that holiday budget increase. It’s also the time to start thinking about next year, setting expectations with family and friends about money strategies, and preparing for the New Year.
This class covers: