COLUMBUS, Ohio -- While more than half of men in the workforce have jobs that offer retirement plans, only one in three working women do. And, because about half of all working women take extended periods off work to care for their families, their potential retirement income is greatly diminished.
These are just two of the reasons faculty and staff from Ohio State University Extension will be involved in the 11 "Women and Money" seminars sponsored this year by the Ohio Treasurer of State's office, said Cyndi Renn, money management program manager for OSU Extension Family and Consumer Sciences. This is the seventh year for the Women and Money programs and the fifth year of Extension's involvement, she said.
"State Treasurer (Jennette B.) Bradley is committed to helping Ohio women gain access to the resources they need to make decisions about their financial future, and OSU Extension shares that commitment," said Renn, who is based in the Department of Consumer Sciences in the College of Human Ecology on the Columbus campus.
Extension personnel will present educational sessions at some of the events, and will staff Healthy Finances displays at each Women and Money seminar. The displays will acquaint participants with Extension's financial education materials and programs.
OSU Extension Family and Consumer Sciences has been a part of helping women learn about money matters for years, but many Women and Money participants at past events have indicated they were not aware of these resources, Renn said. A recent Family and Consumer Sciences strategic plan led to the formation of a "Healthy Finances Master Teachers" program. Master Teachers provide an information and support network focused on topics including Building Wealth, Managing Financial Records, Budgeting, Controlling Spending, Using Credit, Managing Debt, and Planning for Retirement. These Extension professionals provide unbiased, reliable, research-based information and curriculum, financial tools and strategies, and presentations on personal finance. For more information about the Healthy Finances Master Teachers, see Department of Consumer Sciences Extension and Outreach Web site by going to http://hec.osu.edu/cs/osue and clicking on the Master Teachers link.
This year's Women and Money program will likely attract even more than the nearly 2,500 who participated last year, as the program is being offered in additional cities, Renn said. The seminars will be held:
- June 2, The University of Akron. Registration open.
- June 9, Youngstown State University. Registration open.
- June 16, University of Cincinnati-Raymond Walters College. Registration open.
- June 23, Columbus State Community College. Registration open.
- July 7, University of Toledo. Registration opens May 30.
- July 14, Shawnee State University, Portsmouth. Registration opens June 12.
- July 21, The Ohio State University ââ¬â Lima. Registration opens June 19.
- July 28, Wright Patterson Air Force Base (military personnel only).
- August 4, Jefferson Community College, Steubenville. Registration opens July 5.
- August 18, Wright State University, Dayton. Registration opens July 17.
- August 25, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland. Registration opens July 24.
For more information or to register for a Women and Money program, contact the Ohio Treasurer of State's office at (800) 228-1102 or go to the program's Web site at http://www.ohiowomenandmoney.org. The programs are free and are open to all Ohioans.
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Caption for photo: Cyndi Renn, money management program manager for OSU Extension; State Treasurer Jeannette Bradley; and Ann Fremion, OSU Extension family and consumer sciences educator in Erie County, during a Women and Money program in 2005.