BATON ROUGE, La. – Financial professionals from throughout the area will conduct a financial education event for consumers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center on Oct. 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Past seminars have focused on providing teachers with information to take back and teach in their classrooms, according to LSU AgCenter youth financial literacy specialist Jeanette Tucker, who is vice president of the Louisiana Jump$tart Coalition, the event organizer.

“This year, in response to consumer demand, we’re adjusting our focus a little so we can address financial issues faced by consumers every day,” Tucker said. “We’re preparing for about 400 people.”

The featured speaker for the forum will be Washington Post syndicated columnist Michelle Singletary, whose financial column, “The Color of Money,” is carried in more than 100 newspapers, including The Advocate, Tucker said.

Tucker said Singletary will share wisdom and rigorously tested financial strategies regarding planning, spending, and saving. She also will lead a budgeting and debt-reduction workshop.

Understanding credit reports, credit scores and how to build credit will be discussed by Layne McDaniel of Noesis Data. Eric Hebert with SWBC Investment Services will explain the basics of investing. Joshua Hollins with the Louisiana Office of the Attorney General will conclude the day’s events with a consumer fraud and identity theft workshop.

The goal of this year’s forum is to bring in an audience that the coalition feels is desperately lacking in the proper financial skills, Tucker said.

“The Jump$tart coalition members understand the need for low-to-moderate-income citizens to gain insight into the world of personal finance and to enhance their capability to improve their financial well-being,” she said. “This is also a good place for those who have been the victim of identity fraud and a number of other financial issues.”

Tucker is working with churches, community organizations and individuals to help get the word out that the forum is a good place to find information to help build a strong financial future.

Registration is only $10. To learn more and to register for the event, visit www.LAjumpstart.org.

Sponsors of the event include Neighbors Federal Credit Union, Investar Bank, Capital One, Campus Federal Credit Union, LaCapital Federal Credit Union, Louisiana Credit Union League, Baton Rouge Chapter; Bankcorp South and the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants.

Johnny Morgan