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Growing need for financial education says specialist
Nevada Daily Mail
Seventy-six percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Sixty-two percent can't cover unexpected expenses. And 26 percent of those ages 50 to 64 haven't started saving for retirement.
Those were among the facts brought out by Doug Scotten, the family financial education specialist for the University of Missouri Extension.
Scotten made a presentation Tuesday to the Nevada Lions Club, updating members on what he does and why he does it.
It's figures like these that illustrate how important it is to make financial planning information available to the public, Scotten said, noting the extension office is there to help.
"There is a great need to get these programs out to the public," he said.
It's his job to plan, implement and evaluate education programs in financial literacy, money management, estate planning, food resource management, debt management and consumer issues.
"I serve Vernon, Cedar, St. Clair, Hickory and Polk counties" with these programs.
Scotten, who hails from Walker, is still relatively new in his position, having come to UM Extension after a career with the Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Highway Patrol, which included 11 and a half years in law enforcement.
"I've always liked teaching," said Scotten, noting he did some of that in each of his previous jobs. Now, he gets to focus on that.
While the extension office offers a variety of programs in agronomy, livestock, health and nutrition, business development, housing, agri-business, horticulture, community development, human development, and 4-H, he focuses on the family financial education area.
Among the programs he offers are "Tackling the Tough Skills," which focuses on interviewing and resume skills. "It basically tries to help you get a job and keep a job," he said.
Others include a focus on estate planning, retirement planning, understanding your credit report and scores, state taxpayer education, health insurance education, "Building Strong Families," "Making Money Count," "Small Steps to Health and Wealth, "A Matter of Balance," which deals with falls, and "When Creditors are Predators," which is a workshop on the issues of alternative lending.
On July 17, Scotten and the extension office will offer a free identity theft workshop in the Healthy Nevada Innovation Center, which is located on the second floor above the Nevada Public Library.
In answering a question from the audience, he said ID theft is a "common and growing problem," in Vernon County.
And once you are a victim, "it's a lengthy process to get it resolved."
This program will help you avoid becoming a victim, he noted.
Most all of the programs are free, said Scotten, although some do have a fee attached to cover cost of materials.
"Programs are available to individuals, groups and businesses," he said. You just need to contact him to set something up.
Contact Scotten at his office in the Vernon County Courthouse, 100 W. Cherry, suite 2, email him at scottend@missouri.edu or call 417-448-2560.