Financial Literacy

Please find the following resources on protecting yourself and your loved ones financially from the impact of COVID-19.

The Consumer Financial Protection Board has information ranging from what to do if you have trouble paying your bills, are facing income loss, or have a problem with a financial service: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/coronavirus/

The IRS Child Tax Credit Update Portal has information on important changes to the Child Tax Credit, which will help many families get advance payments starting in the summer of 2021.

The Attorney General of New York State has detailed information on Coronavirus resources and warnings on current consumer scams: https://ag.ny.gov/
These resources are updated on an ongoing basis to provide you with current information.

Additional resources from the Federal and State level, along with financial resources from other state Extensions can be found here.

Financial Literacy Education

Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Essex County strives to help individuals and families improve basic financial management skills to create improved financial futures and better access to community resources and programs.

We offer financial literacy workshops on a variety of topics, as listed below. Please see our calendar of events to register for a current workshop.

If your organization would like to host a workshop, or if you have questions, please contact our office at 518-962-4810 or essex@cornell.edu

Back to Budgeting Basics

Learn tips and strategies to improve your basic budgeting skills. This workshop will help you set financial goals, track monthly expenses and create a working budget. Learn how to keep your budget organized and on track.

Budgeting on a Limited Income

For any number of reasons, it can become a struggle to make ends meet. This workshop focuses on redefining income, and finding ways to supplement monthly incomes. Paired with basic budgeting tips, you will discover programs, services, and community resources that can help fill the gap when budgets are stretched as far as they can go.

Credit Card Smarts & Managing Debt

Do you use a credit card that charges a monthly fee? Are you juggling high credit card bills? In this workshop, you will learn how to select and use credit wisely. Also learn strategies for paying down and prioritizing existing debt.

Understanding Your Credit Report & Score

Learn how to obtain and review a free credit report, understand a credit score, and rebuild credit.

What’s Your Money Personality?

This workshop will allow you to reflect on personal money values, and how these values impact financial decision making styles. Learn about your “Money Color” by identifying money personality traits, and how these traits influence money habits and attitudes.

Money & Communication—Strategies to Avoid Financial Conflict

Learn strategies to avoid conflict over money matters and financial decisions. Understand the relationship between money and emotion, and learn how to work with a partner on making money choices that reflect compromise, negotiation, and shared goals.

Personal Finance for College Students

In this workshop, college-bound and current students will gain valuable information on setting financial goals, creating a budget, and keep tracking of expenses. Students will also learn the basics of credit card management, and how to avoid credit card debt.

Financial Fitness for Teens

Through basic budgeting activities, this workshop aims to provide teens with a foundation in basic money management. Teens will also explore the importance of savings, and learn simple steps to becoming more effective and thoughtful with their finances.

Credit Card Smarts for Teens

Teach your teens the value of credit and how to use credit cards wisely. This workshop emphasizes the potential pitfalls and risks when using credit. Teens will gain the knowledge they need to make good decisions when faced with credit card offers and incentives, ultimately affecting their long-term financial goals and stability.

Healthy Money Habits for Kids, & Their Parents, Too!

This workshop is designed to provide elementary-aged kids a fun introduction to money management topics.We explore attitudes about money, how to set goals, the importance of saving, and making good spending choices.The workshop will emphasize how kids can create healthy money habits, and how parents can reinforce these messages.

Raising a Money Smart Kid

Research shows that parents are the main source of financial education for their children. This workshop guides parents and caregivers in creating daily conversations about money, including age-appropriate activities and messages. Learn how to help your child develop responsible money habits.

Additional Resources:

Family Economics and Resource Management (FERM) is a statewide effort by Cornell Cooperative Extension to help individuals and families to adopt management behaviors which lead to more secure financial situations and affordable use of resources through education and practice. Their newsletter The Balance Sheet provides current information on a variety of financial literacy topics.

Financial Security for Tough Times is a series of web pages on Extension.org that detail positive money management techniques which help families dealing with economic hardship.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) mission is to make markets for consumer financial products and services work for Americans - whether they are applying for a mortgage , choosing among credit cards, or using any number of other consumer financial products. The CFPB offers consumers information and guidance, and a place where they can file formal complaints against financial service providers and products.

The Attorney General of New York State offers a wide variety of information on consumer issues such as used car buying tips, credit and debt management strategies, and things to know before signing oil and gas leases.

The New York State Comptroller's office offers information on a variety of financial topics including information for college bound students and their families.

My Benefits offers a pre-screening tool to help New York State citizens determine if they may be eligible for certain benefits, such as food stamps.

New York Makes Work Pay provides information on entering or re-entering the workforce for persons with disabilities

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection takes consumer complaints 24 hours a day and offers information on scams, ID theft, product recalls, and more.

The Financial Literacy and Education Commission's comprehensive website is designed to teach all Americans the basics of financial education. Popular topics include planning for retirement, dealing with mortgages, and managing credit and debt.

The Federal Reserve Board's Consumer Information Page explains credit reports and scores and offers a credit card payoff calculator and other financial tools.

20 Money Lessons for Children as They Grow is a site from the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability. This site offers a poster and suggested activities for each age group identified.

Special thanks to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County who originally compiled this information

Last updated November 7, 2022