Saturday, March 30, 2019

In April, we welcome change. As winter gradually loosens its grip … we hope … to make way for warmer weather, it’s a time for cleaning, clearing and fresh starts.

Money Smart Week 2019 – March 30 to April 6 – celebrates this renewal with a focus on supercharging: your brain, your savings, your money, your life. With free programs at the Fond du Lac Public Library, the Fond du Lac Senior Center and the Fond du Lac Theater, Money Smart joins hands with National Library Week for a weeklong celebration and something for everyone.

New this year: “Super Charge Your Brain,” a full day of how-to programming Saturday, April 6, at the library (see sidebar).

Money Smart Week is an initiative of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, in partnership with the Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy. Every year, Fond du Lac celebrates Money Smart Week with seminars, activities and programs for all ages to help consumers better manage their personal finances.

The full Money Smart Week/Super-charge Your Brain schedules are available at fdlpl.org/msw. Copies of the printed calendar are included in today’s Action and are available at the library, Fox Valley Savings Bank, National Exchange Bank & Trust, Horicon Bank and UW-Extension FDL County.

Highlights of Money Smart Week:

Programs for kids and families:

  • Paint Your Own Bank, 10 a.m. Saturday, March 30, at Fond du Lac Public Library. Kids will learn about coins and then paint a bank to take home. Free. Registration is required at fdlpl.org, click Calendar, by calling 920-322-3940 or in person at the library’s Children’s Desk.
  • Kids Read, 1 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the library. Kids learn about money, and the first 50 families receive a free copy of the book “Count on Pablo” by Barbara deRubertis. Snack on salsas from local restaurants. Free. No registration.
  • $5 Movie Night, 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at the Fond du Lac Theater. Play a Money Smart game, answer a trivia question and see the movie of your choice for $5. No registration. 

Programs for seniors:

  • Identifying & Preventing Identity Theft, 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, at the FDL Senior Center. Learn how to recognize and prevent types of identity theft. Know what resources are available to victims. No registration.
  • Being Cyber Smart, 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at the FDL Senior Center. What not to share, what to know about Wi-Fi and how to use the internet safely. No registration.

Programs for adults:

  • Stream This! 6 p.m. Monday, April 1, at the library. Cost-and-service compare TV viewing options: cable, satellite, over-the-air antennae, Netflix, Amazon and many more. No registration.
  • Digital Death, 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, at the library and simulcast on Facebook Live @moneysmartweekFDLcounty. What happens to our digital assets – photos, identities and more – when we die? Learn how standard legal documents must adapt to the digital age. No registration.
  • Sell Anything on Amazon, 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, at the library and simulcast on Facebook Live @moneysmartweekFDLcounty. Publish your e-book, sell your invention, market a local business: learn how to leverage your product or skill to make money on Amazon. Presented by Tammy Duchow. No registration.
  • Time Matters: A Woman’s Retirement Outlook, 6 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the library. Discuss retirement income, Social Security, withdrawal rates, preparing for the unexpected, inflation, health care and long-term care costs. No registration.

The 2019 Fond du Lac Money Smart Week Committee consists of representatives from Horicon Bank, UW Extension-FDL County, FABOH, FDL Public Library, Fox Valley Savings Bank, National Exchange Bank & Trust, FDL Credit Union, Consumer Credit Counseling Services and Thrivent Financial.

Complete information is available at www.fdlpl.org/MSW.