Ionia County educating for financial capability 2017
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EmailMSU Extension understands that healthy economic structures lead to greater opportunities and stronger communities.
When you support MSU Extension, participants learn personal finance skills and the communities benefit from homeownership education and foreclosure prevention. MSU Extension helps youth and adults alike learn the skills they need to increase their savings, manage their spending avoid predatory lending and reduce mortgage defaults. All of these outcomes help lower the cost of governmental services and lead to personal and community stability, strong neighborhoods and safe communities.
Financial Education
Whether it’s handling credit card debt, investing for retirement or college funds, purchasing a new home, avoiding foreclosure, or simply wishing to have more control over personal finances, MSU Extension’s Senior Educator, Brenda Long, helps Michigan residents in all aspects of money management. She and her team assist individuals, households, organizations and communities to become more sustainable spenders through education focused on financial capability. MI Money Health is a website that provides Michigan residents with access to noncommercial, easily accessible, and reliable personal financial information.
In Ionia County, we provided group and one-on-one Education. We also provided training to front-line social workers who work directly with clients that encounter numerous financial problems. The train-the-trainer was in partnership with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other Extension services throughout the country. In addition to face-to-face classes, we offered numerous homeownership and financial education programs online. We continue to provide the highest quality, unbiased financial and homeownership education to any Michigander who desires to participate.
Homeownership Education
Homebuyers make decisions that require them to determine their own financial situations and what financial products are available on the market. Research suggests individuals may not accurately estimate their own financial status, including information about debt and creditworthiness, which leads to less desirable financial decisions. MSU Extension Homeownership Education courses educate homebuyers on advantages of homeownership and steps in the homebuying process, understanding costs of homeownership and how to maintain the investment, mortgage loan basics and why good credit is important, how to determine how much house can be afforded. Participants can earn a certificate of completion that is a requirement for Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) down payment assistance programs, as well as other Federal loan programs.
In Ionia county, we had the opportunity to educate potential homeowners as well as existing homeowners. Many potential homeowners earned certificates that helped them qualify for financing options that would have otherwise been unavailable. Finally, we continued to assist struggling homeowners stay in their homes. We offered foreclosure education and prevention counseling and also worked closely with Step Forward Michigan, a program to help Michigan’s hardest hit homeowners.
