Bill Management Virtual Series with Individual Consultations Begins Aug. 15

By Barb Wollan and Carol Ehlers

Hundreds of Iowans have been affected by natural disasters this year, with floods and tornadoes causing major disruptions and property damage. After disasters it is common to focus on dealing with immediate needs, such as finding new housing if your home has been lost or cleaning up and repairing your damaged property. Once your immediate challenges have become stable, it is important to be proactive and give attention to managing your bills and payments.

“Paying bills might be the last thing on our mind after a natural disaster has upended our lives, but being proactive about managing our bills can help stem additional damage from the situation,” according to Carol Ehlers, a human sciences specialist in family wellbeing with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “Whether or not we’ve been impacted by a natural disaster, we’re still responsible for paying our bills. The good news is that companies, service providers and creditors will work with consumers, like disaster survivors. However, you have to take the initiative to communicate with them about your current situation. This series can help you learn what steps to take.”

ISU Extension and Outreach will host “Money Smart: Prioritizing Bills, Credit and Debt,” a free, three-part, virtual series on Thursdays, Aug. 15, Aug. 22 and Aug. 29, from noon to 1 p.m. or 6-7 p.m. After the one-hour session, financial educators will be available to meet one-on-one with participants. Participation in either the noon series or the evening series is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required.

“This virtual series will provide tools to help with financial recovery after the disaster. We’ll help you take stock of your bills and payments, prioritize your spending and bills, and take action if you’ve fallen behind,” said Ehlers.

Participants will learn how to reduce their financial stress by creating a prioritized bill paying strategy based on future consequences, developing skills to improve their own credit and learning strategies to manage debt.

The topics – prioritizing bills, protecting credit and managing debt – are presented in one-hour, online Zoom sessions.

Individuals may choose to register for either the noon series or the 6 p.m. series, as they will cover the same content and be facilitated by human sciences specialists in family wellbeing with ISU Extension and Outreach. Participants will learn how to use research-based strategies to decide which bills and monthly expenses to pay first, how to protect their credit history and how to manage debt even when money is short. The specialists will be available after each program to answer questions and meet one-on-one.

Sessions are free to participate in with pre-registration required online before Aug.15. Register for the noon to 1 p.m. series at https://go.iastate.edu/PRW6KR  or the 6 p.m. series at https://go.iastate.edu/GFACRG.

After registering, participants will receive an email confirmation with the Zoom link and class information.

Questions can be directed to Carol Ehlers at 712-732-5056 or xehlers@iastate.edu or Barb Wollan at 515-832-9597 or bwollan@iastate.edu.