Financial Planning Days are today. How to find free financial help in your city.
Thousands of consumers across the U.S. will receive free in-person answers to their financial problems from qualified professionals this Saturday鈥攏o strings attached.
The Oct. 25 pro bono events are called Financial Planning Days, and they鈥檙e taking place in聽聽across the U.S. The public is invited to attend personal finance workshops and get one-on-one financial advice from certified financial planners.
The events are similar NerdWallet鈥檚聽, where consumers can pose money questions to verified financial professionals for free online. On Financial Planning Day, though, the interactions take place in person.
The focus is on consumer protection, says Marco Chavarin, co-chair of San Francisco鈥檚 Financial Planning Day. He notes that when San Francisco held its first such event five years ago, most people were in crisis mode. Today, he says, things have changed.
鈥淎 lot of our attendees are optimistic now,鈥� says Chavarin, who also serves as the financial access and education manager at the city鈥檚 Office of Financial Empowerment. 鈥淧eople are planning for the future.鈥�
This year, he is expecting record numbers of participants at the event, which is hosted through a partnership with the Financial Planning Association and the city and county of San Francisco. Advisors will meet with people on a first-come, first-served basis, and those who聽聽beforehand will get priority. The event is part of California鈥檚聽.
Because Financial Planning Days are focused on providing unbiased aid to consumers, advisors aren鈥檛 permitted to distribute marketing materials, and people who meet with them are under no obligation to meet with them again or hire them in the future.
鈥淲e help maintain that neutrality,鈥� says Chavarin, noting that the city鈥檚 focus on providing unbiased financial resources builds trust among residents.
Volunteers from NerdWallet will also be helping with San Francisco鈥檚 Financial Planning Day, which will be held at San Francisco Public Library. The company shares Financial Planning Day鈥檚 focus on helping consumers make better, more informed financial decisions.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very aligned in terms of our goals,鈥� says Cliff Goldstein, a senior associate at NerdWallet. Volunteer Nerds聽will be matching participants with financial planners based on their needs and questions.
To attend a Financial Planning Day, check the聽聽and register online. Workshop schedules are also posted. Bring tax returns, investment information and bank statements so when you speak to your advisor one-on-one, he or she can get a good snapshot of your financial health.
If you can鈥檛 make it to a Financial Planning Day this weekend, don鈥檛 fret. You can always get your financial questions answered on the聽.
鈥淎sk an Advisor is basically a 24/7, 365-day version of Financial Planning Day,鈥� says Goldstein.
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