With money on their minds

The Vindicator put on a women and money conference at YSU.
By SARAH POULTON
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A crowd of 330 women -- and two men -- chanted, "I have my mind on my money and my money on my mind," with State Treasurer Jennette B. Bradley on Friday during the sixth annual Ohio Women and Money conference at Youngstown State University's Kilcawley Center.
The Ohio Treasurer's Office put on the event, which was sponsored by The Vindicator.
People's primary worry is money, Bradley said. She is particularly concerned about women because they face unique financial obstacles.
Since Bradley took office in 2005, she has added three programs to the conference's curriculum: advanced investment, supported financial attitudes and eldercare. The eldercare program is near the top of participants' lists, along with the budgeting class, credit and debt management and retirement planning.
Emma Smith, 49, of Youngstown was interested in budgeting and eldercare. Her mother will be retiring soon and she wanted to be prepared for the future.
"I learned a lot of information that I didn't know," Smith said. "I learned about the importance of a living will and power of attorney. I also learned about long-term insurance and quality of life."
Identity theft
Charles Gilbert, 52, of Poland was one of the men at the program. He was interested in estate planning and wanted to be prepared for what lies ahead for him and his wife.
Gilbert was one of the military veterans who had personal information on the computer that was stolen from last month a Veterans Affairs employee. With this on his mind, Gilbert was also concerned about identity theft.
Bill White, regional representative for the Ohio Treasurer, spoke about identity theft. He said the biggest thing is consumers must be comfortable with the transactions they make. Most identity theft occurs when people aren't paying attention, and transactions must be treated like a valuable commodity.
Another speaker, Jennifer Baligush, weekend news anchor for WFMJ-TV, said that she often finds herself giving her husband the wheel in financial matters.
"I get a little nervous because there's something about financial terminology that makes me feel intimidated," Baligush said. "Now that I'm pregnant, I'll be spending money in lots of different ways."
Bradley's goal is to make women like Baligush confident enough to handle finances in a smart way.
"My mission has been to use the Treasurer's Office as the 'bully pulpit' to provide and stress the importance of financial literacy to the Ohioans," Bradley said. "The decisions they make can help prevent bad financial situations."
Kim Ray, vice president of public and government services for National City Bank, said during her Credit and Debt Management class that Americans save less than 1 percent of their personal income. She told her students that debt is necessary these days, but that they must live in moderation.
spoulton@vindy.com