March 29, 2011 > Smart Investing@Santa Clara County Library Smart Investing@Santa Clara County Library Submitted By Gwendolyn Mitchell and Marina Hinestrosa In an effort to promote investor education and empower Santa Clara County library users with useful financial knowledge, Santa Clara County Library will launch the "Smart Investing@Santa Clara County Library" Program this spring. The two-year project will be funded by a $100,000 grant from the American Library Association (ALA) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). "We're experiencing tough times and many residents are trying to develop their investing skills, so this grant is a big help," said Dave Cortese, President, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. "We hope library patrons feel confident when making decisions that might help them to minimize the impact this economic downturn has caused their families." Phase One of the "Smart Investing@Santa Clara County Library" Program will start this spring with staff training, collection enhancement and web development components. Phase Two of the Program will begin with public workshops at Santa Clara County libraries from September 2011 through fall 2012. Topics will include: Get the Most Out of Your Money - Key investment concepts, budgets and goals; Managing Credit & Debt; Saving and Investing; Choosing the Right Investments for You & Retirement Savings Vehicles; Making College a Reality with as Little Debt as Possible; The "Sandwich Generation" - Financial Planning for children, parents and you; Finances and Life Crisis; and Money Talks - University of CA Extension financial literacy curriculum for teens For more information, visit www.SantaClaraCountyLib.org