In the fall of 1997, the Consumer Federation of America and Bank of America co-sponsored an ambitious 17-city media and public forum tour called From Here To Security: Your Map To Financial Freedom (FHTS).  The two-hour public seminars and media tour were conducted by independent consumer educators Gerri Detweiler and William Kent Brunette.  Media interviews encouraged people to develop financial plans and attend upcoming seminars.  A special toll-free number was provided to register to attend.  Print and radio advertising also promoted seminar attendance.  In addition, seminar signs were posted in local Bank of America lobbies and special mailings were accomplished.

Seminars taught attendees the nuts and bolts of personal finance – paying down outstanding debt, creating a budget, foregoing expenditures, developing a financial plan, understanding and taking the steps needed to realize financial goals, estimating the amounts needed to accomplish various goals, starting to save and invest, developing an understanding of how different savings and investments work, deciding which savings and investments may be suitable for different purposes, getting assistance from financial professionals, choosing help wisely, and doing an annual check-up.  While retirement planning was heavily emphasized, time was also spent on other important financial goals – planning for emergencies, financing special events and occasions, paying for children’s educations, buying a home, assisting loved ones during their retirements, and responding to sandwich generation issues.  Reporters showed up and covered many of the forums.

The goal of the seminars was to give attendees sufficient directions to map out their own financial courses; to give them the information and confidence they needed to increase their savings and investments.  The seminars were presented to eager audiences comprised of both young and old, male and female, singles and couples, with a wide range of experience and income.  Information was presented in a down-to-earth, friendly, easy-to-understand fashion.  It was both sales- and jargon-free.

To make an impact and help people remember the information presented, a creative PowerPoint slide show  was developed.  View representative slides.  (Notes: Takes a while to load; blank slides indicate places where the narrative continues without slides; several slides allow the narrative to progress and require multiple clicks.)  The presentation detailed the steps consumers need to take to accomplish various financial tasks.  Fill-in-the-blank worksheets and examples of how typical Americans might respond to different financial needs were featured.  Relevant quotes and cartoons were interjected to create a vibrant and upbeat presentation.  The slide show presentation was accompanied by a workbook based on Bank of America’s consumer education materials.  It contained valuable tools for consumers to use when they got home.  A special calculator was even given to attendees.  Beverages and light snacks were also provided, since many attendees came after work.

Audience response was terrific.  When attendees were surveyed in each city, the program was consistently rated good and excellent by well over 95% of the participants.  In many instances, attendees said they had participated in other financial seminars, but found this one to be a step above the rest.  Hands flew into the air during the question and answer periods and many attendees stayed around to speak with the presenters afterwards.