Every woman has hopes and dreams for herself; her children and often even her grandchildren, and it's important to understand what it will financially take to make those dreams come true. That's what the Money Conference for Women is all about.

Did you know that...

• Three out of four working women earn less than $30,000 per year
• A woman who works full-time for 40 years will earn $523,000 less than her male counterpart
• For every dollar a man earns, a woman earns 77 cents, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Eighty percent of the elderly who live alone are women, with 71% of the elderly poor being women
• Women tend to be more intimidated about financial issues, less informed about ways to secure their financial future and more conservative investors.

Each year, YWCA Hartford Region hosts the Money Conference for Women, a free one-day event focusing on money management and investment and retirement strategies for women of all ages, economic backgrounds and levels of financial knowledge. 

The Conference features recognized leaders in the financial services industry who offer practical advice and tools to help participants design and implement a personal savings strategy. The workshops are led by knowledgeable volunteer presenters from various financial services companies. Topics will include: Budget Basics, Managing Debt and Credit, Getting Started in Investing, Advanced Investing & Planning, Protecting Your Assets, Planning for Retirement, Energy Matters, and Making it on Your Own: Financial Independence for Young Women.  This year the Conference featured special keynote by nationally syndicated columnist and author Michelle Singletary.  

Since its inception in 2002, the program has reached over 3,000 women primarily from Connecticut , as well as neighboring states, ranging in age from 15 to over 70 years old. Participants leave the conference empowered with new financial knowledge and practical tools for budgeting, retirement planning, debt elimination and investing.

For more information about the Conference please contact:

Shari Smith

(860) 525-1163, ext. 258
sharis@ywcahartford.org