Get Financially Fit in Fort Worth

UPDATE on Friday, March 13: The workshops mentioned in this blog post are postponed by the sponsors in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The registration pages provided will be updated later.


Many Fort Worth residents are struggling to manage their debt and budget for savings and emergencies. So, to cultivate financial resilience, the City of Fort Worth Neighborhood Services Department is hosting a series of free-to-attend financial empowerment workshops.

The classes, which AARP Texas is helping to promote, will provide information to help families save and become more economically secure. Organizers hope that these workshops will strengthen the fabric of the entire community and fuel the local economy.

Shauna Shepherd, a consumer solutions analyst for the City of Fort Worth, said the workshops will, in general, help direct residents to “be more proactive in their finances.”

The workshops coincide with various efforts by city officials to encourage overall financial fitness for consumers, including steps to promote “asset building” and saving money. City leaders say they also are working on banking access issues for residents by partnering with local banks that offer “second chance” accounts to residents who might otherwise be unable to open a checking account.

Meanwhile, officials in Fort Worth have taken action to protect residents from predatory lenders under recent ordinances and are offering an array of financial education and counseling help through a variety of programs. Data reported by the Urban Institute show a need for attention in Fort Worth on consumer finance. Their data finds:

• Half of Fort Worth residents have delinquent debt (60 or more days past due);

• In some Fort Worth neighborhoods, more than 60 percent of residents have delinquent debt (that’s debts 60 or more days past due);

• Nearly a third of all Fort Worth residents have medical debt in collections;

• 1 in 6 persons in Fort Worth have student loan debt in collections; and

• Less than half (43 percent) of Fort Worth residents have healthy credit.

Financial Empowerment Workshop Series

Community members are invited to attend the upcoming financial empowerment workshops provided by the City of Fort Worth and partner organizations like AARP Texas. Financial coaches will help attendees explore their finances, get equipped to better handle their money and get on a path to financial empowerment.

The free sessions will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. between March 17 and June 4.

Workshop sessions

• Master Your Money: A Master Class in Budgeting
• Hack-a-Thon: Protecting Your Money & Identity
• Savvy Saver: Steps to Successful Savings
• Banking Besties: Building Your Banking Relationship
• Credible Credit: More Than Just a Number
• Future Focus: Planning for Life’s (Major) Events

Workshop locations

Stop Six Area – MLK Community Center, 5565 Truman Drive, Fort Worth;

Ash Crescent Area – Kingdom Manifesters Church, 2401 McCurdy St., Fort Worth;

Northside Area – Northside Community Center, 1100 N.W. 18th St.; Fort Worth.

View the flyer, which contains all the dates and details.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

For more information about the workshop series, call 817-392-7540.