The Financial Empowerment Center knows that a strong local economy and financially stable household benefit the community.

Heath Carelock, MPS, PMP®, AFC®, Director of the Financial Empowerment Center at Prince Georges Community College, works in partnership with the United Way of the National Capital Areato provide financial coaching, workshops and more to their community. They chose Money Habitudes as their resource to gauge their clients’ attitudes, opinions, beliefs and behaviors related to money.

We don’t talk about money enough. There are lots of discussions about consumer spending habits, but the therapeutic conversations that keep people from making major financial blunders often never take place.

Outcomes

• Once financial coaches and counselors get a glimpse into clients’ money personalities and understand how clients see themselves, financial capability looks achievable.
• It establishes a baseline for engagement by establishing trust. Because clients do this themselves and have their own revelations, they also trust the results.They trust the conversations that ensue because they feel heard.
• Clients feel the activity allows them to express their thoughts and their stories.
• Clients feel inspired to participate more fully by clarifying their needs and situation, having the words to be more articulate and the trust to contribute more readily.

How They Use Money Habitudes

• They have used Money Habitudes cards (English and Spanish) when working with coaching clients.
• Money Habitudes Online was used in large financial education classes.
• Staff and volunteers embrace the activity for rapport building opportunities and as a starting point to explore the un-ending conversation threads that extend from the activity.