As inflation rises and global events cause changes in economic conditions, MTSU will provide young consumers with an opportunity to manage their money more effectively.

The university will celebrate Financial Literacy Week, as declared by the Tennessee General Assembly, Monday, April 4, through Friday, April 8, with several enlightening events. All of them are free and open to the public.

Dr. Anne Anderson

Dr. Maria Edlin King

Anne Anderson, holder of the Weatherford Chair of Finance in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, said it is important for college students to start thinking about their post-college lives in specific financial terms.

“If you are following the principles of a strong financial support system, one of the things you’re taught early on is emergency savings,” Anderson said. “You should have three months of your salary in emergency savings. If an emergency hits and you’re immediately going to your credit card, that’s a clear sign that you haven’t incorporated some of the basic lessons of financial literacy.”

Maria Edlin King, a professor of economics and a co-organizer of Financial Literacy Week, is president-elect of Tennessee Jump$tart, a nonprofit organization made up of some 50 individuals and organizations representing government, business and education.

Another professor of economics, Charles Baum, who also is a state representative, helped guide a proclamation making Financial Literacy Week official through the state legislature in 2021.

• Brock Fortner, an MTSU alumnus, will present “Financial Foundations and a Step Beyond” at 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 4, in Room N127 of the Business and Aerospace Building. Fortner, an award-winning financial professional, owns two Nashville-area companies, StoneCentury Financial and Pro Legacy Capital.

Brock Fortner

Troy Jones

• A panel of financial planners will discuss “Careers in Financial Planning” at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, in Room N127 of the Business and Aerospace Building. The panelists will explain what they do in their jobs and how they pursued their careers with a q-and-a session to follow.

• Troy Jones, co-founder and chief executive officer of the sports technology gaming company StatusPRO, will deliver the keynote address “Crafting Your Success!,” at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. Registration is required at https://tinyurl.com/bdffhu9w. This event is co-sponsored by the MTSU Distinguished Lecture Fund and Ascend Federal Credit Union and follows a midday discussion by Jones strictly for high school students.

• “Financial Simulation—The Game of Life” is slated for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 7, in the gymnasium of the Campus Recreation Center. This hands-on event will provide students with perspective on how their future salary would match up with their monthly expenses.

Participating students will navigate through nine stations, coping with student loans, unexpected life events and various types of month expenses as they try to stay within their post-graduation budgets.

Eligible students will be able to apply for $1,000 Ascend Federal Credit Union scholarships by writing reflection papers on the Jones event and either the Fortner event or the Game of Life. All applications and papers must be submitted by 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 13. Applications are available at https://tinyurl.com/ye262yvy.

Financial Literacy Week is presented in conjunction with MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones College of Business and the Department of Economics and Finance with support from Ascend Federal Credit Union. For more information, go to https://tinyurl.com/bdffhu9w or contact Anderson at 615-898-2365 or anne.anderson@mtsu.edu.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)