Libraries offer demonstrations of online financial-planning resource | Community

Fort Bend County Libraries offers an online financial-planning resource – Weiss Financial Ratings – for consumers. This free resource provides powerful tools for individuals who want to protect their finances, invest wisely, grow their wealth, and learn more about financial management.

Throughout the month of March, demonstrations of the key features included in this consumer resource will take place at library locations around the county, but library users are welcome to inquire about the resources at any time.

Patrons can learn how the resource provides consumers with the tools they need to make informed decisions about their financial needs.

Registration is required for the demonstrations, which will take place at the following locations:

*  March 11, 2-3 p.m. – Sienna Branch Library (8411 Sienna Springs Blvd, Missouri City).

*  March 19, 10:30-11:30 a.m. – Sugar Land Branch Library (550 Eldridge)

*  March 19, 11:00 a.m.-noon – Fulshear Branch Library (6350 GM Library Road, off Texas Heritage Parkway)

*  March 20, 6:30-7:30 pm – Sugar Land Branch Library (550 Eldridge)

*  March 27, 10:15-11:15 a.m. – University Branch Library (14010 University Blvd, Sugar Land)

Patrons will learn:

  *   How to find the safest bank or credit union in the area;

  *   How to avoid the weakest insurance companies… and how to find the best ones;

  *   What Medicare does and does not cover;

  *   How to pick the best Medigap plan and get the lowest premiums;

  *   How to find the best mutual funds… and make sure one’s retirement funds are safe;

  *   How to pick the best-performing stocks.

Creating a Personal Profile is optional, but doing so enables one to create a watchlist, get email notifications when companies on the watchlist are upgraded or downgraded, and save one’s customized search criteria.

Consumer Guides and a series of Financial-Literacy Basics are some of the tools available in the Weiss Financial Ratings resource.

Weiss Ratings Consumer Guides offer easy-to-use tools to help individuals navigate through nine important areas: homeowners’ insurance, automobile insurance, variable annuities, term life insurance, health savings accounts, long-term care insurance, Medicare supplement insurance, Medicare prescription drug coverage, and elder-care choices.

Weiss Ratings Consumer Guides offer easy explanations for hard-to-navigate financial decisions, removing the guesswork and confusion with straight talk and sound guidance. Plus, each guide includes several helpful Worksheets & Planners to further aid the decision-making process.

The Financial-Literacy Basics series provides readers with easy-to-understand guidance on how to manage their finances. Designed for those who are just starting out and for those who may need help handling their finances, this series outlines — step-by-step — how to make the most of one’s money, which pitfalls to avoid, and what to watch out for. The guides provide the necessary tools to make sure one is fully equipped to manage one’s finances.

Topics include: How to Manage Debt, How to Make and Stick to a Budget, Buying a Car and Understanding Automobile Insurance, Renting an Apartment and Understanding Renters’ Insurance, Calculating the Cost of College and Understanding Student Loans, How to Start a 401(K), Understanding Health Insurance Plans, and What to Know About Checking Accounts.

The demonstrations are free and open to the public. Seating is limited, however, and reservations are required. To register online at the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Classes & Events,” select the library, and find the program. Participants may also register by calling the branch libraries: Sienna Branch Library (281-238-2900), the Sugar Land Branch Library (281-238-2140), the Fulshear Branch Library (346-481-6800), the University Branch Library (281-633-5100), or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).