American Legion hosts online financial literacy workshops

Two of the keys to ensuring a successful retirement are self-accountability and self-protection. That was the topic of a recent virtual workshop sponsored by The American Legion Veterans Education and Employment Division since in-person events are postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the workshop on legion.org/legiontv.

The workshop was presented by Judy Viccellio, the president of V-Star Financial Strategies and a keynote presenter to the World Bank Retirement Seminars with over 28 years in the financial services industry.

Viccellio emphasized five core competencies of financial strategy:

Income. “Does your income cover your expenses? It is extremely important to live within your means,” Viccellio said.

Budgeting. When creating a budget, Viccellio said you should ask yourself, what are your savings goals, what are your necessary expenses, and what is a realistic spending target.

Saving. Three areas of savings to emphasize are an emergency fund, usually about three months’ worth of income that can be easily accessed; money for large purchases such as homes; and future family growth, including education.

Borrowing. When borrowing money, Viccellio said it’s important to recognize the components of one’s credit score, including payment history, outstanding debt, new credit, types of credit, and credit history.

Protecting. Protecting your human capital includes life insurance, disability insurance, and managing costs for extended periods of care.

Upcoming virtual events include a June 16 federal resume writing workshop and a June 30 LinkedIn branding workshop.

For more information on how to register for those events, visit www.legion.org/education.