Seminar to provide free financial counseling to UW-Madison students

University of Wisconsin–Madison students are invited to learn what it takes to stop counting pennies and start securing their futures at the annual Financial Independence Seminar, to be hosted Saturday, April 5, by the Wisconsin Student Alumni Board (WASB).

The non-biased seminar will help students and soon-to-be graduates prepare for financial stability and independence after college. Co-hosted by the Society for Personal Investment (SPI), the seminar will cover the basics of general financial planning, employee benefits and saving for the future.

Celebrated financial expert Ron Smith will be the seminar’s keynote speaker for the third year. Smith earned his bachelor’s degree from UW–Madison in 1965, followed by a master’s degree in 1971. He will be joined by other UW–Madison alumni from leading financial institutions for several breakout sessions, each focused on financial stability and security.

"Financial literacy is a hot topic at college campuses all over the country," says Annie Wilcox, a UW–Madison sophomore and co-chair of the Financial Independence program. "This seminar is about the students and the benefit they get from entering the real world with valuable knowledge you don’t learn in the classroom."

The seminar is free and open to all UW–Madison students. Along with the seminar, students will have the opportunity to sign up for a free, 20-minute personal consultation. Required online registration will begin on Thursday, April 24. Events sponsors include Charles Schwab and the UW Credit Union.

The Wisconsin Alumni Student Board seeks to link students past, present and future through a variety of activities that have one centralized focus: celebrating UW–Madison and its alumni.

WASB’s Alumni Connections team focuses specifically on connecting students and alumni for career advice and exploration, and preparing students for life after graduation. 

WASB is a student organization empowered by the Wisconsin Alumni Association.