Extension offers money management video series

July 8, 2016

Debbie Carter
907-474-5406

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service has launched a series of short videos to help Alaskans manage their finances.

Topics in the Mastering Money Management series include improving your credit score, reading your credit report, children’s allowances, living on a seasonal income, automating your bill payments and what to do before choosing bankruptcy.

Roxie Dinstel, who has been teaching family finance classes for Extension for nearly 40 years, coordinated the series of five- to eight-minute YouTube videos. Ideas for topics came from agents and their clients, including farmers and fishermen, she said. Dinstel hopes the videos will be a quick resource that people can use.

Personal finance is important, she said. “But we’re not teaching it in school.”

Dinstel said Alaskans face special challenges for money management because of seasonal incomes, an uncertain state economy and budget cuts.

The videos are available at www.uaf.edu/ces/money. Eight have been posted, and more will be added this month. The videos were developed by Dinstel, agents Sarah Lewis and Linda Tannehill in Juneau and Soldotna, respectively, and media technician Jeff Fay. Former University of Alaska President Pat Gamble provided funding for the series. Anyone with ideas for additional video topics may contact Dinstel at 907-474-7201 or at rrdinstel@alaska.edu.