Finance                                                                                                               

The Finance spoke focuses on empowering women of all ages to achieve financial security and sustainability. This includes helping Utah women learn how to make informed financial decisions to serve their own life goals and improve financial wellness. Spoke leaders will bring together individuals and organizations from around the state who can provide crucial financial information, are developing innovative resources, offering timely educational opportunities, increasing awareness of personal finance best-practices, and offering gatherings to meet new friends, mentors, and advocates. Important areas of focus include budgeting, managing debt, credit scores, home ownership, estate planning, investing, entrepreneurship, understanding insurance needs, protecting your money, and starting a business in this economy. To learn more, listen to the spoke leaders discuss the work on this 15-minute podcast.

Spoke Leaders

Bold Vision & Goals

To make Utah a place where more girls and women can thrive, the Finance spoke leaders and partners have crafted the vision and goals below. Spoke leadership and UWLP team members are currently working to collect baseline data that will assist in adding numbers to the changes we want to see by 2026 and 2030.

Vision: Empower Utah women of all ages to achieve financial security and sustainability by increasing their financial confidence and competence.

Goals: 

1. Increase financial competence in high school girls. [Metric Forthcoming]
2. Increase the percentage of women who are involved in financial decision making in the home. [Metric]
3. Increase the percentage of Utah women who have emergency savings. [Metric]
4. Increase the percentage of Utah women who have a retirement account. [Metric]
5. Change Utahns’ agreement (understanding and perceptions) in the following areas: [Metric Dashboard]
   1. I am aware of resources that help me achieve financial security. [Increase women’s agreement by 10% by 2026 and 20% by 2030]
   2. I have utilized resources that have helped me achieve financial security. [Increase women’s agreement by 10% by 2026 and 20% by 2030]
   3. I believe it is valuable for me to understand my personal finances. [Increase women’s agreement by 5% by 2026 and 10% by 2030]
   4. I can manage my personal finances independently and make informed decisions to improve my financial wellness. [Increase women’s agreement by 10% by 2026 and 20% by 2030]
   5. It is important for women to be competent and confident with money. [Increase agreement by 5% by 2026 and 10% by 2030]

Thriving Statement: Women of any age thrive when empowered to achieve financial security and sustainability.

Partners 

Affiliates

• American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
• BambooHR
• Cyprus Credit Union
• Empowering Financial Wellness, USU Extension
• Granite Credit Union
• Suazo Business Center
• University of Utah
• Utah Department of Commerce
• Utah Jump$tart Coalition
• Women of the World

Working Group Leaders

• Access to Capital: Jacki Zehner (Founder, ShePlace) & Madison Limansky (COO, ShePlace)
• College Admissions - Business & Finance: Alayna Williamson (Associate Professor of Finance, David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah)
• Communication & Outreach: KatieAnn Powell (Granite Credit Union) & McKenzie Walsh (Housing Program Coordinator, USU Extension – Salt Lake County)
• Corporate Outreach & Funding: Alheli Brilliant (Realtor, BRIX Real Estate) & Jenny Sass (Marketing Specialist, my529)
• General Community Education/Online Education/Educational Resources: Vincenza Vicari-Bentley (Lead Program Coordinator, Empowering Financial Wellness, Utah State University)
• High School Financial Literacy: Shauna Barfuss (Executive Director, Utah Jump Start)
• Intervention Resources: Jennifer Garner (Weber State University)
• Metrics & Research: Karsten Walker (retired Financial Literacy Teacher)