Learn how to take control of your finances at Benedictine seminar

Lisle, Illinois ~ More and more people in today’s uncertain economy are struggling to manage their finances.

But that doesn’t mean you have to drain your savings, take out another mortgage or max out credit cards to stay afloat.

Learn what you can do to set yourself up for financial success at a “Smart Money Seminar” from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 3 on the second floor of the Krasa Student Center at Benedictine University.

The Women’s Institute for Global Leadership at Benedictine is co-hosting the event with the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office and the nonprofit Dollars and Sense Inc. to provide important financial information to the University community and public.

Monica L. Walker, founding partner, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of Holland Capital Management LLC, is the keynote speaker.

Walker oversees Holland Capital Management’s overall business and financial operations, and is responsible for implementing the firm’s large-cap growth and mid-cap growth equity strategies. She has more than 32 years of financial services experience, including 25 years in investment management.

Walker’s talk will provide strategic tips aimed at dispelling concerns about investing in an uncertain economy by encouraging investors to focus and plan for the long term through short-term ways that improve one’s ability to invest.

Walker was nominated as one of the “Top 100 Women to Watch” in Today’s Chicago Woman magazine. She has been recognized as one of Chicago United’s “Business Leaders of Color,” and one of Black Enterprise magazine’s “75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street” and “75 Most Powerful Women in Business.”

Other speakers include Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford and Laura Shallow, vice president of senior relations for Fifth Third Bank.

“I hope people make time to take advantage of this unique opportunity at Benedictine University,” Rutherford said. “In today’s economy, tips offered at our Smart Money seminar could be very useful for budgeting household finances – no matter the size of your household.”

As state treasurer, Rutherford ensures that state investments are protected from market fluctuations and assures all funds are properly managed. As the state’s banker, he is responsible for investing more than $15 billion in taxpayer dollars.

Shallow’s presentation is titled "Putting Muscle into Your Financial Fitness” and
will cover such topics as identify theft, budgeting, building credit, and
financial and estate planning.

Admission is free. Please RSVP in advance at www.ben.edu/smartmoney. Attendees will receive a complimentary breakfast and lunch.

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Benedictine University is an independent Roman Catholic institution located in Lisle, Illinois just 25 miles west of Chicago, and has branch campuses in Springfield, Illinois and Mesa, Arizona. Founded in 1887, Benedictine provides 55 undergraduate majors and 15 graduate and four doctoral programs. Benedictine University is ranked No. 1 among the country’s fastest-growing campuses between 2000-2010 in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s list of private nonprofit research institutions, and Forbes magazine named Benedictine among “America’s Top Colleges” for the second consecutive year in 2012. Benedictine University’s Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program is listed by Crain’s Chicago Business as the fifth largest in the Chicago area in 2012.