June 12, 2007

Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias encouraged women to become better savers, money managers and investors during his inaugural “Smart Women Smart Money” conference today in Niles.

“Nine out of 10 women will be in charge of their household finances at some point in their lives,” Giannoulias said. “In this era of easy credit, home foreclosures, and record bankruptcy filings, we are providing women the tools to make smart financial decisions. The goal of the Smart Women Smart Money conference is to empower women to become financially secure.”

The Niles conference was co-hosted by the Polish Women’s Alliance of America and sponsored by Dollars and Sense, Inc. The event featured foreclosure prevention and debt elimination strategies and attracted more than 400 participants.

Giannoulias outlined several Treasurer’s Office programs that are beneficial for women. Our Own Home program helps individuals with imperfect credit purchase homes. Bright Start College Savings program is a tax-exempt way to save for a child’s higher education. Employ Illinois backs low-interest loans to business owners, particularly targeting child care providers, a leading woman-owned enterprise.

Since 1999, the Treasurer’s Office has backed almost $25 million in low-interest loans to 72 child care providers throughout the state, serving 4,614 children. Many of these businesses are woman-run, and they allowed mothers to go back into the workforce.

“There is a saying – ‘Women and money. They are two of the strongest things in the world,’” Giannoulias said. “Smart Women Smart Money symposiums like these are designed to strengthen that relationship. They can promote financial independence and provide the resources women need to build the ladder for their families and themselves to climb up and get ahead. As the financial health of women improves, so too does the financial health of neighborhoods, communities and the state of Illinois.”

This is the seventh year Smart Women Smart Money conferences are being held across the state. More than 3,500 women attended the conferences in the last two years, and more than 10,000 women have attended since 2001.