The U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau
presents
the fifth in the 2008 series of
Wi$eUp Teleconference Calls

Dealing with Debt and the Credit Crunch

Tuesday, September 30, 2008
2:00pm to 3:00pm EDT  

Register online at www.dol.gov/wb/mentor2.asp or by phone at 202-693-6767
to receive the toll free call-in number and passcode.  

Do you need help paying down debt? Which debt reduction strategy is right for you? Have you fallen behind in repaying your creditors? How do you respond to debt collectors who are demanding payments? What are fair, legal debt collection practices? Is your poor credit history affecting your ability to get a loan, insurance, or even a job? Are you finding it difficult to access credit - even though you have a good credit history?

Join us to hear the following three experts discuss debt and credit management:

Steve Bucci is the President of the Money Management International Financial Education Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, he was President of the non-profit Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Southern New England. Mr. Bucci was the founder of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rhode Island, which he organized in the wake of the 1991 Rhode Island banking and credit union crisis. While at CCCS–RI, Mr. Bucci founded and became the Managing Director of the University of Rhode Island Center for Personal Financial Education. He continues to serve on its Board of Directors. Mr. Bucci is a nationally syndicated columnist, writing the Debt Adviser column for Bankrate.com. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Rhode Island at Kingston.

Julie G. Bush is a Staff Attorney in the Division of Financial Services of the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, DC. Ms. Bush works on numerous law enforcement and policy matters to protect consumers in the financial services arena, including consumer debt collection, fair lending, and deceptive mortgage advertising. Before joining the FTC, she was an Equal Justice Works Fellow in consumer and housing law with Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc. in Gainesville, Florida. She received her bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and her law degree from Stanford Law School.

Meridee J. Maynard , Certified Public Accountant/Personal Financial Specialist, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, is Senior Vice President-Life Products at Northwestern Mutual Life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has expertise in financial planning, investments and investment planning, insurance (including life, long-term care, disability income, and annuities), benefits, small business taxes, and marketing. In her current position, she oversees the development and marketing of the life insurance product line for Northwestern Mutual. Ms. Maynard is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

A question and answer session will follow the presentations.

Transcripts and audio recordings of past Wi$eUp Teleconference Calls are available online at www.wiseupwomen.org.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau’s Wi$eUp project is dedicated to helping workers reduce debt and increase savings and investments. In addition to bimonthly teleconference calls, the Wi$eUp project consists of a curriculum offered online and in classroom settings and an online “Ask the Experts” feature. For more information, including how to register to become a Wi$eUp participant, mentor, or service provider, please visit www.dol.gov/wb or www.wiseupwomen.org .