Financial Fusion is an interactive workshop developed by the Cygnet Institute of Personal Financial Literacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit certified by CEFEX® as a fiduciary educator.
This interactive presentation will challenge you to connect the dots between your goals and your financial decisions. Rather than the typical generic lecture on budgeting or investing, it uses an experiential approach. In this 90-minute workshop, participants will be guided through a structured decision-making process that ties money management to what matters to them. It connects career, cash flow, lifestyle quality and retirement with personal values, time management and your life view, which can lead to more thoughtful financial decisions instead of reactive ones.
A central focus of the workshop is retirement planning, which the program frames as the most consequential and unavoidable financial event in an employee’s life. Employees are guided through the four major retirement decisions that are often made in isolation and end up working against each other: which pension option to choose, when to claim Social Security, how much they actually need saved and when to stop working. The workshop teaches a formal five-step decision framework (define the issue, establish criteria, identify alternatives, evaluate alternatives, make the decision) to avoid relying on rules of thumb that don’t fit their individual situation.
The workshop is highly practical and hands-on. Participants complete a self-assessment survey to benchmark their money management skills, map out their life goals on a timeline, take a personal values inventory, and work through worksheets covering retirement income sources, annual retirement spending, and a use-of-time analysis. This level of interactivity keeps engagement high and gives employees tools they can take home and actually use, rather than a stack of slides they forget by the next week.
A distinguishing feature of the program is its emphasis on the fiduciary standard, teaching employees the difference between advisers who are legally required to act in their best interest versus those held to a lower suitability standard. This protects employees from costly mistakes and reduces the risk that poor outside advice translates into workplace stress or premature retirement decisions.
This program will be offered on RCU’s campus in HL112 from 6:30-8 p.m. on Oct. 13, Nov. 10 and Dec. 8. Admission is $20 per household. Enrollment and payment are required before attending: www.cygnetInstitute.org. For more information, text 248-330-7074.
