News Release
August 3, 2007

Credit, finance concerns focus of UW consumer issues conference

How to live in a world of consumer credit will be the message at the seventh regional “Money Matter$: 2007 Consumer Issues Conference” Sept. 26-27 in the Wyoming Union on the University of Wyoming campus.

Featured events are discussion by writer/director/producer James Scurlock of the nationally acclaimed documentary film Maxed Out and recognized experts on personal finance, credit and financial safety.

There is a pressing need for reform in consumer credit on the state and federal levels right now, according to conference planner Dee Pridgen, a professor in the UW College of Law.

“Consumers are being squeezed by sky-high interest rates on payday loans and subprime mortgages as well as by hidden fees and charges on their credit cards,” said Pridgen, who is also a presenter at the conference. “Identity theft is also a continuing worry  as well as how to protect a nest egg during turbulent times in the stock market.”

The conference will highlight some of these issues and will help consumers protect themselves, she said. “It also will shine a light on practices that are calling out for state or federal intervention.  State legislators will be on hand to listen to consumer concerns.  Also, congressional hearings on credit card practices are taking place and feedback from consumers is critical to federal action.”

The conference features sessions at a variety of levels, she said. Adults, youths, senior citizens, professionals and policy makers are welcome. Professional credits are available.

James Scurlock, who produced Maxed Out: Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders, will attend the free showing of his film the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 26, at the UW Arts & Sciences Auditorium to start the conference. A question and answer session will follow with Scurlock and Norma Garcia, an attorney with Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports.

The movie is a preface to a full day of workshops Thursday at the Wyoming Union that starts with UW President Tom Buchanan and conference committee co-chairs Pridgen and Virginia Vincenti providing the welcome. Vincenti is a professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences in the UW College of Agriculture.

Keynote speakers are Jeanne Hogarth and Nancy Smith. Hogarth is manager for the Consumer Education and Research Section of the Division of Consumer and Community Affairs at the Federal Reserve Board. Smith is vice president of investment services at AARP Financial. Scurlock is the final keynote speaker in the afternoon.

Key topics at the conference will be credit cards and credit scores, bankruptcy and debt collection, investment and retirement, and privacy and ID theft. Concurrent sessions are presented in three separate time slots. Each session has a different speaker with a different topic.

Presenters and topics include:

Credit cards and credit scores – Hogarth, The Mysterious Monthly Statement: Discover the Secrets Hidden in Your Credit Card Bill (and what the Fed is trying to do about them!); Cole Ehmke, personal financial management extension specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the UW College of Agriculture, Credit Cards on Campus: Managing Student Debt; Garcia, Credit Card Quicksand: Examining Common Practices & Legislative Proposals for Reform.

Bankruptcy and debt collection – Elaine Welle, professor in the UW College of Law, Costly Cash: Payday Loans, Car-title Loans and Check Cashing Services: What are the costs, risks and repercussions?; Michele Hankins, assistant U.S. bankruptcy trustee for the Cheyenne Office, District of Wyoming; G. Paul Hunter and  John Patton, Cheyenne attorneys, and Welle, Maxed Out: Is Bankruptcy Still an Option? How Bankruptcy Reform Has Impacted Debtors and Creditors; Anthony Gold and Jennifer Hanft, Laramie attorneys, The Debt Man Cometh: Collecting Debts and Dealing with Debt Collectors.

Investment and retirement – Thomas Cowan, Securities Division director, Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office, Campaign for Wise and Safe Investing; Mary Anne Heyman, certified financial planner from Fort Collins, Colo.,  What You Need to Know about Long-Term Care Insurance; Nancy Smith, AARP Financial, Investing for the Future.

Privacy and ID theft – Tim Summers, associate state director for advocacy AARP Wyoming, Security Freeze Legislation & What It Means to You; Jan Zavislan, Colorado assistant attorney general, ID Theft Prevention; Pridgen, Navigating the Maze: The Consumer’s Right to Access & Correct Credit Reports.”

Other program and conference information is available at the conference Web site www.uwyo.edu/consumerconference. Early registration ends Sept. 13. General registration costs $45; seniors are $35, and students are free.

Audio File: Dee Pridgen commenting upon conference opportunities

Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu
Archived News Site http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWAG/news.asp

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