(Washington, DC) — The next “How Can I Afford Retirement?” Investor Education in Your Community event will be held May 28, 2009, at 6 pm at Howard University Law School, Moot Court Room at Houston Hall, 2900 Van Ness Street, NW. Tim Wesling, CFP®, will be the featured speaker on the topic of “Closing the Gap: Investment and Expense Strategies—Even for Late Starters!”

“It is NEVER too late to get a handle on your retirement finances,” said Wesling. “There is a wealth of non-commercial investment information available through this investment education series and at public libraries. People approaching retirement or even those recently retired must use that information to gain knowledge and ultimately wisdom.”

The “How Can I Afford Retirement?” program is a series of investor education events designed for individuals who are thinking about retirement or are recently retired. The purpose is to provide access to objective non-commercial information about investing for retirement so individuals can make informed choices, recognize and avoid misleading investment advice and scams, and learn ways to better manage their retirement investments.

Each event has several components, including a topical presentation by a financial expert, a briefing on library resources, small group facilitated discussions and a question and answer session with financial experts. Each participant will receive a workbook recently published by the Department of Labor titled “ Taking the Mystery Out of Retirement Planning,” as well as other investment education materials. The events will cover four topics this spring, and participants are encouraged to attend as many as they can.

The program is a collaboration of the DC Public Library, the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB), the Investor Protection Trust and the Financial Planning Association of the National Capital Area.

“These seminars fill an important need for our residents,” said DISB Commissioner Thomas E. Hampton. “Recent studies have concluded that a significant portion of the population needs to get a better assessment of their retirement income needs, and these seminars will help in that regard.”

The program is funded by a grant from the Investor Protection Trust, a nonprofit organization devoted to investor education. Since 1993, the IPT has worked with the states to provide the independent, objective investor education needed by all Americans to make informed investment decisions. Its Web site is at investorprotection.org. The series is free and open to the public. For more information and to register, visit affordretirement-dc.org or call (202) 290-2184.

Taking The Mystery Out Of Retirement Planning*