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University of West Florida MBA and M.Acc. students study in the College of Business.

Louis Maygarden Center for Financial Literacy

The Louis Maygarden Center for Financial Literacy, housed in the College of Business, focuses on improving the financial health and well-being of all persons residing in the University of West Florida service area.


What We Do:

One of the main goals of the Center for Financial Literacy is to increase awareness of, and access to, effective financial education. The Maygarden Center for Financial Literacy collaborates with successful providers of financial education to provide a pathway to competency in financial literacy. The center offers various learning opportunities including workshops, seminars, and speaker series.

The center also focuses on intervention by offering credit counseling services to individuals contemplating life-changing financial matters. The counseling services are sponsored by Members First Credit Union and are personalized and offered to any member of the community. Individual credit counseling is performed by the center’s certified credit counselors.               

Mission:

Improve the financial health and well-being of all persons residing in the University of West Florida service area.

Vision:

A prosperous, self-reliant citizenry capable of contributing to the orderly and sustainable advancement of community, state and nation.

Gulf Winds II

Upcoming Events: 

The Center for Financial Literacy is proud to partner with Gulf Winds Cares Foundation to provide a series of quarterly workshops available for free to the community. Please see the upcoming workshops for 2023-24 and the workshops we previously hosted!

Don't Get Hustled by Your Side Hustle

  • March 18, 2024
  • 12:30-1:30 p.m.
  • UWF Conference Center, Conference Room A
  • Kyle Polhlopek, financial analyst, Gulf Winds Credit Union

Identity Theft and Scams

  • April 24, 2024
  • Noon-1:30 p.m.
  • UWF Conference Center, Conference Room A
  • Walter Stepnowski, chief technology officer, Gulf Winds Credit Union
  • Guy Garrett, associate director, UWF Center for Cybersecurity
  • Dr. Elizabeth Rasnick, academic administrator, UWF Center for Cybersecurity
  • Registration

Previous Workshops

How to Finance and Shop for a Car

  • November 7, 2023
  • 12:30-1:30 p.m.
  • UWF Conference Center, Conference Room A
  • Daniel Arney, Gulf Winds Member Advocate Expert 

First-Time Homebuyer Workshop

  • September 19, 2023
  • 12:30-1:30 p.m.
  • UWF Conference Center, Conference Room A
  • Katrinka Phillips, Gulf Winds Mortgage Loan Originator

Better Credit Mo' Money: Do's, Don'ts and Nevers for Credit

  • March 21, 2023
  • 12:30-1:30 p.m.
  • Building 76A, Room 101
  • Jim Eanes, Credit Consultant, Maygarden Center for Financial Literacy

Credit Scores and Building Credit 

Personal Investing and Savings Products 

  • March 29, 2022
  • Building 76A, Room 101
  • Dr. Kwan-Chen Ma, professor of Accounting & Finance

Protecting Your Identity and Common Scams

  • June 21, 2022
  • Bowden Building, Room 1 (120 Church St.)
  • Frank Higginbotham, financial crimes investigator for Escambia County Sheriff's Office; adjunct faculty member of Accounting & Finance

Becoming a 401K Millionaire

Navigating the Home Loan Process

Putting Your Financial House in Order

  • January 24, 2023
  • The Commons Auditorium
  • Chris Kelly, Senior Vice President, The Kelly Group at Morgan Stanley

 

Previous Workshops


KC Ma speaks to a group at financial workshop

Personal Investing and Saving

with Dr. K.C. Ma, Professor of Accounting and Finance

University of West Florida

Watch Investing Workshop

Greg Prescott speaks to a group at financial workshop

Credit Scores and Building Credit

with Dr. Greg Prescott, Chair of the Department of Accounting and Finance

UWF College of Business

Watch Credit Score Workshop


Greg Prescott speaks to a group at financial workshop

Becoming a 401K Millionaire

with Dr. Greg Prescott, Chair of the Department of Accounting and Finance

UWF College of Business

Watch 401K Workshop

Rich Preston speaks to a group at financial workshop

Navigating the Home Loan Process

with Rich Preston, Branch Manager

NEXA Mortgage

Watch Home Loan Workshop