The Federal Reserve says student loan debt in the United States totals more than $1.2 trillion. Many students, including young educators entering the workforce for the first time, are bringing more than $35,000 in debt with them, according to Edvisors. And overcoming this debt can be a challenge for many educators.

Horace Mann understands new teachers want information on how to meet financial goals, including dealing with student loan debt. At this free workshop, you’ll learn the 3 Rs to financial success:

• Remove – You may qualify for federal forgiveness programs to remove some or all of your debt.
• Reduce – Loan repayment and refinance options may reduce your monthly payments. 
• Redirect – Redirect savings to prepare for other life goals, such as retirement.

Student loan refinancing is provided through a third-party financial services firm. Refinancing a federal student loan will make the borrower ineligible for loan forgiveness programs and could lengthen the repayment period of the loan.

If you're like most teachers, you may spend hundreds of your own dollars each year on school supplies. DonorsChoose can help you get funding for classroom materials and projects without reaching into your own pocket.  It’s a crowd-funding website designed specifically for education.

Horace Mann is a proud partner of DonorsChoose, and our free workshop will show you how to best utilize this tool so you can get what you need to give your students the best education possible.

The quality of your retirement is partially based on how well you plan for it financially. One key element to an educator's retirement strategy is a 403(b) plan, but many educators don't know how a 403(b) works.

This workshop is designed to answer these questions:

• What is a 403(b)?
• What are the benefits of contributing to a plan like this?
• Who qualifies to use a 403(b) plan?
• How can I make contributions to it?

This workshop is designed to teach you about your State Teachers’ Retirement System (STRS), a key component of your retirement planning. No matter how far you are from retirement, this workshop can benefit you.

Discussion topics include:

• the benefits your STRS provides;
• how your retirement income is determined; and
• how your STRS income should fit into your overall retirement strategy.

Horace Mann understands teachers just entering the profession need more information on how to meet financial goals.  If you attend our workshop on financial success, you'll learn about a variety of topics including: 

• developing positive spending habits;
• establishing good credit;
• the importance of a good credit score;
• protecting assets; and
• saving and preparing for retirement.