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DKG Practice/Program

husband, manages the money, leaving the wife with
little understanding of their financial status. Such a lack
of knowledge creates problems in making financial
decisions and makes a woman vulnerable in a divorce
or after the death of the spouse. Smith (2022) noted,
“Women experience more stress than men in financial
matters. This ultimately erodes well-being and quality
of life. The ambient stress of worrying about personal
financial matters may also affect mental health” (p.
1). Worries over money affect self-confidence and
self-worth and, in turn, affect a sense of well-being
according to Holland (2022), who posited that the stress
and lack of confidence are not due to incompetence but
the internalizing of society’s idea that men are better
at managing money. Smith (2022) further noted, “We don’t talk enough about financial well-being, or we
postpone those conversations until we are near retirement, which is too late. Financial well-being relates to
meeting and enjoying your life goals financially, with the knowledge of how to plan for that future” (p. 1).
In a study about teachers and teaching financial literacy, Way and Holden (2009) reported what the
teachers listed as their personal top five financial concerns: (a) whether they will have enough money
for retirement, (b) finding ways to supplement their income as a teacher, (c) paying for their children’s
college education, (d) knowing whether they are using the best strategies for investing their money, and
(e) knowing whether they are taking advantage of tax laws that may benefit them. In a 2022 survey of NC
DKG members about the need for a seminar on financial literacy (J. Carlson, personal communication,
November 19, 2022), respondents listed some similar concerns to those found by Way and Holden; the
top three were assuring their future after retirement, maintaining files such as banking and wills, and
managing after the loss of a spouse or a family crisis. Other topics of interest were estate planning and
implications of health and disability issues. More than 75 respondents indicated an interest in attending a
seminar to enhance their knowledge.

Seminar Details

The committee chose Alamance Community College (ACC) as the site for the seminar due to its
central location. ACC was open to hosting the seminar on June 13, 2024, and faculty and students in the
hospitality program agreed to provide lunch.
The registration fee for the seminar was set at $20 ($25 for non-members) to encourage attendance.
Along with the Cornetet grant, this amount funded the seminar. The seminar was advertised in NC DKG
state publications, and a skit at the state organization convention encouraged members to attend. Fifty-five
members and six non-members attended the 1-day seminar. Ten of the 11 state regions were represented.
The main speakers were three members of the trust department at the North Carolina State Employees
Credit Union. The morning’s session—Controlling What’s in Your Wallet: Life Stages of Financial
Management for a Secure Personal Financial Future—engaged members in varied activities. In the
afternoon, the presenter of a session on Legal Documents Everyone Needs discussed wills and medical
and legal powers of attorney. In another session, a consultant from the Department of Public Instruction
discussed a newly required financial literacy exam for North Carolina high schoolers. Two NC DKG
members who had first proposed having the seminar shared information about the book given to each
attendee and conducted the closing reflection session.
In addition to a small tote bag, participants received a book by Holland—You Are Worthy: Change
Your Money Mindset, Build Your Wealth & Fund Your Future (2022)—and, for fun, a “Million Dollar”

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