A financial wellness system designed for the 75 percent of Americans living paycheck to paycheck is coming to UAB. Starting in March, the Employee Assistance & Counseling Center is offering a free three-month pilot of SmartPath for UAB and UAB Medicine employees and spouses.
The goal, said EACC Director Tami Mayes Long, is to provide support that reinforces good financial habits.
“The EACC recognizes that financial stability is at the heart of good marriages and relationships,” Long said.
SmartPath was started in 2010 by Harvard MBA and Fortune 500 financial advisor Alok Deshpande. After witnessing the effects of the 2008 financial crisis, he saw a need for basic financial education for the middle-class workers hit hardest in the recession.
“A lot of people don’t understand money and how to put a strategy around their finances,” Deshpande said. SmartPath features a budgeting app, jargon-free seminars and a seven-step system that takes the stress out of money.
“We’re getting rid of the jargon and showing you how to get out of debt and build some wealth for your family,” Deshpande said.
The three-month pilot kicks off March 6 with SmartPath’s “Get Your Money Right” seminar. Three sessions are available — noon and 4 p.m. in Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium and 2 p.m. in the Bartow Arena Green & Gold Room. Register for “SmartPath” at uab.edu/learn.
For more information on this and EACC’s financial wellness program, visit uab.edu/financial-wellness.