August 19, 2021

By Marty Johannes

Your ability to manage your money has a direct impact on your ability to build and live the life you want. It starts with budgeting and getting out of debt, with the end goal of saving and investing so that your assets can grow.

Thanks to a partnership that Johnson County Library formed with a retired business executive, you can learn more about and get one-on-one assistance with managing your money from an expert – free of charge.

Emerson Hartzler has had a distinguished career. He served as director of the Management Consulting Division for the Kansas City office of Touche Ross, vice president of New Product Development for Retirement Centers of America and executive director of Cardiovascular Consultants.

When Hartzler “retired” in 2007, he pursued a second career as a pro bono personal financial advisor. He assumed the role of director of Pro Bono Services for Triune Financial partners until 2015. He continues to maintain an independent pro bono financial practice. Since 2007, Hartzler has served more than 350 individuals and families in the community, doing all his work without char ge. Much of his work with clients involves helping them to plan and manage their income and expenses on a monthly basis, so that over time they can achieve financial success.

Several years ago, Hartzler approached Johnson County Library about presenting using the free budgeting website Mint.com, with individual follow-up for interested attendees.

Working with the library’s career and finance librarian, he developed and presented the online program “21st Century Budgeting with Mint.com” to discuss the principles of financial success and the importance of tracking personal income and expenses.

Interested attendees had the opportunity to schedule one-on-one follow-up appointments with Hartzler to help them establish and maintain an online budget using the website. One of the attendees who followed up with him shared that, “Having a budget in mint.com has given me a better sense of control over my money and peace of mind about my current and future finances.”

Hartzler also developed “Exposing the Myths of Retirement Investing,” a three-part program on understanding the stock market, taming the emotions that hurt investing and withdrawing funds during retirement.

Recordings of both programs, along with several other Johnson County Library virtual finance seminars, can be viewed via the Online Programs Archive at jocolibrary.org/personal-finance.

On Oct. 28, Hartzler will present “Improve Your Financial Score,” a virtual seminar on how to track and build personal financial security. As with the Mint.com program, attendees will have the opportunity to schedule a one-on-one appointment with him to set up a budget and start improving their financial health.

To register for this program and to see a full listing of all the library’s career and finance programs being offered this fall, visit jocolibrary.org/events.

Marty Johannes is career and personal finance librarian at Johnson County Library.