Free Money School After Hours covers personal finance topics

Keynote speaker Carol Hunter shares information about having a solid financial plan during a previous Money School event. (Contributed photo)

Jennifer Harper from Bridge Financial Planning speaks at a previous Money School event on basic investing. (Contributed photo)

When starting the process of buying a home for the first time, many people are surprised at all the things they never knew. For instance, most lenders require a potential homebuyer have at least two years of employment. For the self-employed, this requirement can be an obstacle to homeownership - but there are ways to get around that barrier and show one's ability to pay for a home, which attendees will learn at an upcoming session of Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise's Money School After Hours.

The new series is an offshoot of Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise's annual Money School program held in April, which covers a variety of personal finance topics. Money School After Hours was launched in May as a monthly opportunity for Chattanoogans to delve deeper into those topics.

Each After Hours course focuses on a particular subject, such as improving one's credit score or filing for financial aid. The program is designed to encourage people in the community to further educate themselves on personal finance and bolster their financial stability.

Money School After Hours is held at CNE's office the second Thursday of every month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. All the classes for 2018-19 have a blockbuster movie theme and are taught by instructors from CNE as well as from partner organizations related to the topic. Refreshments and child care are provided during the free classes.

Next up is Independence Day: A Guide to Self-Employment, set for July 12. The class covers the basics of self-employment finances, including taxes, insurance and buying a home. Instructors are Jeff Lynn of Farmer's Insurance; Hollie Floberg of Grant, Konvalinka and Harrison; and Ethan Pope and Carolyn Burke of CNE. Also on tap is a lesson from representatives of energy efficiency program Empower Chattanooga on steps people can take to lower their monthly power bills.

"As Chattanooga continues to grow and more entrepreneurs are coming here, we have more people who have started businesses who are looking to purchase a home," said CNE Communications and Special Projects Manager Jennifer Holder, as to why this topic was chosen for the series.

The Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise office is at 1500 Chestnut St., Suite 102. For more information or to register for Money School After Hours classes, visit MoneySchoolCHA.org or call 756-6201.