Sarano Kelley among advisors focusing on financial literacy

October 30, 2009 at 08:00 PM
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As part of a new financial literacy awareness campaign, the International Association of Financial, Sport and Celebrity Advisers will air a one-hour television special on VH1. The special, "Broke and Famous," set to air November 5, 2009, will chronicle the rags-to-riches-to-rags story of former child star Willie Aames, who is best known for his roles in television shows such as "Eight is Enough" and "Charles in Charge."

The special opens with Aames in financial straits after financial illiteracy and poor financial advice leave him homeless and alone, with nothing to show for his years of entertainment business success. But Aames is given a second chance thanks to financial and life coach Sarano Kelley, whose work is widely known in Hollywood and on Wall Street and who is spearheading the campaign, known as "Stand Up for Financial Literacy."

Using the special as a springboard, financial advisers around the country will host presentations in their communities in the months following the special. These town hall meetings will encourage participants to improve their financial literacy and personal responsibility. "As we enter the season of Thanksgiving and other important winter holidays, what better conversation to have with your loved ones than financial literacy," said Kelley, who implied that many global problems might be solved if we as a society increased our personal responsibility and financial awareness.

In 2007, Aames joined more than 850,000 Americans in filing for bankruptcy, stressing the pervasive need for better financial education of the general public. "The IAFSCA is responding to these alarming numbers," said Kelley. "We will use Aames's story to reach millions nationwide on November 5, 2009."

Financial Literacy Month, which will run through the month of April, 2010, will see 100,000 advisers, educators, athletes, celebrities and business coaches pouring into the nation's classrooms in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of financial literacy so that fewer people fall into the trap that caught Aames.

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