MAHANOY CITY -- If someone needed information on finances involving investments, careers, legal matters and more, the second Mahanoy Area Community Financial Fair was the place to be Wednesday.

The mission of the three-hour fair was to promote financial literacy involving not only banking and investing, but also many other areas of people's lives. Topics ranged from the PA529 Tuition Savings Program, financial aid, mortgages, retirement planning, estate planning, insurance, disability insurance, family law and elder law.

The financial fair was hosted by the Mahanoy Area High School Business Department and the Business Club, which benefit from all proceeds. It was open to students and the public.

There were about 30 participating vendors, which was almost three times the number of vendors in the first financial fair.

Kathy M. Loy, Mahanoy Area business educator/department chair, said April is Financial Literacy Month. The first fair held in 2013 had 10 vendors with a fair turnout, but Loy was encouraged by others to hold a fair this year because it is important. Those who encouraged her also stepped up to assist her this year. The number of vendors and attendees was much better.

"As you can see, we have close to 30 vendors really eager to meet the public this year," Loy said.

As a business teacher, Loy knows the importance of financial awareness.

"We're trying to promote financial awareness and education. I teach personal finance to the 11th-graders. I believe it's a life skill and something they need to know. I've seen some of my students here, and I'm excited about that," Loy said. "We have the attorneys here with elder law and family law, the schools are here, and PHEAA and financial aid. The military recruiters was an idea from one of the people on the committee. It all comes together. Our business club is running a concession stand. They're trying to raise money to start a student store."

There were door prizes. To be eligible, the students were required to go to every vendor stand and get a sticker for a card as proof.

APPRISE Program Coordinator Susan Johns with Diakon Community Service attended for a slightly older group.

"I'm here for the other part of it -- the senior citizens part," Johns said. "I work with the APPRISE program to help the seniors with the price of their prescriptions, the Medicare assistance program, the PACENET program and more. Hopefully some grandparents will come through and go over the programs with them."

She added, "There are so many programs out there and that's why this fair is wonderful."

Sitting nearby was McCann School of Business and Technology Community Relations Specialist Lori Kane, who was attending her second financial fair at the school.

"I think this is great," Kane said. "It's a great opportunity to have everybody under one roof to share the information and help them get ahead."

Personal banker Brian Keich of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., said the fair is a great way to get information out to whoever needs it.

"It's very important since I get to see people on a day-to-day basis who don't have the financial knowledge that they should be equiped with when they're entering into large financial transactions, such as schooling, new cars, things like that," Keich said. "What impact they have on their lives they don't understand and don't start out on the right foot."

Keich said programs like the fair should be run in all high schools to give students a chance to learn what is involved.

"In four years of college, personal finance may have been the most important course I've ever taken because it really prepares you for life," Keich said.

Mahanoy Area juniors Mark Mahmod and Colin Casserly stopped at the Wells Fargo and spoke briefly with Keich, who provided some informational material, explaining that developing good credit will help them when it is time for a new car or buying a house when they're finished with school.

"I have a big interest in finance, and I thought it would be fun to come and take a look," Mahmod said.

Doug Hassenbein, assistant investor education coordinator with the state Department of Banking and Securities, attended to provide information on how a person handles important financial plans and goals.

"We are in the investor education section, so just as it sounds, whether it's students or working adults, we want to encourage everyone to watch your money and make sure that some of it is going toward long-term goals, like investing," Hassenbein said. "Sometimes that can scare people, but we tell people that investing, like in the stock market, is like a roller coaster. It goes up and down, just like an investment portfolio. If the markets go down, don't panic. Just think about your long-term goals."

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