Family Financial Strategist - That's You, Mom

SARASOTA, Fla., May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mother's Day is all about making Mom as comfortable as possible without a care in the world. This year, M&I, a part of BMO Financial Group, wants to help Mom extend that feeling of ease with a few tips to keep the family finances on track.

"Financial health plays a critical role in areas such as buying a home, paying for college or taking a family vacation," said Dave Maraman, Florida President, M&I. "Moms often function as the chief financial officer of the household with responsibility for these types of larger activities as well as everyday financial decisions."

This Mother's Day, M&I is offering mothers four tips on family finances.

1. Plan Your Shopping.  Before you go shopping, get the whole family involved in couponing.  It will help kids learn how much things cost and can be a fun family activity.  Then plan out your trip to cut down on the gas you use and the time you need for running errands.  Make a shopping list and stick to it.  This will keep down impulse buys and will decrease the number of trips to the store.  The money you save by planning can be put towards a bigger purchase for the family like a trip, new car, or home update.

2. Start saving early. Your children will be college-aged sooner than you expect. By putting money in an educational savings account as soon as you can, you'll ensure your children can afford to go to college when the time comes.

3. Invest in yourself. Saving for your retirement is just as important as saving for your children's future. You'll want to have enough finances available to visit your grandchildren and live comfortably in retirement.  Check with your employer and see if they have a 401(k) match and/or automatic savings deductions from your paycheck. It's never too late to begin and every little bit helps.

4. Use money as a learning tool. If children are taught to manage their money at an early age, they usually deal with personal finances more successfully later in life. Help your children differentiate wants from needs and set reachable goals for the money they receive from allowance, part-time jobs or gifts. For age appropriate financial activities and tips, visit M&I's Helpful Steps for Parents online program at http://community.bmoharris.com/helpful-steps-for-parents.

This Mother's Day, make sure you are doing everything you can to ensure your family's financial stability. For more information, visit www.mibank.com.

About BMO Harris Bank
Based in Chicago, BMO Harris Bank N.A. provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions through over 650 branches and approximately 1,350 ATMs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona and Florida. BMO Harris Bank's commercial banking team provides a combination of sector expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the U.S. Deposit and loan products and services provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Harris Bank^SM is a trade name used by BMO Harris Bank N.A. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a North American financial organization with 1,600 branches, and a retail deposit base of approximately $180 billion.

SOURCE M&I, a part of BMO Financial Group

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