Money Smart Week is coming, April 5 to 12, 2014. It's the best time of year to learn anything you want about managing your finances. Why is it the best time?

It's all free.

There will likely workshops near you. Over 1025 programs will take place in 24 different counties around Illinois. There are also programs in about 45 other states. And some events are offered online, so they're accessible anywhere.

No sales spiels. This is a project of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, with events carried out by partner organizations who register with the Fed and promise that there will be no sales pitches at any of these events.

Find programs near you by going on the Money Smart Week website. Select your state, and then search by zip code or by county. If you're looking for a particular topic, pick one from the Topic drop-down menu. Click "reset" to start a new search.

Money Smart Week is an annual public awareness campaign led by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Partner organizations work together to present events on everything from couponing to retirement planning, and credit cards to investing.

The first Money Smart Week was in Chicago in 2002, with just 30 events. Illinois is still has the largest campaign, involving over 900 different partners including U of I Extension, banks, non-profits, credit unions, libraries, governmental agencies, and many other groups.

It has grown into a nationwide effort, with national partners such as the USDA's Cooperative Extension Service (that's us, University of Illinois Extension), the American Library Association, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Financial Planning Association, and the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.

University of Illinois Extension has been an active Money Smart Week partner since the first Week was organized in 2002, and we're pleased to be offering numerous programs during Money Smart Week 2014. You'll find our Money Smart Week events on the MSW calendar, but we do financial education year-round; find all our events on Extension's own calendar of events.