Taxes, Retirement & Investing – The Basics
Welcome to the sixth and final installment of Everyday Money Skills: A Community Series, led by Michele Eden Montas. This series is designed to reduce financial stress, build confidence, and provide realistic tools that reflect how people actually live and work in Downeast Maine. Financial health is a critical, often-overlooked part of overall well-being. This program approaches money without judgment or assumptions, recognizing that people’s financial difficulties are shaped by more than personal decisions. Participants are welcome to attend the entire series or hop in just for the programs that appeal to them! For more information, reach out to Lizzie at lizzie@whrl.org or by phone at 413-717-7827.
This program’s focus will be on understanding systems that shape long-term financial security.
Topics Covered
- Filing taxes: what to expect and where to get free help
- Refunds vs. withholding (why a big refund isn’t always “free money”)
- How Social Security works and who it matters for
- Why time is a powerful asset, but why it’s never too late to start
- Introduction to retirement and tax-advantaged accounts:
- Traditional IRA
- Roth IRA
- Employer plans (when available)Health Savings Accounts (when available)
- 529 plans
- Simple examples of compound interest (e.g., small weekly savings over time)
Audience Fit
- Younger workers planning ahead
- Older participants managing the present and near future
- Multigenerational relevance
Takeaway
Participants gain clarity about systems that often feel confusing, intimidating, or out of reach.
Michele Eden Montas is a finance professional with a background in economics and a long-standing connection to Washington County. Her family has been in the community since her grandparents’ generation, and Michele has been coming to Washington County every year for all of her life.
Michele studied economics at Princeton University and now works for Ernst & Young in their financial services organization. She believes financial education should be accessible, non-judgmental, and grounded in the realities of people’s lives, especially in rural and seasonal economies like Downeast Maine. This program is offered as a way to share tools that can help people feel more confident and supported when it comes to money.
