Cal State Northridge finance faculty have teamed with financial planning professionals to offer a free two-evening forum on the basics of financial planning on Nov. 9 and 16 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

"As we reach retirement age, many of us will find ourselves with insufficient financial assets to support the life style we want. We will discover too late that retirement costs more than we thought, we will live longer than we realized, and we would like more than Social Security and a small retirement fund to adequately support our retirement," said William P. Jennings, chair of CSUN's Department of Finance. "We hope that the forum will help people begin the process of developing a real financial plan. Saving and investing is not easy, but we believe the information we have can help people plan for and achieve greater financial wealth."

Jennings said the forum is not intended for those who already have sufficient financial assets for retirement. It is designed for those who do not yet have enough financial assets nor a solid financial plan to make that happen.

Unlike many financial planning sessions, Jennings said the forum is not selling anything or offering any products or services. Instead, those in attendance will become part of an academic and practical research project to help the Department of Finance better understand why so many people have difficulty saving and investing enough money for retirement or other goals.

Information provided by those attending the forum will be kept confidential, he said.