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Steamboat Springs — Elizabeth "E.A." Black is so passionate about financial literacy that she quit a job to teach it full time.

Black is presenting two hourlong workshops about money management and other financial topics Tuesday. The first will be tailored to young adults ages 15 to 20, and the second will be more general.

Black has a background in banking, served as director of the Yampa Valley Housing Authority and is a certified homebuyer education instructor.

"I read everything, and I keep track," Black said. "I'm just a junkie when it comes to this kind of stuff, so I might as well share what I know. And if I help a few people out, then it makes my day."

Black did a similar seminar Wednesday in Frisco through her company, Vision Trek Consulting. She said the young adult seminar would focus on issues including money management, car insurance, saving for college and credit and debt.

"Everybody's welcome to come at any time, but the first class is really tailored to younger crowds because I think if I have younger people, I really need to take the time to explain insurance," Black said.

The Steamboat Springs School District doesn't offer any stand-alone financial literacy courses, but the topic is incorporated into the curriculum, said JoAnne Hilton-Gabeler, outgoing director of curriculum and instruction.

Black's seminars will touch on new federal credit legislation that goes into effect in February. At the second seminar, Black said, she plans to discuss what goes into a credit report.

"I was in the housing authority and a financial analyst in the loan division and looked at credit reports every day, and there's a lot of information that people don't know that's carried into their credit reports," Black said.

She'll also offer suggestions about how to repair bad credit. According to information from the Federal Trade Commission, that's important.

"Having a good credit report means it will be easier for you to get loans and lower interest rates," the FTC writes on its Web site. "Lower interest rates usually translate into smaller monthly payments."

The time is ripe for financial literacy, Black said. She plans to continue teaching seminars and expects to keep busy.

One element of her young adult presentation focuses on financial reputation. Teenagers don't always realize that they need to protect that reputation, Black said.

She has "a big list of what you should do and the do's and don'ts," Black said. "If you follow that in general, you will probably come out smelling like a rose by the time you're 23. And you'll look around and see people around you who are less of a financial mess than you are, and whoever's less of a financial mess wins."

She hopes that people leave Tuesday's seminars with information they can use.

"When I used to teach homebuyer education, I used to tell my students, 'I can't teach you how to make more money, but I can teach you to have more of your money,'" Black said.

- To reach Blythe Terrell, call 871-4234 or e-mail bterrell@steamboatpilot.com