Determine Your Financial Needs

Take steps to mitigate the impact of loss of a job.  The following resources may help you.

Verify your vacation leave accrual cash out.  Review your vacation leave balance through EagleNET. Login, click on "Employee," then click on "Leave Balances."  Remember: up to 240 hours of accrued, unused vacation leave may be cashed out following the end of employment.

Verify your comp time accrued cash out.  Review your accrued comp time balance through EagleNET.  Login, click on "Employee," then click on "Leave Balances."

Visit the Benefits Information webpage to find out how to maintain your health insurance and the options available to you under the COBRA law for benefits continuation, or call Benefits for a one-on-one consultation at 359-6354.

Review information to assist in managing credit and debt at the following Washington State resource: Money Management Resources For the Unemployed or by calling (877) 746-4334.

During a recent campus workshop on stress and coping in uncertain times, Professor Brian Grinder recommended an online money management resource, Mint.com. This resource was also recently described in a feature on National Public Radio. As described by Professor Grinder:

• Mint.com is a free and "virtually effortless" resource that can help you achieve better financial management.
• It pulls together your bank, credit union and credit card data, and provides up-to-date and "amazingly accurate" views of your financial life in a friendly and intuitive way.
• It also will provide personalized money-saving and money-making suggestions.
• Mint.com offers a personal budget planner that will alert you when you are exceeding your personal budget, have a low balance, need to pay a bill, and more.

Investigate other local financial resources:

• Unemployment Insurance Information - designed to assist workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own.
• Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) - DSHS is a helping hand and lifeline for one out of every four Washington residents.  Services include protection, comfort, food assistance, financial aid, medical care and others.
• Catholic Charities of Spokane - administers 15 programs which provide food, shelter, clothing, education, counseling and support to those in need, regardless of creed.
• SNAP - As a private, non-profit Community Action Agency, SNAP's goal is to help families and individuals transition from crisis to self-sufficiency, building new and healthy futures.
• CHAS - Community Health Association of Spokane (CHAS) provides quality healthcare regardless of ability to pay.
• Avista Utilities - offers new payment plans and options for customers in difficult situations due to job loss and other financial impacts.