Uniting, Helping, and Healing Communities Across The Nation

It’s a matter of trust. Divorce can be one of life’s most difficult transitions, emotionally, legally and financially. And, with infidelity being one of the top reasons that couples call it quits (1), one of the biggest stumbling blocks of the entire divorce process is that trust may have gone out the door along with the unfaithful partner.

Karen E. was completely blindsided when her husband of thirty-nine years told her he was in love with a twenty-two-year-old masseuse from Thailand. Nancy F’s husband of forty plus years told her he was leaving when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The stories go on, for men and women alike, making it nearly impossible (and equally shocking) that you suddenly can’t trust the person you’ve shared your life with for years, and even decades. This huge type of betrayal carries over to all areas of life: suddenly everyone’s motives are in question.

To make matters worse, attorneys and stockbrokers are consistently ranked in the top ten least trustworthy professionals, (2) making an equitable split even more daunting on every level. The question for many becomes, “Where can I get trustworthy help?”

Welcome to Second Saturday: What Everyone Needs to Know about Divorce, founded by WIFE.org, the nation’s longest running and most trusted non-profit devoted to female financial literacy. Second Saturday was created in 1989 when WIFE.org co-founders/advocates Candace Bahr and Ginita Wall realized there were literally thousands of women heading down the divorce path who had little knowledge about family finances, were lost when it came to the law, and/or were emotionally paralyzed across the board. To quote Ginita, “During divorce, people are making the biggest decisions of their life at their most vulnerable time. Knowledge is power: Candace and I recognized there was a huge amount of good to be done by offering women and men a place to go to become educated, so they could make informed decisions about their future.”

Comprised of a volunteer financial services professional, volunteer attorney and volunteer therapist, Second Saturday workshops are now in their 29^th year, with over 100 locations nationally. The speakers share critical information about the divorce process and make themselves available for attendee questions. The results have been phenomenal. For attendee Jane L. in Missouri, “From the moment I walked into the seminar, I felt genuinely welcomed. I am a very private person, but the environment during the seminar was that of trust and honesty which lead to very open discussions for which I am truly thankful. This was the first time in months I felt comfortable asking questions with no judgment from anyone in the room.”

The Second Saturday Divorce Workshop phenomenon could only have been borne from the amazing, admirable advocacy of Candace and Ginita: the kind it takes to meet almost every single Tuesday for three decades to create and share free information, articles and workshops for those needing help, most of the time taking nothing in return. According to Candace, “Second Saturday and WIFE.org are more than programs to us: they represent our values. Ginita and I have intentionally created our lives in a way that allows us to use our knowledge to help others through very difficult times. We are thrilled that this legacy continues to grow with the same heartfelt integrity.”

This passion and these sentiments are what informs the Second Saturday leader vetting process: the organization turns away as many professionals as they allow in, to ensure that women and men across the country are in front of professionals who truly put others’ interests ahead of their own. Continuing this kind of advocacy is a not only a gift, it also fills the workshop seats: Allentown, PA planner and workshop leader Deborah Peters says this: “Because we are part of a non-profit, almost every editor in my area has been willing to share information with their readers about my workshop. The ‘halo effect’ of what Candace and Ginita have created is wonderful for our community as a whole. The trust factor is a given, allowing us to help more and more people every single month.”

Second Saturday Divorce Workshops have become more than a national non-profit movement to help others: they are a national community of newly empowered women and men who know that they can make educated decisions during a heartbreaking time – they also know that they aren’t alone.

About Second Saturday and WIFE.org:

Second Saturday has been replicated in over 100 communities nationwide. In San Diego alone, over 10,000 people have gone through the program, and it has raised more than $300,000 for various charities.

Second Saturday is a program offered through WIFE.org, a national non-profit offering free, non-biased financial advice, information and workshops to a growing demographic of individuals seeking empowerment in the financial arena. They are as dedicated to their cause today as they were when they first began in 1988. In 2013, they were honored as KPBS Heroes as part of National Women’s History Month for their WIFE.org efforts.

With a career spanning over three decades, Bahr is a nationally known advocate for women’s financial independence. Wall is anationally recognized expert and columnist on the subject of women and money. Her credentials include CPA, CFP®, and CDFA. She has authored eight books on personal finance and was named one of the 250 top financial advisors in the country by Worth Magazine eight years in a row.

Bahr and Wall have spoken nationally, offering workshops and making media appearances on shows like NBC Nightly News, MSNBC, CBS This Morning, and CNNfn. For more information, visit www.WIFE.org and www.SecondSaturday.com.

1. http://divorce.lovetoknow.com/Top_Reasons_for_Divorce

2. https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/12/the-least-trusted-jobs…