As part of a new financial literacy awareness campaign, the International Association of Financial, Sport and Celebrity Advisers will air a one-hour television special on VH1. The special, “Broke and Famous,” set to air November 5, 2009, will chronicle the rags-to-riches-to-rags story of former child star Willie Aames, who is best known for his roles in television shows such as “Eight is Enough” and “Charles in Charge.”
The special opens with Aames in financial straits after financial illiteracy and poor financial advice leave him homeless and alone, with nothing to show for his years of entertainment business success. But Aames is given a second chance thanks to financial and life coach Sarano Kelley, whose work is widely known in Hollywood and on Wall Street and who is spearheading the campaign, known as “Stand Up for Financial Literacy.”
Using the special as a springboard, financial advisers around the country will host presentations in their communities in the months following the special. These town hall meetings will encourage participants to improve their financial literacy and personal responsibility. “As we enter the season of Thanksgiving and other important winter holidays, what better conversation to have with your loved ones than financial literacy,” said Kelley, who implied that many global problems might be solved if we as a society increased our personal responsibility and financial awareness.