SANDY — The people walking around the Utah Credit and Savings Help (CASH) expo Friday at South Towne Expo Center ranged in age from teenagers to seniors, but they all had one thing in common. They each were in search of answers to their many questions about personal finance.

"(I) learned a lot of good ways to save some money and save better for expenses," Natalie Carlson, a social worker from Harrisville in Weber County, told the Deseret News. "I like the idea of shopping with a menu and want to implement that more in my life."

She said having concrete suggestions for managing her money is something that would help her and others at the expo in their daily lives.

Credit expert Al Bingham, who moderated one of the numerous workshops at the free event, said one of the keys to successful personal money management is getting control of spending and credit.

"If you're going to get past this (credit crisis), you're going to have to have a stellar credit rating," he said. Those who have less than excellent credit will suffer economically as credit providers charge higher fees, he said. That will translate into higher interest rates for many and reduced availability of credit for many others.

"You're going to see more downturn in consumer credit in the next 12 to 18 months," Bingham said. "Credit cards, personal loans, auto loans … it's going to be tougher for people to get access to credit."

He said consumers should develop strategies to bolster their credit scores, such as paying down or paying off credit card balances, if possible.

"Something with a $50 balance, pay it off. You don't necessarily have to close it. Just pay it down to zero," he said.

He also warned against opening numerous credit lines over short periods of time or making late payments — all of which can have a negative impact on one's credit rating.

Expo organizer Tara Rollins, executive director of the Utah Housing Coalition, said the purpose of the event was to offer information about becoming financially savvy to average consumers. The expo gave individuals of all ages access to tools and resources that could help them in their everyday lives, she said.

Rollins said that in today's economy, learning to navigate the critical issue of personal finance is the key to building a successful future.

"That fact is that we have so many organizations in our community that are willing to help people for free," she told the Deseret News. People can learn how to develop a budget, manage debt, save for a child's education and get housing or foreclosure counseling — all at no cost, she noted.

As a 23-year-old, Michael Dawes said he was grateful to get some tips on how to better manage his finances from one of the classes at the expo.

"I learned not to carry a lot of credit cards … because you have identity theft that can happen from it," he said.

"Main thing is to keep your goals set for what you're going to save so you don't end up putting yourself in debt."

Information about saving and building wealth is available at www.utahsaves.org.

E-MAIL: jlee@desnews.com