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Should I buy dividend-paying stocks? Is it possible to negotiate a lower interest rate on my credit card? Should I shift my retirement account from stocks to more stable investments? Some Greater Des Moines financial planners will spend the better part of the day Wednesday answering questions like these at no charge.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Your Money Bus will be parked at Nollen Plaza in downtown Des Moines. The nationwide financial literacy initiative, which began in October in Washington, D.C., is an effort to meet one-on-one with consumers to answer their financial questions and distribute an information “toolkit” on debt reduction and saving.

The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) Consumer Education Foundation collaborated with sponsors TD Ameritrade Institutional and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine to offer the nine-month national tour, which will stop in 60 cities.

“This is truly a day of public service for us,” said Johnne Syverson, a principal at Syverson Strege & Co. With his business partner David Strege, also a NAPFA member, Syverson will be among nine financial planners serving two-hour shifts during the Des Moines stop. “This is not our marketplace; (our clients) are not going to get on a bus for financial advice,” he said.

However, many business owners may want to let their employees know about it, not to mention those who volunteer with numerous nonprofit organizations in Greater Des Moines. Depending upon the number of people waiting, Syverson said he hopes each planner can spend at least 10 minutes with each participant.

Syverson said he’s surprised by the lukewarm turnout the bus has had in some major cities, despite the need for better financial insight in an unstable economy. “What’s interesting is this project was put together (in May 2008) before the financial meltdown,” he said. Those who don’t attend in person can access an online forum at www.yourmoneybus.com to ask questions and to view answers posted to earlier questions. They can also download free educational materials on money management.

“Hopefully, it’s raising some awareness,” Syverson said.