1. Why Assets Matter - Publication of the Week →

    Cover of "Why Assets Matter" Research BriefCFED’s Policy & Research team created a short fact sheet that provides an overview of research on assets and their effect on financial stability and economic opportunity. Many research studies have shown that:

    • Assets create a financial buffer to weather emergencies
    • Assets can promote success in the labor market
    • Assets can promote long-term thinking, planning and psychological well-being
    • Assets can promote economic mobility for single mothers
    • Assets can enhance the well-being and life chances of children
    • Assets can increase the likelihood of going to and succeeding in college

    Read more about “Why Assets Matter”

  2. Assets & Opportunity Scorecard - Publication of the Week →

    CFED Assets & Opportunity Scorecard Website

    Yesterday, CFED released the 2012 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard, the leading source for data on household financial security and policy solutions to combat asset poverty nationwide. The interactive website displays assesses metrics for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia on how well residents are faring and what states can do to help residents build and protect assets.

    Some key findings from CFED’s research:

    • 1 in 5 jobs in America are “low wage”
    • 46% of employers do not offer health insurance
    • 55% of workers do not have, or do not participate in, a retirement plan
    • 56% of Americans have subprime credit
    • 27% of all households are asset poor, meaning they lack the savings or other assets to cover basic expenses for just three months if a layoff or other emergency leads to the loss of income

    Check out the scorecard to see how your state did.

  3. Spend Some, Save Some - Publication of the Week →

    Cover of CFED's Spend Some, Save SomeSpend Some, Save Some is a financial education guide published by CFED. The free, easy-to-read guide (available in English and Spanish) walks VITA clients through some important things to consider when they receive their refunds to help them make the most of the money they expect to receive. The guide and the included Savings Plan Worksheet can help taxpayers:

    • Recognize the value of using the tax moment to contribute to their short- and long-term savings goals
    • Make decisions about how to use their refunds for spending on “must-haves,” saving for the future and spend on “nice-to-haves”
    • Get connected to resources like U.S. Savings Bonds, College Savings Accounts, additional tax credits like the Saver’s Credit, Individual Development Account programs and Bank On campaigns

    Read more about Spend Some, Save Some at the CFED blog. The page also includes a link to the spanish version of the guide.

  4. Bank On - Website of the Week

    CFED, with support from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and in partnership with the San Francisco Office of Financial Empowerment, the National League of Cities and the New America Foundation, has launched a new-and-improved Bank On website at JoinBankOn.org.

    This digital resource, redesigned based on intensive input from users across the country, is the new online home for the national community of Bank On initiatives and individuals and organizations working to promote financial access for low- and moderate-income Americans.

    JoinBankOn.org was originally developed by the Treasurer of the City and County of San Francisco to widely share the lessons learned from the innovative Bank On San Francisco initiative launched in 2006. According to San Francisco Treasurer José Cisneros, the new site “is the online home of the nationwide movement to ensure everyone has access to the financial mainstream. It provides communities with easy access to information and resources for starting or enhancing local Bank On programs.”

  5. IDANetwork.org - Website of the Week →

    CFED believes that expanding economic opportunity to include all people will bring greater social equity, alleviate poverty and lead to a more sustainable economy. CFED brings together community practice, public policy and private markets in new and effective ways. CFED promotes Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). IDAs are matched savings accounts that enable low- income American families to save, build assets, and enter the financial mainstream. This site contains information and resources about Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) including a resource library and a directory of IDA providers.

    Learn more about IDA’s at our website

  6. CFED 2010-2011 IDA Program Survey Report (PDF) - Publication of the Week →

    CFED’s 2010-2011 IDA Program Survey Report spotlights significant findings of the 2010-2011 IDA Program Survey. These survey results paint a picture of key aspects of the IDA field, with information on accountholders, common asset purchases and funding sources, as well as the unmet needs and resources of the field.

    More about IDA’s at RealEconomicImpact.org

  7. Building Economic Security in America's Cities: New Municipal Strategies for Asset Building and Financial Empowerment - Publication of the Week →

    CFED, a national nonprofit  dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for low-income families and communities, recently released Building Economic Security in America’s Cities: New Municipal Strategies for Asset Building and Financial Empowerment, a report that highlights the emerging financial empowerment efforts in cities across the nation. The report highlights the work cities across the country are doing to educate, empower and protect low- and moderate-income residents in the financial marketplace. This report represents a comprehensive effort to document the range of municipal policies and programs that are being used to enhance the financial security of low-income families during a time of deep recession.

    Read more at CFED.

  8. WEBINAR: Expanding the Reach of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) in Iowa, Montana and Washington

    A webinar brought to you by CFED and the Northwest Area Foundation

    Friday, April 16, 2010  1-2 p.m. Pacific, 2-3 p.m. Mountain, 3-4 p.m. Central

     In these tough economic times, many community-based organizations are eager to identify ways to help low-income families build assets and improve their financial position. Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) (matched savings accounts that help low-income people pay for higher education, purchase homes or start small businesses) are an asset-building tool that complements the work of non-profit organizations seeking to help families reach self-sufficiency. The federal Assets for Independence (AFI) program is the largest source of funding for IDA programs nationally.

    Would your organization be interested in applying for federal AFI funds to start or expand an IDA program if you received technical assistance to help prepare and submit your application?

    Read More