Individual Wealth Preservation

SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS

America Saves
www.americasaves.org
America Saves is a nationwide campaign sponsored by the Consumer Federation of America, in which a broad coalition of nonprofit, corporate, and government groups helps individuals and families save and build wealth. Through information, advice, and encouragement, the groups assists those who wish to pay down debt, build an emergency fund, save for a home, save for an education, or save for retirement.

Americans for Financial Reform
wwwourfinancialsecurity.org/about/our-structure
Americans for Financial Reform is an unprecedented group of national and state organizations that have united to strive and fix the financial center so that it is more equitable for all Americans. The website provides an overview of the wins and losses of the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Law - the most recent attempt to fix the system - and offers up-to-date resources on financial policy issues in Washington D.C.

Center for Family and Economic Success
www.aecf.org/MajorInitiatives/CenterforFamilyEconomicSuccess.aspx
One of the major initiatives of the Annie E. Casey foundation, Family Economic Success (FES) believes that children are most likely to flourish when their families are on sound financial footing. The FES approach to building economically viable communities includes three main components: asset-building, family economic supports through public services and tax credits, and workforce development.

Center for Responsible Lending
www.responsiblelending.org
The Center for Responsible Lending is a research and public policy organization that investigates predatory lending in all forms; payday and title loans, credit-cards, and subprime mortgages. An affiliate of the nonprofit CDFI Self-Help, the need for CLS arose in the late-1990s when families facing foreclosure turned to Self-Help. CLS's research tries to prevent foreclosure from ever happening by preventing predatory lending practices. Their work is focused in both North Carolina and Washington, DC in order to influence policy at the local and federal levels.

Cities for Financial Empowerment
www.cfecoalition.org
Bringing together municipal governments from across the country, Cities for Financial Empowerment seeks to leverage their unique power and position to implement innovative financial empowerment initiatives. These approaches are designed to help families with low incomes stabilize their financial lives, increasing income by decreasing expenses, reducing debt and encouraging savings. To date, the coalition consists of more than 11 municipalities, including New York, Las Angeles, Chicago and the County of Hawaii, along with key partners, such as The Annie E. Casey Foundation, National League of Cities, and the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City.

Coalition for Financial Security
www.coalitionforfinancialsecurity.org
In educating policymakers, financial provides, and the public about the financial insecurity of millions of Americans, the Coalition for Financial Security strives to determine and advocate for effective policy solutions. Specifically focusing on why many Americans are unaware of successful financial tools and why others choose not to access them, the Coalition works to promote public and private-sector policies that will help put more financial professionals in contact with these individuals.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Economic Inclusion
www.economicinclusion.gov
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) leads the U.S. government response to the needs of unbanked and underbanked individuals. The FDIC Economic Inclusion campaign is a multi-faceted approach to increase access to banking and other financial services. Economic Inclusion conducts surveys and research, offers educational resources, leads an alliance of financial institutions committed to helping the underserved, and started a microloan pilot program in 2008. 31 volunteer banks across the country participated in The Small-Dollar Loan Pilot Program, with assets ranging from $26 million to nearly $10 billion.

HOPE NOW
www.hopenow.com
HOPE NOW is an alliance of nonprofit counselors, mortgage companies, investors, and other mortgage market members that coalesced to tackle the foreclosure crisis. Its website features homeowner resources that navigate mortgage counseling, unemployment, and money management. HOPE NOW also sponsors events around the country to bring outreach efforts closer to the communities that need them. The HOPE NOW alliance was encouraged by the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

National Endowment for Financial Education
www.nefe.org
The mission of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) is to ensure that all Americans have the knowledge and skills to manage their finances. According to NEFE, informed individuals are better equipped to "take control of their circumstances, improve their quality of life, and ensure a stable future for themselves and their families." Their four action areas are Education Programs targeted primarily to youth, Strategic Programs and Alliances with other nonprofits, Multimedia Access and information sharing, and Innovative Thinking through grants and research.

National Tax Credit Outreach Campaign, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
www.eitcoutreach.org
For over 20 years, this project of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has promoted the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, and free tax preparation services for low-income individuals and families. The Campaign is intended as a resource for practitioners in local communities so they know how to best reach their clientele. Millions of eligible workers fail to claims tax credits each year because they do not know whether they qualify or where to go for free, quality tax advice and preparation. The website features many strategies, tips, and pointers, and even an Earned Income Tax Credit Estimator based on annual earnings and the number of children per taxpayer.

Smart About Money, National Endowment for Financial Education
www.smartaboutmoney.org
Smart About Money is a public awareness campaign of the National Endowment for Financial Education. While Smart About Money does not offer one-on-one counseling, its website links to resources and advice on various financial issues. Economic Survival Tips include information and FAQs on job changes, mortgages, and credit card debt. Smart About Money also features information on how to handle job loss, preparing taxes, and investing for retirement.

U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission
www.mymoney.gov
Mymoney.gov is the U.S. government's public resource to teach all Americans the fundamentals of financial education, and the product of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission which comprises 20 federal agencies. Several financial tools are available on the website, including literature on how to avoid fraudulent lending, navigate taxes, invest in retirement and education, and start a small business. Mymoney.gov also offers a free "My Money" toolkit that contains several financial publications, such as information on Social Security benefits.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly (VITA/TCE)
www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=107626,00.html
The IRS trains and sponsors several free tax preparation sites throughout the country, and commissions the resources used by many independent, nonprofit tax preparation organizations. The VITA program offers free tax assistance to individuals generally making less than $49,000 a year, and TCE is provided by AARP for individuals 60 and older. The IRS emphasizes the need for a correct Social Security number when filing, and advises those who are not eligible for a Social Security number to apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.

Women's Institute for Financial Education
www.wife.org
This online financial education resource is the oldest nonprofit that tailors its financial tools specifically to women. Funded through donations and membership dues, this all-volunteer organization offers financial literacy information regarding saving, investment, retirement, and taxes; but also boasts advice on how to deal with divorce or widowhood.