Topic 3: Building Savings

Savings Plan  (PDF) (CFPB) Tool: Guides participants through the process of thinking about starting a savings fund, reflecting on how shortfalls are handled and provides a template on how to write out a realistic and achievable savings plan. Includes a fillable PDF for creating a savings plan. (Emergencies, Monthly savings, Strategies)

My Emergency Fund  (PDF) (Community Vision) Worksheet: Use to calculate how much is needed to build an emergency fund, by cost expenses for 3 months, 6 months, etc. (Emergency Fund)

The iPhone Economy (Video- 4 min) (NY Times) An explanation of how the decline of manufacturing can lead to the loss of other kinds of jobs, a significant trend in the American economy right now, leading to stagnating wages and fewer opportunities.

Government Boosts and Blocks to Building Wealth (Image) (United for a Fair Economy): Handout: Why has racial wealth inequality gotten this bad? What does it mean for our collective economic well-being? Use this info graphic to explore the role that policies play in driving this ever-accelerating divide and what can be done to address this problem. (Redlining, Tribal Termination, Immigration Quotas, NAFTA, Bracero Program, Japanese Internment, Civil Rights Act, Tax Cuts, GI Bill, Community Reinvestment Act, and more…)

Making the Case for Eliminating Asset Limits 2 (Prosperity Now) (PDF) Include information about asset limits and how they can hinder people’s efforts to move off public assistance. This paper will provide a concise background on asset limits over the past two decades, highlight key research findings from the asset building field, and offer recommendations on how and why to abolish asset limits on SNAP and TANF.

Understanding How Money Works in Different Cultures  (article) (philanthropy.com) Include a conversation about how people from other cultures save/build assets.

Link to Radio segments on Saving for Emergencies and Goals (DevNW, Ross Kanga)

This includes a variety of 2-4 minute radio segments about saving for emergencies and goals, from KWSO 91.9FM. (Emergencies, SMART Goals, Obstacles)