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Keep Savings or Pay Off Debt?

Here’s a fine article from an English publication about the trade-off between putting money into savings or using it to pay down debt: http://www.money.co.uk/article/1004005-should-I-pay-off-my-debts-with-savings.htm

 

 

Sparkpoint Marin – hub for Financial Education and Services

Sparkpoint Marin

Sparkpoint is a United-Way sponsored one-stop shop for financial advice and counseling, located in central San Rafael   Classes have recently been scheduled for  various Thursdays 1/12/12 through 5/31/12. You must register in advance for classes. For more information see

http://sparkpointcenters.org/marin-center

Kindergarten to College: EARN’s New Savings Program for Kids

Earned Asset Resource Network has announced a new program to incentivize kids and their parents to begin a savings program for college. See http://www.earn.org/site/index.php

Feed the Pig

Advice of increasing your savings. Lot’s of practical tips and more. Visit us!

Assetplatform.org: Resource for Nonprofits Offering Financial Education

The AssetPlatform is a resource for staff at nonprofit organizations that provide financial education, coaching and asset development services.

See http://assetplatform.org/apwebsite/Home.aspx

United Way SparkPoint Centers – Multiple Free Services

United Way’s SparkPoint Centers work with families and individuals to create personal financial plans that help achieve their goals. Instead of providing a one-time “hand out,” SparkPoint partners with families for multiple years, providing a full-range of services to help manage credit, grow income and build assets.
Services are provided by top-notch nonprofit and government partners – many of which are nationally recognized. (Services may vary by location.)

Credit Counseling/Repair
Job Placement/Training
Career Development
Higher Education
Entrepreneurship Training

 

 

 

 

Business Development
Benefit Screenings
Individual Development Accounts
Home Ownership
Tax Preparation

For more information, see   http://www.uwba.org/sparkpoint/

 

 

 

Attn: Non-Profits — Grant Opportunity from HHS (deadline 1/15/10)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), an FDIC Money Smart partner, manages the Assets for Independence (AFI) program that provides grants to nonprofit and government agencies to fund financial education and help low-income families build assets through matched savings accounts called Individual Development Accounts. The next grant application deadline is January 15, 2010. The AFI Resource Center is scheduling “how to” conference calls for grant applicants and their partner financial institutions. To learn more, start at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/afi/ or call the AFI Resource Center at 1-866-778-6037.

Assets for Independence Program (for CBOs offering Asset Building)

Assets for Independence (AFI) enables community-based nonprofits and government agencies to implement and demonstrate an assets-based approach for giving low-income families a hand up out of poverty. AFI projects help participants save earned income in special-purpose, matched savings accounts called Individual Development Accounts (IDAs).

For more information, see our website.

ARRA: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009

For a discussion of this new legislation, see http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/frequently-asked-questions

Marin County Free Library — Resources for Starting a Small Business

To learn about our resources please visit our web