February 2017 Newsletter
RAISE Texas News
The 85th Texas Legislative Session is Underway
RAISE Texas will be monitoring the legislative activities going on at the Capitol during the 85th Legislative Session. Specifically, we will be watching for any bills regarding: regulations on payday and auto title lending, children’s savings accounts, financial empowerment opportunities for Texans, retirement savings, VITA and tax credits, and financial education. As bills are distributed to the different committees, RAISE Texas will be following their activity and sending out updates to our network. It is going to be vital that we work together this session to educate legislators about our field and the impact it has on the lives of Texas families.Texas News
New Report Highlights Key to Decline in Texas Middle-Class Jobs
The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and the Center for Public Policy Priorities recently released their new report, “Regional Talent Pipelines: Collaborating with Industry to Build Opportunities in Texas,” drawing upon survey results from Texas’ 28 workforce boards to demonstrate how integrated regional workforce development systems are addressing the increase of job polarization and the shrinking of the middle class. The report shows that by creating advancement opportunities for lower-skilled workers and helping job seekers adapt to a changing labor market, these regional workforce development systems are facing this challenge. Click here to read the entire report.
Mark Your Calendars to Attend the 2017 FOCUS Summit
Cornerstone Credit Union Foundation is hosting its 2017 FOCUS Summit in Dallas, Texas on March 30-31, 2017. Mark your calendars to attend this insightful event where you can learn how to put financial education concepts and techniques to work in classrooms, member education classes, and at community events. Register today!National News and Resources
New Resources to Support Local Bank On Coalitions
Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) announced three resources to support the efforts of local Bank On coalitions to connect residents to safe and affordable banking accounts.
- New two-year Bank On National Account Standards (2017-2018) are now available.
- Online Bank On account validation and certification process is available to support the use of the new standards.
- The opening chapters of the Bank On Coalition Playbook was released to help equip local coalitions for banking access success.
Blog: People Lack Emergency Funds, Tap 401ks
A recent survey by Transamerica finds that more than 25% of U.S. workers have taken premature withdrawals from their retirement accounts, with the top two reasons being for medical expenses and to prevent home evictions. The survey brings up the importance of encouraging Americans to save so they are prepared for emergencies and do not have to use their retirement savings. Read the entire blog here.
Webinar on Savings Tips for People with Disabilities
National Disability Institute, America Saves and ABLE National Resource Center are hosting a webinar on Wednesday, February 8, 2017 from 3:00pm-4:00pm EST. This webinar, Yes You Can! Savings Tips for People with Disabilities, will introduce a new way to commit to save for individuals with disabilities through the America Saves Pledge, tools and resources to educate individuals on creating a savings behavior, and information on three savings opportunities. Register now for this webinar.
