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According to data collected by USA Today from RedFin, median-income black families could only afford 25 percent of U.S. homes for sale in 2018, down from 39 percent of homes on the market being within reach in 2012.

The Asset Funders Network’s new report, “When A Job Is Not Enough: Employee Financial Wellness and the Role of Philanthropy,” delves into the financial hardships and stresses experienced by workers across the nation.

As part of its ongoing series about building an inclusive, thriving workforce, the Indiana Institute for Working Families released a policy brief focused on equity-focused career counseling. While established barriers standing in the way of marginalized communities have been dismantled, the brief highlights the forms of occupational segregation that still exist.

It seems like every month has a different designation to raise awareness: for example, September is recognized as Cholesterol Education Month, International Square Dancing Month, National Cheese Month, and National Head Lice Prevention Month, to name a few. However, one awareness "month" near and dear to my heart doesn't span the course of a traditional month, choosing instead to extend from September 15 through October 15: Latinx Heritage Month.

With the name "Logan Charlesworth," I'm typically mistaken for an older Caucasian male rather than recognized as a 20-something half-white, half-Latinx woman.

According to the US Census Bureau, poverty rates across the nation declined, finally falling below the pre-recession rates achieved in 2007. Furthermore, the median income for full-time, year-round workers rose by three percent. However, these positive gains were not experienced by all Americans.

September is Workforce Development Month. I recall my first visit to the local office of Massachusetts Employment Security in 1970.  I was greeted by a pleasant man in a bow tie who riffled through a stack of index cards as he talked to me, trying to find suitable job matches for a college kid whose only work experience had been newspaper delivery and sweeping floors in high school. Several places turned me down, but my counselor was very encouraging and with his help I finally found a summer job. I will always be grateful to that kind and patient public servant whose name I do not remember but whose efforts helped me to earn the money I needed to finish school. 

According to a new study published by researchers from the Brookings Institution, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and Johns Hopkins University, Millennials are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to retirement savings.

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) released a report detailing the most common consumer complaints. The report is aggregated from data collected from thirty-five agencies from twenty-one states. In total, the agencies surveyed received 1,148,848 complaints last year.

In an effort to create a tool that enables and empowers youth workforce development organizations to provide even more effective financial education and access to safe savings opportunities, Prosperity Now and the Citi Foundation partnered to launch the Youth Financial Capability Fund (YFCF).

In 2019, Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) researchers discovered that a mere 16.9% of U.S. high school students attending public schools (1 in 6) took at least a semester-long personal finance course that was required for graduation.

The Prosperity Now Scorecard, an interactive tool that provides data on the financial health of households in the United States, has been updated with localized data. This updated report provides new data at the local level, with outcomes measurements across five issue areas for cities, counties, metro areas, tribal areas and Congressional Districts.

The National Endowment for Financial Education partnered with Montana State University to study the impact mandatory K-12 financial literacy education can have on a young adult’s post-secondary outcomes. The study highlighted the causal effect of state-mandated financial education as a graduation requirement. Positive outcomes included: increased likelihood that students will apply for financial aid; decreased private loan amounts for borrowers; and more.

According to Prosperity Now’s Affordable Homeownership team, matched savings programs (such as individual development accounts [IDAs]) can help families with down payment assistance, making the goal of ownership within reach.

Although Indianapolis has experienced dramatic growth in the past few years, many low-income families are being left behind or forgotten by traditional financial institutions, worsening an already difficult situation.

“It is so expensive to be poor,” said Kathleen Lara, Prosperity Indiana Policy Director. “The barriers are multitudes. If we’re trying to address equity and building wealth for low-income individuals, we’ve got to reduce some of the barriers that drain wealth.”

On May 21, the Legislative Council for the Indiana General Assembly released a resolution outlining the study topics assigned interim study committees. Although a proposed study committee focused on financial security in retirement for all Hoosiers did not get assigned to a committee, a second resolution we have been monitoring did. The resolution would open the door for revisions to the Uniform Consumer Credit Code (UCCC), a set of regulations that governs multiple forms of lending (including payday lending).

June. It's the time of year when we break out our neon flip flops, inflate the beach balls that have been slowly deflating in the solitary confines of our storage closets, and get sunburns we hope and pray will turn into a decent tan (friendly reminder: wear sunscreen!). However, for many Hoosiers, it's also a month to celebrate and embrace their identity.

Earlier this month, thousands of Hoosiers celebrated Pride by parading through the streets of Indianapolis with rainbow flags and apparel, expressing love for their brethren who identify as LGBTQ+. The display of support for the LGBTQ+ community was inspiring and heartwarming for me. However, many groups at the festivities brought attention to the difficulties facing the LGBTQ+ community, including high suicide rates, increased housing instability, and violence. 

Although most states, including Indiana, enjoyed a slow-growth of the middle class between 2016 - 2017, a staggering number of households have not recovered to the levels of 2000. Since the Great Recession of 2008, the middle class has not rebounded financially as well as economists would have hoped, leading to growing concern from experts.

According to “Bound: How Race Shapes the Outcomes of American Cities,” a new study from Prosperity Now which uses the most recent city-level data from the Prosperity Now Scorecard, more than 80 percent of U.S. residents now living in a metropolitan area. However, the benefits of living in these densely populated areas are not shared equally, especially when it comes to the economic well-being of different racial groups. 

Researchers discovered that residential segregation remains one of the main forces driving disparity amongst racial groups

Join the Indiana Assets & Opportunity Network for a webinar featuring A&O Steering Committee Member Jake Brown, Assistant Vice President and Manager, CRA at First Merchants Bank, for a discussion on getting the most out of the community reinvestment act (CRA), the changes being discussed at the federal level, and more.

With the month of April denoted as Fair Housing Month, I found it important to note the close ties between fair housing and asset building. Homeownership is one of the key ways families build assets. In order to lead strong, stable lives, families need to be able to buy or rent stable housing, which is the fundamental purpose of the fair housing laws.