Free Coaching and Classes

"Never spend your money before you have earned it.”
-Thomas Jefferson

Financial counseling is individual one-on-one sessions driven by the counselor to help residents address specific financial matters like managing credit. Financial counseling is usually short-term and focuses on immediate resident needs.

• Financial counseling can serve as a direct intervention when residents face immediate issue
• Acute problems where expertise is required
• Financial counselors can help residents navigate through a variety of complex financial challenges including foreclosure prevention and debt issues

Credit building focuses on helping residents with insufficient or no credit history. Helps to establish a positive credit record—such as through opening a small dollar installment loan or a secured credit card—and assisting residents with low credit scores to improve them through good credit behaviors Good credit history and high credit scores increase resident’s ability to get:

• Secure affordable and safe rental housing
• Qualify for an affordable mortgage or small business loan
• Lower interest rates and fewer fees that may save an individual or family hundreds of dollars a month

How to Build Credit and Improve Your Credit Score:

• English
• Spanish

“The mint makes it first, it’s up to you to make it last.”
-Evan Esar

This service assists residents in transitioning from high cost alternative financial service providers (e.g. check cashers and payday lenders) to low-cost and low-risk mainstream financial services. This includes opening checking and savings accounts, using direct deposit, and managing credit cards.

Benefits of opening a Bank Account:

• Security
• Low cost
• Convenience
• Build your financial future

“Today’s actions and attitudes determine tomorrow’s options and opportunities.”
-Syble Solomon, Money Habitudes

Incentivized savings programs help participants save towards a goal—often, though not always, an asset goal— by providing incentives that keep participants motivated and reward savings behavior. The benefits of savings:

• Cash savings help individuals and families weather job loss, health crisis, or other emergencies and are a critically important step toward financial security
• Save enough to purchase a home, start a business, buy or repair a vehicle, or pay for postsecondary education (theirs or their children’s)

Free Online Financial Calculators

Saving Calculator