Financial Stability Research ResourcesAre you a nonprofit or community member looking for statistics or the latest trends on financial stability? This section offers articles, policy insight, and resources, which can help you better understand financial stability issues in the community and across the nation.   Article Highlight: CFPB Releases New Payday Research Nearly half of borrowers from payday lenders take out at least 10 loans per year. Check out the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau’s latest research on this trend. Article dated 4/24/2013.  Quick Links: Assets & Opportunity NetworkCheck out this database with a wealth of resources on state data and recent reports… Read More »Research Center

What is Bank On Bloomington? Did you know that having a bank account is a key step to financial independence? Did you know that nearly 41% of people in our community either don’t have a bank account or use alternative high-interest nonbank resources? Instead, some individuals rely on products like pay day loans, check cashing, and pawn shops. On average, these individuals spend $1000/year on fees.  Bank On Bloomington is a community collaboration to help residents access mainstream financial services and education at five participating institutions- Chase, Fifth Third, IU Credit Union, Old National Bank, and Regions. United Way, the… Read More »Bank on Bloomington

Share and Connect to Increase Financial Stability in South Central Indiana is an annual opportunity for service providers from Brown, Greene, Monroe and Owen counties to come together and share information about their organizations’ programs and services. Watch a video from 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYvV1Xt0ZLcor from 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xRb0aSpG2c.

United Way is proud to work with several local community organizations to help local residents retain more of their earnings. The Free Community Tax Service provides free tax preparation and electronic filing of federal and Indiana tax returns for low- and moderate-income residents. Additionally, the Free Community Tax Service will assist residents who are eligible to receive tax refunds from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC can result in a significant income boost- up to $6,242 for those who qualify! The EITC is a refundable federal income tax credit for low- and moderate-income working individuals and families. A tax credit is… Read More »Free Community Tax Service 2016 (en espanol)

Investing can be a great way to make your money work for you, but there are a lot of risks associated with it. Whether you have already started investing or are at a loss for where to start, it’s important to know what options you have and what decisions you should make before diving in. First, you need to identify your purpose and end goals for investing. Are you investing to make your money grow for your retirement account? Or, do you need money in the near future? You need to establish how much you are going to invest and… Read More »Investing

Sustainable living can save the earth as well as your wallet!  Living simply and self- reliantly is the key.  Most people tend to think that sustainability means cutting back to save.   However, being green can save you green for your wallet! It turns out that by making the most of what you already have, you have a great chance to save the world — as well as your wallet.  Let’s take a look at some ways you can save: 1)      Reduce your utility bills   Try air drying your laundry to cut down on electricity.  Your clothes will smell great!   … Read More »Sustainable Living with a Low Price Tag

There are multiple ways you can save money while planning the wedding of your dreams, believe it or not. With these tips, you can save money on everything from the invitations to the dress without sacrificing elegance and beauty. 1.     InvitationsThe cheapest way to go about invites is to print from your own printer, that way you don’t have to bother with  unnecessary costs. Check our Pinterest for cute and easy homemade invitation how-tos. A second way to save money when dealing with invitations is to ask guests to reply by email or telephone, which will help you save money on postage, especially, if… Read More »Wedding on a Budget

When tax season comes around, we are all looking for every deduction we can get our hands on. Here’s a rundown of some of the most popular deductions. The most commonly claimed tax deductions are homeowners’ and renters’ deductions, according to the Tax Talk blog by the Indiana Department of Revenue. For residents and off-campus college students, rent paid throughout the year can be claimed up to $3,000 as long as the property is subject to Indiana’s property tax. For houses, the amount of property tax paid or $2,500, whichever is less, can be claimed on the homeowners’ deduction, according to Indiana… Read More »Hidden in the Nooks and Crannies: Indiana Tax Deductions

Although Monroe County offers a variety of free, or low cost tax assistance programs, sometimes a paid preparer may be necessary. If you do not qualify for the free services offered in the community but are nervous about filing your taxes on your own, with software like Turbo Tax, ask yourself these three questions from MSN Money: 1. Are you prepared to give your taxes your time? The average tax payer spends between 22 and 32 hours filing their taxes return. Do you have that kind of time? 2. Are you prepared to give up the cash to pay a preparer? Average tax payers… Read More »Tips for Choosing a Tax Preparer