The 2010 Payday Lending Report released by the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) shows that the law that went into effect on January 1, 2010 has been extremely effective at curbing predatory payday lending. The information, collected from the payday lending industry, shows that Washington consumers paid $122 million dollars less in fees than they did in 2009 when the law was passed. It also showed that payday lending locations decreased by one-third since the new law went into effect. To read the full report, click here.
The Washington Asset Building Coalition (WABC) is seeking an Executive Director. WABC is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that is the leading voice for asset building policy advocacy, innovative action, and capacity building for the network of organizations and local asset building coalitions across Washington State. The Search Team will begin reviewing application materials on October 4, 2011. For more information, click here.
Presentation materials are now available from a recent webinar conducted through the Building Assets for Fathers and Families in Child Support (BAFFCS) initiative, funded by the federal Office of Community Services (OCS), in partnership with the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). The webinar highlighted partnerships between Assets for Independence (AFI), asset building, fatherhood, and child support programs to help parents in the child support system build assets and ultimately, be able to better provide for their children. Speakers discussed how helping parents who pay child support build financial strength is part of the new direction of the Office of Child Support Enforcement. State Child Support Enforcement leaders described ways that child support agencies can help parents – where appropriate – address child support debt and monthly payment amounts so that they are better able to meet child support obligations and save money.
SPEAKERS
Jenn Burnszynski_New Directions in Child Support_9 13, Director, Division of Technical Assistance, U.S. Office of Child Support Enforcement
Michael Hayes_Child Support and Financial Stability_9 13, Director for Family Initiatives, Child Support Division, Texas Office of the Attorney General
David Stillman_Building Assets Presentation for Fathers and Families in Washington State_9 13, Interim Assistant Secretary for the Economic Services Administration, Washington State
Why is Medical Debt Training important?
Medical debt has a great impact on so many Americans — Forty-nine million (28 percent) American adults under the age of 65 have medical debt or bills that they are paying off over time. As the staff at a nonprofit organization working on family economic success, you want to be able to find out whether medical debt factors into the lives of your clients; and, you want to be prepared to help them.
After taking the two new medical debt trainings on AssetPlatform.org, Medical Debt Resolution – Screening and Four Basic Medical Debt Strategies, you will be able to:
- Screen clients for medical debt;
- Collect the information you need to work the case;
- Choose a strategy to reduce the debt; and
- Follow through on that strategy.
Take the trainings today and learn how you can help your clients get out of medical debt! At AssetPlatform.org (on the Debt page) you will also find the first training in this series: Introduction to Medical Debt.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) will be conducting a study to evaluate how the Money Smart for Young Adults curriculum impacts how participants handle money.
Selected sites will be asked to provide information about their use of the curriculum, and to have their students take pre- and post-training surveys through which we will measure their financial knowledge and behavior. All selected sites will receive a stipend in appreciation for their willingness to help with this important research effort. The results of the study may be used to develop future changes to the curriculum, and will also be disseminated to the financial education community nationwide.
If you are interested in participating, or would like more information about the study, please submit your information online at http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/study.html, e-mail communityaffairs@fdic.gov, or call 1-800-287-1581.
