Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day

January 20, 2012 By Cricket

  • Did you know that the Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition offers FREE tax preparation at a dozen sites in the Southern Indiana area?
  • Did you know that qualified applicants can receive as much as $6,000 from the EITC?
  • Did you know the EITC is the Federal Government’s largest benefit program for workers?
  • Did you know we want to partner with YOU to spread the word about these important services to our community?

The Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition will hold
Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day
at the Jeffersonville Township Library on
January 27th, 2012.


A panel of esteemed guests, including trained and certified tax preparers, will offer information on qualifying for the tax credit, tax services and the advantage to receiving a tax credit like this.

Registration begins at 11:30 and the panel discussion, with time for questions, begins at 12:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided.

We’re doing this because we feel it is vital to spread the word to the community. As tax season begins and people are trying to find every possible advantage, we are dedicated to provide information about this important tax credit.

The EITC is particularly important for people in the following categories:

  • Whose earnings declined or whose marital or parental status changed
  • With limited English skills
  • Living in rural areas
  • Who are Native Americans
  • Who have disabilities or are raising children with disabilities
  • Without children
  • With earnings below the filing requirement
  • Living in non-traditional homes, such as a grandparent raising a grandchild

“EITC is a financial boost for working people in a recovering economy and allows more funds to flow within your community. It’s money that can make lives a little easier.” Whitney Bishop, Executive Director, SIABC said.

Not only does the Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition want to spread the word about the EITC, we can help those who qualify, and others, prepare their taxes at one of our many tax prep sites in 4 counties of Southern Indiana. We are asking that you partner with us to spread the word to those who most need to hear about these crucial services. You never know, it could even impact YOU!

For more information about the tax credit and our services please contact the SIABC office at 812.206.7520 . If we join together to promote financial advantages to everyone, we strengthen our community as a whole.

Filed Under: Earned Income Tax Credit, Financial Expert, financial literacy, Financial Stability, Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition, Uncategorized, vita tax preparation

Holiday Networking Event benefiting SIABC

November 9, 2011 By Cricket

Purse Strings

A HOLIDAY NETWORKING EXPERIENCE BENEFITING  THE  SOUTHERN INDIANA ASSET BUILDING COALITION

sponsored by

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

300 Spring

Jeffersonville, IN 47130

$10.00 Suggested Donation at the Door Benefiting SIABC

Music by Kitty Slickers* Hors d’oeuvres* Cash Bar* Door Prizes*Success Stories and Surprises

Come Shop the Handbag and Accessory Boutique Village with vendors like Jewelry Junkies and Strandz ‘n Threadz

We will be collecting new or gently used handbags to benefit the programs of Dress for Success Louisville, which proudly serves the women of Southern Indiana

PLEASE RSVP TO 812 206 7520 by November 21, 2011 if you would like to attend this event. You may also reply via email at cricket@allycommunications.com

Filed Under: Family finances, Financial challenges, financial literacy, Holidays and money, Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition, Uncategorized

FALL into Financial Health

October 10, 2011 By Cricket

Just because it’s FALL, doesn’t mean you have to FALL behind in your finances!
Kick it into gear with the 6 MONTH MONEY CHALLENGE designed to help you examine your beliefs, feelings and attitudes about money as  well as evaluate your relationship with the almighty dollar!

By taking the challenge, you’ll  have access to the tools, information and resources you’ll need to help  you change your behavior and create habits that support your financial  goals.

We post topic-related challenges to the SIABC Facebook page to give you direction!Jump on in and let SIABC help you reach the finish line of a great financial future!

Make sure to sign up on our Facebook page to get the weekly challenges.

Monthly Challenge Topics:

1.  SPENDING

2.  BUDGETING

3.  DEBT

4.  CREDIT

5.  SAVINGS

6.  CONSUMER PROTECTION

Click here to Join us on Facebook!

Filed Under: 6 month money challenge, Asset Building, Financial challenges, financial literacy, Financial Stability, Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition

4 Steps that you may take to set up a good budget

May 1, 2011 By Cricket

SIABC Welcomes Jason Holmes as a guest blogger. Jason is a contributing writer to several other financial sites. His expertise is woven around various aspects of the debt industry and with his e-books he tries to impart to people the different situations and simple solutions to get out of difficult situations.

If your financial situation is deteriorating due to rising debts, then it is time you choose from various debt solutions that will be able to help you out of this situation. A debt solution is a solution that helps you come out of your debts with ease. There are many debt solutions that you may choose from. You must remember that the choice that you make should be based on your financial situation. However, it is also important to consider various other alternatives to coming out of debts. You may try various other options rather than considering traditional debt solutions.

 One such way in which you will be able to control your debt situation and you will be able to stay out of debts is the formulation of a budget. A budget that is made accurately will help you in finding out where your money is going and how much you are spending. Thus, you will be able to regulate your finances better and will be able to save enough to pay off your debts.

 Some simple steps that you may follow in order to set up a budget are as follows:

 1. Categorizing your expenses: You are to take down every little expenditure that you do. These expenditures should be recorded under different categories. There are two different types of expenditures that you are to put in your budget. They are variable and fixed expenses; in case of fixed expenses the expenditure is constant every month. In case of variable expenditure the expenses keep on fluctuating. Recording all your purchases and expenditures is very important when you are formulating a budget. As the expenses are put in categories you will be able to see clearly how much you are spending and where you are spending. Thus, you will be able to control your expenses.

 2. Calculating your total expenses: You are to then add up all your expenses together in order to find out how much you exactly spend in a month. This presents to you clearly how much you are spending in one month.

 3. Totaling your income: You are to now total your income. Income here does not only include your monthly salary but also the money that you earn form investments and your fluctuating income. Try to include all possible earnings that you have in the budget and total your income.

 4. Finding the net income: The next step is to find out your net income. This can be found by subtracting your total expenditure from your total income. This is the amount that you will be using in order to pay off your debts.

These are the steps that you may follow in order to formulate a good budget and get out of debts.

Filed Under: Asset Building, Budgeting, financial literacy, Financial Stability, Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition

Money Talk with a Teenager

April 28, 2011 By Whitney

 

Posted by Cricket

In a recent conversation with my teenage son, the subject of the current economy came up. Being 18 and in a more sophisticated society than I was, he has a lot of pertinent insight into matters I knew nothing about when I was that age. He loves to talk politics and I loved to talk about the boy in my Algebra class.

Nevertheless, we were talking about the price of gas and other financial matters of the day and I made the comment that I wished real life were as easy as the games I play on Facebook. You buy something, you no longer want it or you need extra ‘coins’ and with a click of the mouse, it’s sold.

We both agreed that is what makes stores like “Half Price Books” so relevant in today’s economy. You can gather up your books, DVD’s, even game systems and take them in and walk about with a few extra bucks in your pocket on the spot! No shipping or waiting, etc. like on-line selling sites.

Obviously you are not going to make back your investment, but with the state of affairs in most people’s checkbooks today, it is a nice option to have for some cash on hand.

  • What are your favorite ways to generate extra cash?
  • Do you visit stores that buy back merchandise for cash?
  • Which ones are your favorites?
  • Do you have any experience, good or bad, with such businesses?
Filed Under: Family finances, financial literacy, Financial Stability, Parents and teens, Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition, Teens and money Tagged With: , ,

Suze Orman – LIVE!

April 14, 2011 By Whitney

Posted by Cricket – Guest Contributor

On March 15, 2011, I had the opportunity to hear Suze Orman at The Louisville Free Public Library, thanks to SIABC! I admit I am not a loyal follower of the well-known author/speaker/financial guru and I think dread is probably the emotion I felt going in. My thought process was something like this:

“Oh great. Someone else telling me how much I have screwed up my finances.”

“Just what I want to hear, a lecture on investing and saving for the future, when I would just like to be able to put gas in my car for the week.”

“That’s nice for people who have  a lot of money to do something with, but I barely get by as it is.”

So going in, I pretty much thought I wouldn’t take home anything but a bunch of guilt! I was SO WRONG!

Suze Orman was talking to real people like me. Some of her more significant messages that I took home were: 

  • There is a NEW American Dream. This isn’t the same world or economy that my parents were basing their hopes and dreams on. 
  • You need to go ‘back to class’ in terms of your money. 
  • Be REAL about what is coming in and going out. 
  • It’s ok to rent a house if it provides more security for your situation. That was such a relief? How many of you have been taught all your life that home ownership makes your life more valuable? 
  • If you are living in order to just pay the mortgage and nothing else, SELL YOUR HOUSE! 
  • Most importantly: STAND IN YOUR TRUTH!  Be honest with yourself about your financial situation and go from there. 

It was so eye opening and I have been giving a lot of thought to what she said.

She had a great Q/A session with the crowd of over 500 people and gave some really great advice to questions about money and marriage, saving for retirement, other Financial Advisors and so much more. I admired how she was willing to take whatever questions were thrown her way and some of them were pretty challenging! She also talked with great affection about her Mama which was so sweet to hear!

Suze Orman is on tour promoting her new book: The Money Class (www.suzeorman.com) BUT she advised everyone to check it out of the library if they don’t have the money to buy it!

So what about you?

  • Do you listen to Suze Orman or someone like her? Why or why not?
  • Are you scared to stand in your financial truth?
  • How do you and your partner/spouse/roommate discuss financial issues?
  • How much did your parent’s financial situation influence how you manage your own money?

Now would be a great time to join the 6 MONTH MONEY CHALLEGE going on at SIABC!

Filed Under: American Dream, Asset Building, Changing Economy, Financial Expert, financial literacy, Financial Stability, Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition, Suze Orman

Money Smart Week 2010

October 4, 2010 By Whitney

Join us for a week of great financial education workshops as we participate in Money Smart Week Indiana!

Money Smart Week is a public awareness campaign designed to help consumers better manage their personal finances.

Money Smart Week in Southern Indiana will include partners like PNC Bank, Community Action of Southern Indiana, Housing Partnership, Inc., New Albany Housing Authority, Metro United Way and is being organized by the Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition.

Monday, October 18th – Poverty Simulation @ St. Augustine Church in Jeffersonville, IN from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.  Ideal for community members as well as organizations who serve and/or support individuals living in poverty.  A great orientation to the issues for current and potential board members, staff, volunteers and funders.  RSVP with Whitney at 812 206 7514.

Tuesday, October 19th – Budgeting/What’s Up?  @ Community Action of Southern Indiana from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.  Join Deborah Williams with PNC Bank as she conducts a forum to discuss budgeting and savings strategies.  RSVP with Community Action at 812 288 6451.

Wednesday, October 20th – Introduction to Home Ownership @ New Albany Housing Authority (300 Erni) in New Albany from 6:00 – 8:30 pm.  Presented by HPI and NAHA.  Topics include: Your credit & why it’s important, Managing your money, Goal setting and an introduction to the world of mortgage.  No RSVP required.  Just come and enjoy the refreshments and possibley win one of our door prizes!

Thursday, October 21st – Have a Debt Free Holiday – How to Give More for Less @ Community Action of Southern Indiana in Jeffersonville from 6:00 – 7:30.  Save hundreds of dollars this holiday season with tips, tricks and gift ideas that will keep your holidays happy and free from debt!  RSVP with Whitney @ 812 206 7514.

Download a .pdf flyer here and distribute to your networks. We’d love to see you at one of these informative and fun events.

MSW_2010_Color

Filed Under: financial literacy, Financial Stability, Money Smart Week Indiana, Poverty Simulation Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

PNC Bank, SIABC & Purdue Extension – Bringing Poverty Simulation to Jeffersonville 10/18

September 28, 2010 By Whitney

Through the generous sponsorship of PNC Bank, the partners and members of the Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition and Purdue Extension are bringing a unique and life-changing experience to Jeffersonville on Monday, October 18, 2010 as a kick-off to Money Smart Week.

What is poverty?

  • One of every eight people in Indiana lives in poverty.  That’s almost 800,000 individuals
  • For two adults and two children, the federal poverty level is $22,050 per year
  • Indiana’s minimum wage is $ 15,080 per year

Can you survive a month in poverty?

The economic downturn has put many people out of work and boosted the use of emergency food pantries.  But it is difficult to truly understand poverty unless you experience it every day.  Purdue Extension, PNC Bank and the Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition invite you to walk a mile in the shoes of those facing poverty.  As co-sponsors, they are presenting a poverty simulation designed to create a broader awareness of the realities of poverty for policymakers, community leaders, non-profit board members, staff and volunteers, and others who frequently deal with low-income families.

During the simulation, participants assume roles of families facing poverty. They must provide for basic necessities and shelter on a limited budget during the course of four 15-minute “weeks”.  They interact with bill collectors, human service agencies, grocers, job interviewers, police officers, pawnbrokers and others.

After the simulation, facilitated discussion allows the group to take the experience even further, fostering understanding and giving insight into life in poverty.

Join us for an enlightening and informative experience.  Registration is free, but space is limited to 80 participants. Simulation will be held at St. Augustine Church at 315 E. Chestnut Street, Jeffersonville, Indiana.   Simulation will begin at 8:30 and conclude by 11:30 a.m.

For more information, to volunteer or to RSVP, please contact:

Whitney Bishop, Executive Director

Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition

whitney@assetbuildingcoalition.org

812 206 7514

Filed Under: coalition building, financial literacy, Financial Stability, Poverty Simulation Tagged With: , ,