Due in large part to welfare reform, employment rates have increased among single mothers. From the Urban Institute, this article examines these trends in relation to increasing income among this population due to employment and the Earned Income…

This report was completed by the Program Review and Investigations Committee on Connecticut’s Welfare Reform Initiative. Authors describe the Jobs First program in detail as well as provide caseload trends, recipient demographics, and funding…

While the Earned Income Tax Credit has traditionally been viewed as an anti-poverty policy, Alan Berube, from the Brookings Institution, offers insight into how the EITC can have significant effects on local and regional economies. In San Antonio…

This document shows that outdated minimum wages and the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit alone do not suffice in the struggle to help low-income families build assets. Instead, it is important for states to set a state minimum wage and establish…

Since the inception of the Federal EITC, a rising number of States have provided their own State EITCs for working families. States that enact EITCs can reduce child poverty, increase effective wages, and cut taxes for low-income working families…

From the Urban Institute, this report reviews the state of financial literacy and education programs in the US. Authors offer their perspectives on the content of current financial education programs and offer implications for the future of…

From the Housing Assistance Council, this article reviews strategies for improving conditions for low-income families in rural areas through Individual Development Account Programs. IDAs have been proven to help low-income families save money to…

From the Center for Social Development, this policy brief offers ideas on how IDAs and WIA can collaborate in increase access to education and training. Adults with a high school education earn on average $26,332, compared to $32,154 for…

This article, through the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, reviews the impact of state run Earned Income Tax Credit programs. Currently, the federal EITC lifts more than 4 million people out of poverty a year, and a state EITC can also…

The US savings rate decreased from 10.8 percent in 1984 to 0 percent in 2005, according to the Urban Institute. Additionally, the bottom quarter of the population by income has a negative net worth. This article reviews strategies to boost the…