Community Investment Unit

2010 Assets Learning Conference

CFED's annual assets learning conference, on September 22-24 in Washington, D.C., brings together a diverse group of leaders to discuss innovations, vision and strategies in assets practice, policy and research. Register today.

What is Asset Poverty?

While income poverty is a term many people are aware of, asset poverty includes those households that do not have enough in assets to meet their expenses for three months if all outside sources of income were to disappear. Assets, both personal and financial, are the foundation for long-term stability and success. To learn more, visit www.illinoisassetbuilding.org.

The Shriver Center's Community Investment Unit takes action against poverty on three fronts: building assets, expanding ownership, and protecting consumers. Through progressive policy and effective advocacy, the CIU helps communities avoid a cycle of debt, making asset ownership available and sustainable for everyone.

Webinars on Asset-Building

The Shriver Center's Community Investment Unit has recently hosted two webinars on asset-building strategies for special populations. Recordings of the webinars, copies of the presentations, and links to relevant resources are available below.

• Alternative Credit Reporting
  
• Universal Voluntary Retirement Accounts
  
• Asset Building and the Disability Community
• Integrating Asset Building Opportunities into Domestic Violence Advocacy
  

From the Headlines

• 2009-2010 Assets and Opportunities Scorecard Released
  The financial security of families is often dependent not only on individual’s abilities but also on the opportunities afforded by state policy.  The Corporation for Enterprise Development’s (CFED) 2009-2010 Assets and Opportunity Scorecard uses an asset building approach to analyzing data on wealth and poverty to rank the 50 states and the District of Columbia on their policies affecting citizen’s financial security and what states can do to help residents build and protect assets.
• Seeing Red: The Rising Costs of Care and a Failing Economy Drive More Americans into Medical Debt, Washington Post, January 13, 2009
  

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