Policy Agenda

While all that we do is geared towards the broad goal of improving and stabilizing the financial health of working families, here are some of the areas we intend to focus on this year:

• Invest in Communities, by which we mean continuing to grow support for – and the scale of – the community tax preparation and asset building field

• Foster Opportunity, by preserving and strengthening tax credits and ensuring that tax policy helps, rather than hurts, America’s low- and middle-income households

• Protect Consumers, by enhancing regulation of the financial industry and making certain that there are safe and affordable products and practices available to consumers

• Promote Savings, by providing opportunities for both short- and long-term asset-building

Throughout the year, we – including our active member base – will be urging our elected officials to support and enact policies that bolster the hardworking families of this country.

Our advocacy efforts will continue to emphasize current successful policies and programs, such as Community Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), refundable tax credits for working families and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), while guarding against measures or practices that are predatory or burdensome for low-income families that are simply struggling to get by.