ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY: ASSET BUILDING


Many Texans are poor, not because they don't work, but because their work pays too little to raise a family out of poverty. To ensure economic prosperity, Texas public policy must support work, make work pay, and help families build their assets. The most important thing the state can do to enhance economic opportunity is to invest in public education—from early childhood education all the way through higher education.

Recent Asset Building Publications

Testimony: Senate Committee on Business and Commerce (10/12/2012)

The center delivered written testimony to the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce on Oct. 9. on limiting the payday loan and auto title loan fee amount and how many times the fee can be charged.

Testimony: Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services (09/12/2012)

The center testified before the House Committee on Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services on payday and auto title lending. Speaking on behalf of the Texas Fair Lending Alliance, the center expressed concern over the affordability of payday and auto title loans in Texas.

Savings Soars: OpportunityTexas’ Tax-Time Savings Project Triples Impact from Last Year (08/20/2012)

The OpportunityTexas Tax-Time Savings Project (TSP) " a partnership with the United Ways of Texas and Foundation Communities " aims to increase household savings and reduce asset poverty. TSP provides modest incentives to clients who get their taxes prepared at Volunteer Income Assistance (VITA) sites to encourage them to save a portion of their tax refunds by purchasing at least one U.S. Savings Bond. As a result of our partnerships promoting savings at tax time, the number of VITA savers has soared. The numbers of savers tripled and the amount saved quadrupled from last year.

Testimony: Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (04/3/2012)

On Tuesday, April 3, OpportunityTexas Project Coordinator Laura Rosen presented testimony before the House Committee on Pensions, Investments & Financial Services about the positive developments for consumers resulting from the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Texas Saves Week: Saving Up (02/22/2012)

This week Texas is one of many states celebrating America Saves Week, a campaign to promote personal savings and encourage individuals to take responsibility for their finances. America Saves works with state and local partners to raise awareness about the importance of saving and helps low- and moderate income individuals open savings accounts. Having savings is key for low-income families to move up to the middle class.

One in Two Texans Has Almost No “Rainy Day” Savings to Bank On (01/31/2012)

In Texas today, 27.7 percent of households are “asset poor,” meaning they have little or no financial cushion to rely on if unemployment or another emergency leads to a loss of income, according to a report from the national nonprofit Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED). Excluding important assets such as a vehicle or home, the (liquid) asset poverty rate increases to 50.6 percent of Texas residents.

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