Through the Urban Institute, this article reviews information about the Child Tax Credit, which is the largest federal cash assistance program for children. The tax credit provides over $46 billion in subsidies to families with children every…

Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) have been a proven mechanism for supporting low-income families on a path to self-sufficiency by promoting asset-building. Asset-building programs can use a variety of strategies and tools to help create…

This article outlines marriage penalties and the effect these penalties can have on low-income families. Despite recent policy reforms, these penalties still remain for mostly low-to-moderate income families. Authors offer suggestions for…

This bulletin reviews a microenterprise development organization in California. This company provides tax preparation in an effort to build assets for the low-income population through the Earned Income Tax Credit.

This article reviews principles and funding information for financial literacy programs for low-income individuals and outlines effective approaches to providing financial literacy.

This policy brief gives tips for encouraging saving for retirement of low-income families. It outlines the benefits for state and federal governments to promote retirement saving. Improvements and changes to TANF, food stamps, SSI, and Medicaid…

Authored by Alan Berube, William G. Gale, and Tracy Kornblatt, this paper examines federal tax policy in relation to building assets for low-income people in cities. Federal tax policy can play a significant role in the wellbeing of families in…

This article, through the Urban Institute, summarizes information on the Earned Income Tax Credit, a federal program that supplements wages to lift working people out of poverty. Although the Earned Income Tax Credit has been successful in…

This article reviews the benefits of Individual Development Accounts to help low-income people save money and build assets for the future and toward self-sufficiency.

This toolkit on the Earned Income Tax Credit was developed by the Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) at the National League of Cities in 2004, and has since been updated with the latest information on the EITC. The…