Investing in Tomorrow: Helping Families Build Savings and Assets

For low-income families, wages may only fulfill basic needs like food, clothing, and housing that may just be temporary. This financial instability leaves the future uncertain. To help children reach their full potential, families may consider savings and assets. These assets include emergency savings, college funds, home ownership, and more. This brief from the Annie E. Casey Foundation examines the persistently wide gap in savings and assets between white families and families of color, as well as outlines practical federal policy changes that could help low-income families build savings and assets so they can move toward self-sufficiency.