This report discusses the correlation between car ownership and work readiness.  The publication addresses car ownership and leverages it as an asset-building strategy for helping people move into the labor market and helping low-wage workers gain access to better paying opportunities. In addition, it provides profiles and experiences of seven car-ownership programs, along with a bibliography of additional publications on transportation and poverty.

For lower-income families, financial support from family and friends can be a crucial support during economic crisis. This report, from the Urban Institute, provides information on family and friends that gave financial help, and found that 39 percent of respondents gave financial help in the past 12 months.

The Urban Institute authored this article on determinants of asset building for families in the United States. Specifically, the report presents a conceptual framework for the determinants of saving and asset accumulation. Authors also provide policy-relevant recommendations to increase asset accumulation among families.

From the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, this issue brief provides facts on the economic security of women and men in the United States. Specifically, researchers found that Social Security is the most common source of income for seniors in the United States. This data is from a larger study in which authors provide information income sources, marital patterns, and living arrangements of older Americans across racial and ethnic groups.

Written by the Children’s Defense Fund, this policy brief highlights the fact that many low-income families are losing significant money by using their Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) towards Refund Anticipation Loans. According to the Internal Revenue Services, $3 billion from EITC benefits were used to fund Refund Anticipation Loans in Tax Year 2005.

The National EITC Outreach Partnership is made up of a variety of national organizations and federal government agencies that are focused around promoting Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) outreach, free tax preparation alternatives, and asset development strategies.

From the Urban Institute, this fact sheet provides an overview of how households cope with financial emergencies. For low-income families, asset building can often provide the necessary supports to help families deal with unforeseen expenses and remain economically stable. Authors review how households with incomes over $30,000 cope in financial emergency as compared to those with incomes below $30,000.

Twenty-three states have enacted state earned income tax credits for low- and moderate-income working families, which are based off the federal Earned Income Tax Credit. This resource from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities provides an overview of the costs related to a State Earned Income Tax Credit.

This resource is from the IRS on claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on 2007 returns. It provides a worksheet and all relevant information on claiming the EITC.

LexLinc Kentucky requested the assistance of the Welfare Peer TA Network to plan and conduct a 2-day statewide Roundtable on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)/Child Tax Credit (CTC) and strategies to help eligible current and former TANF participants and low-income families apply for the credits. The principal goal of the Roundtable was to build and enhance partnerships statewide between social services providers, Kentucky’s TANF Agency, business leaders, and community and faith-based organizations, with an aim toward helping low wage earning families achieve financial self-sufficiency through the Earned Income Tax Credit.