Why focus on asset building for the poor? The gap between rich and poor in the United States is wider than at any time in the past 75 years. One in four families has zero or negative financial assets. One in five owes more than it owns. Building assets among the poor may be the best chance we have for breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty and for creating economically vibrant and healthy communities. Assets can open the door to getting a college degree, buying a home, or starting a small business. Building assets means building opportunity, providing families with hope for their—and their children’s—future.

Beyond Lump Sum: Periodic Payment of the Earned Income Tax Credit (Vol 21; No. 1)
By Steve Holt, The Brookings Institution

Savings in the Spotlight: Making a Case for Asset Building Policies and Programs
(Vol 17; No. 2)
by Carolina Reid with Contributions from Heather McCulloch, Consultant on Asset Building Strategies

Individual Development Accounts: Engaging the Financial Services Industry in Asset Building
(Vol 17; No. 2)
by Naomi Cytron and Carolina Reid

Measuring Ownership in America: CFED’s 2005 Assets and Opportunity Scorecard
(Vol 17; No. 2)
by Lillian G. Woo, Jessica Thomas, David Buchholz and Jerome Uher, CFED

The Asset Policy Initiative of California: Building Momentum for Policy Change at the State Level
(Vol 17; No. 2)
by Heather McCulloch, Asset Policy Initiative of California

From Refunds to Assets: Leveraging the Benefits of the Earned Income Tax Credit
(Vol 17; No. 2)

Preserving Assets:

Foreclosure Update: The National Community Stabilization Trust (Vol 21; No. 1)

Homeownership at High Cost: Recent Trends in the Mortgage Lending Industry
(Vol 18: No.3)
by Naomi Cytron and Laura Lanzerotti

Preventing Foreclosure: Initiatives to Sustain Homeownership
(Vol 18: No.3)
by Carolina Reid

Calculated Risk: Assessing Nontraditional Mortgage Products
(Vol 18: No.3)
by Paul Leonard and Michael Calhoun, Center for Responsible Lending

Nontraditional Mortgage Guidance
(Vol 18: No.3)
by John Olson

Financial Access:

Financial Access for Immigrants: the Challenges and Opportunities Facing U.S. Depository Institutions
(Volume 18; No.2) 
by Robin Newberger and Ana Paulson, The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; Audrey Singer, the Brookings Institution; Jeremy Smith, independent consultant

The Keys to the Kingdom of Financial Empowerment for the Unbanked
(Volume 15; No. 3)
by Ronald C. Rawson, CEO, The Minotaur Group

AssetBuilding.org
The nation’s premier on-line clearinghouse of asset building ideas, policies, and programs launched and managed by the New America Foundation.

Asset Policy Initiative of California
A clearinghouse and policy voice for the emerging asset building movement in the state of California.

Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program, Earned Income Tax Credit Series
Research reports, commentary, and interactive data on EITC. 

Center for Financial Services Innovation
A nonprofit with the mission to assist the financial services industry to identify, develop, and implement innovative ways to serve the underbanked market that are profitable for both company and customer.

Center for Social Development
A research and policy center focused on two fundamental areas of social development: asset building and civic engagement.

CFED
CFED brings community practice, public policy and private markets together on national, regional, state and local levels

EARN
A nationally recognized asset building product and service provider and policy advocate serving California’s Bay Area. 

The Initiative on Financial Security at the Aspen Institute
The nation’s leading policy program that uses a business-driven approach to create smart solutions that help Americans save, invest and own.