For many Boston residents, “credit” can be a scary word. A reminder of money mistakes. A score to avoid. A part of an inscrutable financial system. Roxbury resident Cynthia Jones had gotten to the point of dreading her mail. “When
When it comes to teaching young people about credit, Alicia Sasser Modestino jokes that adults are about as wary of the topic as they are of sex ed: “Adults are afraid if they teach kids about it, they’ll want to
Here’s a riddle: How does the Boston Tax Help Coalition prepare approximately 13,000 tax returns – for free – each year? The short answer is: Volunteers. Lots of them. And this tax season, there’s a new volunteer coordinator to make
Meet some of the Boston residents who took advantage of free, asset building events during America Saves Week. Similar events are available year-round – click the links below to learn more! Name: Tiffany Event: Bank on Boston Experience: Tiffany, 19, had
A key wedge driving the gap between Boston’s affluent and low- and middle-income residents is credit. While good credit opens the door to low-cost loans, poor or no credit can make innumerable life transactions more expensive, from car loans to
Credit cards for “bad credit” offer access to credit for people who have low credit scores, usually FICO scores below 580 (Very Poor on the FICO credit score range). With Very Poor credit, it is often difficult to be approved
The Roxbury Center for Financial Empowerment (RCFE), located in Dudley Square in Roxbury, is accepting applications for a free workforce development training program that leads to jobs in the Hospitality field. The Bridge to Hospitality program is partnering with New
A study released today by the Mayor’s Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) finds that the Financial Check-Up (FCU) – a light-touch, one-on-one credit review – can make a dramatic impact on residents’ financial well-being in a short amount of time. A randomized, controlled trial of hundreds of Boston taxpayers
Santander Bank and the Mayor’s Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) have announced that the Boston-based bank is providing a $200,000 grant in support of OFE’s financial education and economic development work for City residents. The OFE will use the grant to
Too many adults fail to appreciate the value of good credit until they’ve suffered the consequences of poor or no credit: diminished opportunity for jobs or housing, exorbitant loan or interest rates, limited access to further credit. But could these