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You are here: Home / Newsroom / Newsletters / Family Economics News - September 2007

Family Economics News - September 2007

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) works with land-grant university partners and others to advance knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and communities through national program leadership and Federal assistance. Among the Agency’s goals is to support increased economic opportunities and quality of life in rural areas. Family economics aligns with this goal by focusing on how individuals and families obtain and use resources such as money, time, human capital, material resources, and community services; by exploring the relationship between individuals and families and the larger economy; and by studying the impact of public issues, policies, and programs on family economic well-being.

Research/Program Evaluation

  • Personal Finance - An Interdisciplinary Profession     
  • The State of 50+ America 2007

Education/Extension

  • Social Marketing, eXtension Focus of Pre-Conference    
  • Plan Now for America Saves Week 2008
  • 1890s University Alliance Offers Financial Planning Certificate

Resources

  • 2008 Tax Outreach Kit
  • NASD Investor Education Foundation Changes Name   
  • Federal Citizen Information Center -Get Prepared for Retirement   
  • AWARE (Americans Well-informed on Automobile Retailing Economics) 

Opportunities

  • Call for Papers:
    • Journal of Personal Finance
    • Financial Counseling and Planning
    • The Journal of Youth Development: Bridging Research and Practice
    • The Eastern Family Economics and Resource Management Association Conference
    • Research Conference: Identifying and Resolving Financial Crises
  • Funding:
    • Grants.gov
    • FINRA Investor Education Foundation
    • National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) 
    • MMI Education Foundation
    • Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
    • U.S. Department of Education
    • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
    • Foundation for Financial Literacy

Calendar

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This commentary recommends that financial counseling and planning research, education, and practice be framed as an interdisciplinary profession called personal finance. Authors summarize the history of the profession and key theories that provide the conceptual foundation. In order for the emerging profession of personal finance to achieve significant visibility and gain maturity, professionals must reach consensus on redefining collective scholarship. Readers are encouraged to engage in the dialogue and comment on the call to action by contacting the lead author.

AARP released its fourth annual "report card" on the quality of life of Americans age 50 and older. The report card examines change in various economic, health, social, and lifestyle indicators last year, as well as multi-year changes up to a decade (where possible). The report shows that quality of life of the nation's age 50+ population is somewhat better now than it was a decade ago, but there is still room for improvement. The report also includes a special section on pension coverage and related issues. 

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Make plans now to join in the second annual America Saves Week (ASW), February 24–March 2, 2008. The week is designed to motivate low- to moderate-income households to take financial action. Visit the CSREES Web site for easy guidelines and resources. The extension team that pulled together this valuable Web site are Cecilia Loibl, Ohio State University; Jennifer Abel, Virginia Tech; June Puett, University of Tennessee ; Elaine Courtney, University of Florida; and Patti Wooten-Swanson, University of California–Davis. They were assisted by Carol Young, Kansas State, and Barb O'Neill, Rutgers , plus George Barany, Steve Brobeck, and Nancy Register, Consumer Federation of America. The team's Web site contains an audio conference recording where your colleagues tell why involvement in America Saves Week is mission-central. You also will find planning tools, press releases, funding opportunities, evaluation guidelines, and more. Additional tools, such as an America Saves Week 2008 logo, will be added to the site in early fall.

The Family and Consumer Sciences units at eight historically Black land-grant universities have united to offer a practical, contemporary academic program in Family Financial Planning that each could not offer alone. The  Family and Consumer Sciences Distance Instructional Alliance (FCS-DIA) members are Alabama A&M University, Fort Valley State University, North Carolina A&T State University, South Carolina State University, Southern University and A&M College, Tennessee State University, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and University of Maryland-Eastern Shore. Start-up funding came from a Capacity Building Grant from the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, awarded in 2004. The first project of the alliance was the creation of an online certificate program in Family Financial Planning, which prepares students to work toward becoming a certified financial planner (CFP). 

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"Help Workers Get the Most Out of Their Paychecks," the 2008 Tax Credit Outreach Kit produced by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, contains materials to help you help low- and moderate-income workers take advantage of the tax benefits they have earned. In 2006, more than 22 million workers claimed over $41 billion in Earned Income Credits (EIC). Many of them also received a substantial boost from the Child Tax Credit (CTC). In 2008, the EIC is worth as much as $4,716 for some families. Many families also may qualify for the CTC, worth up to $1,000 for each child. Free kits are available.

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation, formerly known as the NASD Investor Education Foundation, supports innovative research and educational projects that give investors the tools and information they need to better understand the markets and the basic principles of saving and investing. On July 30, 2007, the Foundation's parent, NASD, consolidated with NYSE Member Regulation to form FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. At that time, the Foundation became the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. Its mission of serving investors remains the same. View the press release for more information about the FINRA consolidation.

The Employee Benefits Security Administration/DOL and the Federal Citizen Information Center understand that planning for retirement can be overwhelming.  That's why they're offering five free publications on this important topic. These publications focus on how much money is needed to retire; how to make funds last throughout retirement; and how health benefits work while employed and at retirement. There's also specific information that women need to know about retirement benefits, including vesting periods, eligibility, spousal rights, and more. To order single free copies or free bulk quantities of these informative publications for use in your education programs, please use the special CSREES order form.

AWARE builds a greater understanding among consumers about how auto financing works. The group aims to ensure that potential buyers of new and used autos have the tools and resources they need to successfully navigate the auto financing process. AWARE focuses exclusively on the auto finance process, educating consumers in a Web environment free of advertising or lead-generation sales tactics.  Everything is available in English and Spanish.  Visit the AWARE Web site to find articles, brochures and other helpful resources. 

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  • Journal of Personal Finance. (Open submissions)

  • Financial Counseling and Planning (The Journal of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education). (Open submissions)

  • The Journal of Youth Development: (Open submissions.) 

  • The Eastern Family Economics and Resource Management Association biannual conference. Seeking submissions for refereed papers, posters, educational program resource exchanges, symposia, workshops, and research in progress and programs in construction. Deadline for Refereed Papers is October 5, 2007. Deadline for Educational Program Resource Exchange; Symposia/Workshops is November 9, 2007. Deadline for Refereed Posters: Research in Progress; Programs in Construction is December 7, 2007.

  • Research Conference: Identifying and Resolving Financial Crises - The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and the FDIC's Center for Financial Research invite submissions for a conference on the topic of Identifying and Resolving Financial Crises, April 17-18, 2008, in Cleveland, OH. The organizers are particularly interested in papers related to distinguishing between individual problems and systemic crises; theory and evidence on the resolution of financial firms; identifying policies that lead to contagion or correlated risk; and contingency planning for crises. Papers dealing with other topics concerning financial system stability are also welcome. Deadline for papers is December 14, 2007. Contact Joseph Haubrich, (216)-579-2801, or Mark Flannery, (352)-392-3184, for more information.  

  • Grants.gov is your source to find and apply for federal government grants. There are over 1,000 grant programs offered by all Federal grant making agencies.

  • FINRA Investor Education Foundation Grant Programs - The 2008 grant opportunities will be announced in December 2007. Subscribe to the e-mail newsletter for periodic updates.

  • National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE®) - The NEFE® Grants program has two grant cycles in April and October. The next deadline for grant proposals is June 5, 2007, for the October grant cycle. To learn more about the NEFE® Grants program visit the NEFE® Web site, and click on the Grantsmaking section.

  • MMI Education Foundation - The foundation uses its resources to serve the public interest and strengthen the communities where we live and work. The foundation provides periodic announcements and grant guidelines.

  • Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant programs for 2007. The submission dates for grant applications are August 5 and December 5, 2007.

  • U.S. Department of Education - Excellence in Economic Education. This program promotes economic and financial literacy for students in K-12. Proposals due September 24. 

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Grantees provide financial literacy training to enable low-income individuals and families to achieve economic self-sufficiency.

  • Foundation for Financial Literacy - The Foundation for Personal Literacy supports educational, charitable, and other organizations that use financial education to teach individuals how to convert earned income into passive and portfolio income.

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  • CSREES Contact: Jane Schuchardt, National Program Leader, CSREES-USDA

  • eXtension (pronounced ee-eXtension) Financial Security for All provides reliable, research-based, and up-to-date financial and consumer information, including learning modules, fact sheets, and unbiased peer-reviewed answers to frequently asked questions. Consumers can access eXtension 24/7/365 on any Internet-ready device.
    Contact: Debra Pankow, family economics specialist, North Dakota State University, or go to eXtension.org and click on Personal Finance.

  • National Initiative "Financial Security in Later Life" Contact: Nancy M. Porter, Family Resource Management Specialist, Clemson University

  • Financial Literacy for Youth Contact: Erica Tobe, Program Leader for Financial Literacy & Housing, Michigan State University


Back issues of Family Economics News are available.

To submit items for consideration for this newsletter, contact Jim Terry, Program Analyst, CSREES-USDA.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on t09/04/2007, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Mention or display of a trademark, proprietary product, or firm in text or figures does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.

Last Updated: 09/04/2007