SOCIAL NETWORKING EVENT 

Working in Household Finance research & outreach? Connect with others who are too & learn how CFS can help you in your work!  Open to UW Faculty Reseachers, Outreach and Research Specialists and PAs. We'll also celebrate the release of new books by CFS affiliates Sarah Halpern-Meekin & J. Michael Collins!

About CFS - The Center for Financial Security is an applied, multidisciplinary research center that seeks to inform practitioners, policymakers, and the general public on strategies for building financial capability and security over the life course. CFS research examines the role of specific products, policies, and advice in helping individuals navigate the increasingly complex financial marketplace. It is an intellectual hub for research and outreach across disciplines.  Our researchers represent a diverse array of departments at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and campuses across the nation are affiliated with the Center.   

BENEFITS OF BEING ASSOCIATED WITH CFS - Check out the many great benefits affiliation with CFS offers researchers...from help finding funding opportunities pre- and post-award administration to outreach and dissmenation.  What do you need?  Let us know!  For a more detailed list of benefits visit: http://cfs.wisc.edu/affiliates.htm

MORE ABOUT OUR AFFILIATES' BOOK RELEASES!

Sarah Halpern-Meekin is a SoHE faculty member, whose book, It's Not Like I’m Poor, was just released in January, and co-authored with Kathryn Edin of Johns Hopkins University, Laura Tach of Cornell University and Jennifer Sykes of Michigan State University.

As described on the book jacket: "The world of welfare has changed radically. As the poor trade welfare checks for low-wage jobs, their low earnings qualify them for a hefty check come tax time—a combination of the earned income tax credit and other refunds. For many working parents this one check is like hitting the lottery, offering several months’ wages as well as the hope of investing in a better future. Drawing on interviews with 115 families, the authors look at how parents plan to use this annual cash windfall to build up savings, go back to school, and send their kids to college. However, these dreams of upward mobility are often dashed by the difficulty of trying to get by on meager wages. In accessible and engaging prose, It’s Not Like I’m Poor examines the costs and benefits of the new work-based safety net, suggesting ways to augment its strengths so that more of the working poor can realize the promise of a middle-class life."

Also featured will be J. Michael Collins, the CFS Faculty Director, whose new book, "A Fragile Balance: Emergency Savings and Liquid Resources for Low-Income Consumers” is due out in March.  The book examines strategies to promote emergency savings, especially among underserved households. Each chapter is by an expert contributor and proposes an innovative financial product or service designed to bolster emergency savings among low-asset families. This collection also offers readers insights into the role of emergency savings and mechanisms to facilitate savings behaviors, and raises critical questions of the scale, institutional capacity, sustainability, accessibility, and effectiveness of existing programs.