Taking it to the Bank: Promoting Savings in Oklahoma 

Savings is the foundation for individual and family economic security.  Savings provides a safety net for emergencies enabling families to weather many economic crises.  For example, a family with three months’ worth of savings in an account can handle a automobile repair or even job loss without turning to high cost credit.  Many people, however, lack the information on how to get started with saving, access to appropriate places to save, incentives that make savings worthwhile, or find that savings may jeopardize the income or work supports their families rely on for survival.

This 60-minute webinar will discuss the policies and programs that promote and support savings for individuals and families with low income and limited resources.  Oklahoma Assets members will discuss promising strategies from individual development accounts to opportunities for saving at tax time.  The webinar will also cover common barriers to savings and ways to overcome these barriers.

Speakers include:

• Steve Shepelwich, Community Development Officer of the Oklahoma City Branch of the Federal Reserve Bankof Kansas City will lead off the webinar by introducing the Oklaohma Assets Coalition and explaining our interest in promoting savings;
• David Blatt, Director of Oklahoma Policy Institute, will give an overview of the issue brief "Taking it to the Bank: Promoting Savings in Oklahoma", focusing on the importance of savings various barriers that can hinder adequate savings.
• Kristi Coker, Executive Director of the Citizen Pottawatomie Nation Community Development Corporation,  will discuss some of the innovative products and programs the Nation has developed to promote savings for low- and moderate-income individuals and families.
• Don Baylor, Senior Policy Analyst with the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin, Texas will discuss the importance of state policies for promoting savings and share some of the policy successes that advocates have enjoyed in Texas.