Underserved

HUD: Secretary Carson Launches EnVision Center Initiative

Today, Dr. Ben Carson, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the launch of EnVision Centers, a new initiative designed to help HUD-assisted households achieve self-sufficiency. Located on or near public housing developments, EnVision Centers will be centralized hubs that serve as an incubator for the four key pillars of self-…

OCC: Acting Comptroller Discusses Efforts to Promote Lending and Investment in Distressed Communities

Acting Comptroller of the Currency Keith A. Noreika today discussed efforts by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to support lending and investment in distressed communities. During remarks at the National Association of Affordable Home Lenders Annual Conference, the Acting Comptroller described guidance finalized by the OCC in August that gives national…

CDFI Fund: 2017 Funding Round for Capital Magnet Fund Opens

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) today opened the fiscal year (FY) 2017 funding round for the Capital Magnet Fund. Through the Capital Magnet Fund, the CDFI Fund competitively awards funds to CDFIs and qualified non-profit housing organizations. These awards can be used to finance affordable housing activities,…

CFPB: Who Are the Credit Invisible?

In 2015, we published a report  finding that 26 million Americans are “credit invisible.” This figure indicates that one in every ten adults does not have any credit history with one of the three nationwide credit reporting companies. The report also found that Black consumers, Hispanic consumers, and consumers in low-income neighborhoods are more likely to have…

FDIC: Share of U.S. Households without a Bank Account Drops

The number of U.S. households without a bank account fell significantly in 2015, according to the National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households released by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on Thursday. Seven percent of U.S. households were unbanked in 2015. That was the lowest share in the survey’s history and a decrease from…

FDIC: Advisory Committee Will Meet to Discuss Unbanked/Underbanked Survey

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion (ComE-IN) will meet on Thursday, October 20, to discuss the results and release of the full FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households. Other topics for discussion by the advisory committee include expanding access to safe transaction accounts, as well as initial lessons learned…

CFPB: Project Catalyst Research Pilot – Tools for Saving

Over the past three years the Bureau has launched a series of initiatives focused on empowering consumers with resources and tools to help increase their financial capability and to build savings. These efforts include “Your Money, Your Goals,” a nationwide effort to provide financial education and tools to those working in low-income communities. It also…

CFPB: Project Catalyst Study Finds Savings Offers Double the Number of Consumers Saving

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released the results of a Project Catalyst research project finding that offering a small incentive to prepaid card users to put some of their money into a savings “wallet” doubled uptake of the wallet. The study also found that the consumers who chose to save using…