In this resource library you'll find a collection of all the resources referenced throughout the Family Economic Mobility (FEM) Toolkit, including:
- Resources to help you learn more about economic mobility topics.
- Materials you can share with families to help them make progress toward their goals.
To get detailed insights and targeted action steps related to specific economic mobility topics, we recommend exploring the Goal Areas section of the Toolkit.
Resources to Share with Families
Banking
- Comparing Financial Service Providers (worksheet)
- Finding Financial Products and Services (worksheet)
- Opening a Checking or Savings Account (worksheet)
- Avoiding Checking Account Fees (worksheet)
- Choosing How to Get Paid (worksheet)
Benefits
- Income and Benefits Tracker (worksheet)
- Benefit Finder (interactive tool)
Bills
- Bill Calendar (worksheet)
- Prioritizing Bills (worksheet)
- Choosing How to Pay Bills (worksheet)
- Improving Cash Flow (worksheet)
- Adjusting Your Cash Flow (worksheet)
Budgeting
- Spending Tracker (worksheet)
- Increasing Income and Benefits (worksheet)
- Cutting Expenses (worksheet)
- Make A Budget (worksheet)
- Creating A Cash Flow Budget (worksheet)
- Mint (mobile app)
Credit
- Requesting Your Free Credit Reports (worksheet)
- Reviewing Your Credit Reports (worksheet)
- Where Can I Get My Credit Score? (information)
- Setting SMART Goals (worksheet)
- Getting and Keeping a Good Credit History (worksheet)
Debt
- Debt Log (worksheet)
- Debt-to-Income Calculator (worksheet)
- Debt Action Plan (worksheet)
- When Debt Collections Call (worksheet)
- Repaying Student Loans (worksheet)
- Loan Simulator (interactive tool)
- Get Temporary Relief: Deferment and Forbearance (information)
- Student Loan Forgiveness (information)
- Spotting Red Flags (worksheet)
- Submitting a Complaint (how-to guide)
Education
- GED.com (website)
- Find In-person GED Classes Near You (online tool)
- Free GED Sample Tests (online tool)
- Setting SMART Goals (worksheet)
- Saving Early = Saving Smart! (information)
- Savings Plan (worksheet)
- Types of Federal Student Aid (video)
- Adult Student College Prep Checklist (online tool)
- CareerOneStop: How Much Will It Cost? (information)
- Complete the FAFSA® Form
- Scholarship Finder
Employment and Career
- CareerOneStop
- Self Assessments (online tool)
- Resume Guide (information)
- Make a List of Contacts (information)
- What Are Job Banks? (information)
- Employment Agencies (information)
- Job Fairs (information)
- Get Interview Ready (information)
- Is This Offer Right? (information)
- Negotiating Your Salary (information)
- How to Find Career Ideas (online tool)
- Career Profiles (information)
- Plan Your Career (information)
- Local Training Finder (interactive tool)
- Apprenticeship Job Finder (interactive tool)
- Findhelp.org (interactive tool)
- Simple Steps for Starting Your Business (guide)
Identity Theft
- Reviewing Your Credit Reports (worksheet)
- Protecting Your Identity (worksheet)
- How to Handle Identity Theft (worksheet)
Major Purchases and Loans
- Comparing Auto Loans (worksheet)
- Savings Plan (worksheet)
- Auto Loans (guide)
- Your Down Payment Decision When Buying a Home (video)
- Decide How Much You Want to Spend on a Home (guide)
- Downpaymentresource.com (database)
- Explore Interest Rates (interactive tool)
- Your Mortgage Closing Checklist (worksheet)
Saving
- Setting SMART Goals (worksheet)
- Cutting Expenses (worksheet)
- Increasing Income and Benefits (worksheet)
- Finding a Place for Savings (worksheet)
- Looking for an Easy Way to Save Money? Make It Automatic (blog)
- Savings Plan (worksheet)
- Retiring from a Job: Tools (interactive tool)
- Planning Your Social Security Claiming Age (interactive tool)
Taxes
- Find a Location for Free Tax Help (interactive tool)
- What to Bring to a Tax Appointment (checklist)
Resources for Additional Learning
Family Engagement and Family Economic Mobility
Economic Mobility
- Building Financial Capability (guide)
- Financial Well-being Resources (resource collection)
Engaging and Goal-setting with Families
- Bold, Responsive, Organization-wide, Aspirational, and Dynamic (BROAD) Program Goals (article)
- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely (SMART) Objectives (article)
- Goal-setting with Fathers (article)
- Partnering with Families to Pursue Employment and Career Goals (article)
- Partnering with Families to Pursue Education and Training Goals (article)
- The Family Partnership Process: Engaging and Goal-setting with Families (guide)
- Building Partnerships: Guide to Developing Relationships with Families (guide)
- Staff-Parent Relationships That Honor and Support Parenting (guide)
- Relationship-Based Competencies to Support Family Engagement (guide)
- Goal-setting with Families (learning module)
- Measuring What Matters: Using Data to Support Family Progress (resource collection)
- Journeys of Hope and Courage: Using Storytelling Approaches to Partner with Families (videos)
- Motivational Interviewing Suite (videos)
- Setting SMART Goals (worksheet)
- Putting Goals into Action (worksheet)
- Revising Goals (worksheet)
Sensitive Conversations
- The Family Partnership Process: Engaging and Goal-setting with Families (guide)
- Preparing for Challenging Conversations with Families (guide)
- Engaging with Families in Conversations About Sensitive Topics (guide)
- ERSEA: Eligibility (resource collection)
Strengths-based Attitudes
- Building Partnerships: Guide to Developing Relationships with Families (article)
- Strategies for Family Engagement: Attitudes and Practices (guide)
- Family Engagement and Cultural Perspectives: Applying Strength-based Attitudes (guide)
Family Economic Mobility Goal Areas
Banking
- Partnering with Families to Open a Bank or Credit Union Account (article)
- Bank Accounts (resource collection)
- Get Banked (videos)
Benefits
- Partnering with Families to Access Food Assistance (article)
- Partnering with Families to Access Utilities Assistance During Emergencies (article)
- What Are Benefits Cliffs? (article)
- Benefits.gov (resource collection)
Bills
- Ways to Pay Your Bills (guide)
- Help with Bills (resource collection)
Budgeting
- How to Create a Budget and Stick with It (article)
- Making a Budget (guide)
Debt and Credit
- Building Credit from Scratch (article)
- Managing Debt (guide)
- Credit Reports and Scores – usa.gov (resource collection)
- Credit Reports and Scores – consumerfinance.gov (resource collection)
- Free Credit Reports (resource collection)
- Debt Collection (resource collection)
Education
- Partnering with Families to Pursue Education and Training Goals (article)
- High School Equivalency (article)
- CareerOneStop (resource collection)
- College Scorecard (interactive tool)
- StudentAid.gov (resource collection)
- Helping Parents Finance Their Education and Training Goals (video)
Identity Theft
- IdentityTheft.gov (guide)
- Identity Theft (resource collection)
Jobs and Workforce Training
- CareerOneStop (resource collection)
- Job Search Checklist (guide)
- Apprenticeship.gov (resource collection)
Major Purchases and Loans
- Predatory Lending (article)
- Partnering with Families to Pursue Education and Training Goals (article)
- Getting an Auto Loan (guide)
- Buying a New Car (guide)
- Buying a Used Car (guide)
- Mortgages (guide)
- Buying a Home (guide)
- Manage Loans (guide)
- Help Buying a New Home (resource collection)
- Paying for College (resource collection)
- Manage and Repay Student Loans (resource collection)
- Payday Loans (resource collection)
- Helping Parents Finance Their Education and Training Goals (video)
Retirement
- Retirement Benefits (guide)
- Types of Retirement Plans (resource collection)
- Planning for Retirement (resource collection)
Saving
- Save and Invest (article)
- An Essential Guide to Building an Emergency Fund (guide)
- America Saves (resource collection)
Starting a Business
- Small Business Administration: Business Guide (resource collection)
- Resource Guide: Starting and Operating a Child Care Business (guide)
Tax Credits
- Credits and Deductions for Individuals (resource collection)
- Earned Income Tax Credit and Other Refundable Tax Credits (resource collection)
- Get It Back Campaign (resource collection)
