Free events to promote saving in celebration of America Saves Week
The week of financial empowerment events runs from February 26 to March 3.
Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today that the City of Boston has organized a series of free financial empowerment events for Boston residents as part of America Saves Week, a national campaign to promote good saving behavior that runs from February 26 to March 3. The week's activities will include tax preparation help, a credit-building workshop, and assistance with opening safe and non-predatory bank accounts, among other events.
"It's important for Boston residents to know that it's never too late to start saving for the future," said Mayor Walsh. "America Saves Week is a great opportunity to take advantage of the many financial education and financial empowerment opportunities the City of Boston provides to help make saving more manageable."
Many of the America Saves Week events draw on programs recently launched by the City of Boston to help residents maximize their financial capabilities year-round. These include:
- Bank On Boston, a program of the Mayor's Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) that connects residents to safe and affordable financial products and services.
- Boston Builds Credit, an Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) program to help 25,000 residents achieve a credit score of at least 660 by the year 2025 through financial education and one-on-one financial coaching.
- Boston Saves, the City's children's savings account program.
- Economic Mobility Lab, a data-driven project to discover new solutions to economic inequality
Additionally, the Boston Tax Help Coalition – now in its 17th year of providing free tax preparation to residents – will debut a new tax clinic for Uber drivers. The clinic is designed to address such tax considerations as mileage deductions, self-employment tax, and estimated quarterly tax filings.
"Peace of mind is knowing you have a little money put away for emergencies," said Allie Vered, director of America Saves, the savings campaign of the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America. "The programs and workshops Boston offers are helping communities tap into the power of saving. Don't worry about the amount, but make saving a regular activity. Start small, think big."
Started in 2007, America Saves Week is an annual campaign that brings together nonprofit, government, academic, and business groups to encourage Americans to save effectively. America Saves Week is coordinated by America Saves and the American Savings Education Council, a national coalition of public- and private-sector institutions committed to making saving and retirement planning a priority for all Americans.
For a full schedule of Boston's America Saves Week events, please visit ofe.boston.gov/savings-week.
