Jul 8, 2020 | Public Policy
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signs a proclamation designating Mississippi Saves Week. Last week, Governor Reeves signed HB 597 into law, adding a second line for savings for the 2021 tax year. By James Owen Mississippians have a powerful new tool to save money,...
Jul 8, 2020 | Public Policy
On July 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it had revoked the mandatory underwriting provisions of the 2017 Payday Lending Rule. This removed the requirement that payday lenders first determine a potential borrower’s ability to repay...
May 6, 2020 | Blog, Public Policy
By Janie Ginocchio You might be thinking, “I only know one person named ALICE and she’s my 86-year-old great aunt.” That’s surely true, but what’s true, too, is that ALICE is your waitress at your favorite diner, the lovely people who help you get your groceries to...
May 1, 2020 | Blog, Public Policy
By James Owen Cutting checks to 171 million Americans is no easy logistical undertaking. It gets harder when you don’t have direct deposit information for as many as 110 million.[1] That challenge is why you’ve probably tried to check the status of your refund on the...
Apr 24, 2020 | Public Policy
Editor’s note: This is one in a series of blog posts to critically examine how poverty is defined, measured, and talked about, and how those conversations influence public policy. The economic ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic have brought how the U.S....
Apr 14, 2020 | Public Policy
By James Owen Building wealth doesn’t happen overnight. But over the next few days, you’ll likely have to make some decisions that could help you build long-term wealth. In late March, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act....
Mar 9, 2020 | Blog, Public Policy
It’s easy to miss important parts of the Delta. At first glance, a juke joint could be mistaken for a roadside shack. A flooded field is actually the start of a productive rice crop. And a neon-lit payday lender might be a debt trap. Also perhaps overlooked, immigrant...
Feb 19, 2020 | Public Policy
Southern knows a thing or two about saving. Every employee strives to be a wealth builder for everyone; each employee is a walking, talking opportunity center. At the center of our approach to wealth building is saving. It is our goal to empower 1 million people to...
Dec 17, 2019 | Blog, Public Policy
By James Owen Editor’s note: This is the second blog in a series aimed at understanding the what, where, why, and how of unbanked and underbanked households. If you love maps, this is the blog post for you. And if you like numbers, here are two important ones: seven...
Nov 22, 2019 | Blog, Public Policy
By James Owen Editor’s note: This is one in a series of blog posts to critically examine how poverty is defined, measured, and talked about, and how those conversations influence public policy. If you’ve been keeping up with our series on poverty, it should be...
