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You are here: Home / Newsroom / Newsletters / Family Economics News - December 2007 / January 2008

Family Economics News - December 2007 / January 2008

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) works with land-grant university partners and others to advance knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and communities through national program leadership and Federal assistance. Among the Agency’s goals is to support increased economic opportunities and quality of life in rural areas. Family economics aligns with this goal by focusing on how individuals and families obtain and use resources such as money, time, human capital, material resources, and community services; by exploring the relationship between individuals and families and the larger economy; and by studying the impact of public issues, policies, and programs on family economic well-being.

Research/Program Evaluation

  • What Do Americans Know About Their Finances?
  • Survey of Financial Education in Ohio 's Schools

Education/Extension

  • Financial Security Community of Practice Wins National Award
  • New on eXtension
  • New NEFE® High School Financial Planning Program in High Demand
  • Strategic Opportunities for Cooperative Extension

Resources

  • Jump$tart Personal Finance Clearinghouse  
  • Federal Trade Commission: Facts for Consumers  
  • Eldercare Locator Resource Center   
  • Fake Checks    

Opportunities

  • Call for Papers:
    • Journal of Consumer Affairs  
    • Journal of Personal Finance
    • Financial Counseling and Planning
    • The Journal of Youth Development: Bridging Research and Practice
    • Journal of Family and Economic Issues
    • The Eastern Family Economics and Resource Management Association Conference
    • Galaxy III Conference
    • The Journal of Consumer Education
    • The National Women in Ag Conference
    • Research Conference: Identifying and Resolving Financial Crises
    • 2008 American Council on Consumer Interests (ACCI) Annual Conference
    • Academy of Financial Services
    • Journal of Family and Economic Issues
    • 2008 Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education Conference
  • Funding:
    • Grants.gov
    • The Regional Risk Management Education Program
    • FINRA Investor Education Foundation
    • National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) 
    • MMI Education Foundation
    • Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
    • National Research Initiative (NRI) Request for Applications
    • FDIC's Center for Financial Research
    • International Science and Education Competitive Grants Program     
    • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
    • Foundation for Financial Literacy

Calendar

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Princeton Survey Research Associates International has produced its Summary Report Financial Literacy Survey, canvassing 1,003 Americans on behalf of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, Inc. (NFCC). The survey established a benchmark to identify what Americans know about their finances and how receptive they are to professional financial advice and education. The survey used four categories to define how Americans manage their money: Close Budget Tracking; Moderate Budget Tracking; Little Budget Tracking; and No Budget Tracking. Other survey findings show that most Americans learn about financial issues at home rather than school (64 percent vs. 42 percent); more than one in three Americans do not pay off their credit cards every month; and 73 percent of survey respondents said they would seek advice before making a major purpose.

This research project by Caezilia Loibl, assistant professor at Ohio State University's Department of Consumer Sciences, addresses the scope and determinants of personal finance instruction in Ohio high schools. The project outlines the personal finance topics taught in Ohio high schools, what teachers teach the courses, and what students attend the classes. The project also determines the personal finance education and knowledge of high school teachers and their sources of information; compares legislative efforts concerning personal finance education in Ohio to other state legislative efforts; and conducts a meta-analysis of existing financial literacy programs and trainings available to Ohio K-12 teachers. To learn more, view either the executive summary or the full report.   

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The Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education awarded the eXtension Financial Security for All Community of Practice Leadership Team the "Outstanding Consumer Financial Information Award" at its annual conference November 14-16, 2007, in Tampa, FL. Team Chair Debra Pankow, North Dakota State University, accepted the award in the presence of nearly 600 conference attendees. Other team members are Nancy Porter, Clemson University; Barbara O'Neill, Rutgers University; Sharon Seiling, Ohio State University; Judy Branch, University of Vermont; and Erik Anderson, University of Idaho. Jane Schuchardt, CSREES, and Linda Kirk Fox, Washington State University, advise the team. eXtension is the Cooperative Extension System's electronic delivery system for timely, unbiased, peer-reviewed information and education. The financial security portion of the site includes learning and assessment tools, nearly 1,000 frequently asked questions, and the opportunity to ask questions of an extension personal finance expert. The eXtension Web site (www.extension.org), which includes the personal finance portion, will be formally launched February 21-22, 2008, at the USDA Ag Outlook Forum in Crystal City, VA.

eXtension, pronounced ee-extension, is an interactive learning environment delivering the best information to the public from land-grant university professionals across America. In addition to the growing number of content areas available on the eXtension Web site, eXtension also has a search interface for searching only Cooperative Extension properties on the Web. The service is powered by a Google Custom Search Engine, collaboratively created with the assistance of many land-grant institution information technology staff members, in addition to extension agents, faculty, and staff involved with the current Communities of Practice working with eXtension. In addition to the service provided by eXtension, anyone can add the Cooperative Extension Search to their own iGoogle page, Web site, or blog. See the About page for more details. Contact James E. Robinson, III for more information.

Months of planning, dozens of committee meetings, hours of design, writing and re-writing, and several field tests resulted in the all-new National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE) High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP). Teachers are being trained and teens across the country are using the new material. The updated curriculum is linked to education standards in all 50 states, and to several national subject-area standards. The revised HSFPP is supported by a dynamic Web site that offers a large, continually changing collection of materials for teachers; online calculators, games, polls, and real-life learning exercises for students; and ideas for extending learning beyond the classroom, including a special section for parents. Since April 1, when the new  HSFPP was launched, Cooperative Extension has been responsible for about 700 requests for materials, resulting in orders for 62,265 Student Guides. Cooperative Extension, a major program partner along with the Credit Union National Association and America 's Credit Unions, has been involved in 191 training and conference events at which over 8,200 instructor's manuals were distributed. The HSFPP has won two awards recently, the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education Best Financial Education Curriculum, and the Excellence in Financial Literacy Education Award from the Institute for Financial Literacy (Institutional Book of the Year Award). Overall, the launch has produced over 7,000 orders for over 700,000 student guides, more in 7 months than was sent out in any previous year. Visit the new HSFPP Web portal at http://hsfpp.nefe.org/home/ to view the HSFPP video, the HSFPP Student Web site, and the HSFPP Parents' Web site. 

Strategic Opportunities for Cooperative Extension, a report by the Cooperative Extension Section of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges includes recommendations related to energy independence, an abundant and safe food supply, and preparing youth and adults for success through increased financial literacy and financial independence. 

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The Jump$tart Clearinghouse provides an easy-to-use, free online database of current personal finance materials designed for teaching and learning. Targeted users include educators, parents, and students from kindergarten through college. Many of the materials are also suitable for adults. Established in the 1990s, the Jump$tart Clearinghouse continues to grow rapidly as more people turn to the Internet for up-to-date financial information and teaching tools. CDs, DVDs, videos, lesson plans, teaching guides, interactive Web sites, textbooks, informational brochures, simulation games, and posters are among the types of materials included in the Jump$tart Clearinghouse. Users can limit their search by selecting the topic or keyword, language, grade level, and type of material they want. They can also search by title or publisher, and they can sort available titles by price and most recent entry. The Jump$tart Clearinghouse provides brief descriptions and complete ordering information for nearly 700 titles and is available to anyone with access to the Internet. Users order items directly from the publisher or download from the Web; Jump$tart Clearinghouse does not distribute materials directly. Nearly 300 resources are offered at no cost. No registration, sign-in, or passwords are required, and the service is provided at no cost to the user.

The possibility of someone losing their home because they can't make the mortgage payments can be terrifying. Perhaps they are one of the many consumers who took out a mortgage that had a fixed rate for the first 2 or 3 years and then changed to an adjustable rate. Perhaps they are anticipating an adjustment, and want to know what their payments will be and whether they'll be able to make them. Or, maybe they're having trouble making ends meet because of an unrelated financial crisis. Regardless of the reason for  the mortgage anxiety, the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ), the nation's consumer protection agency, offers Facts for Consumers so citizens can learn how to help save their homes and how to recognize and avoid foreclosure scams. Visit the FTC Web site or the U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission Web site to learn more about mortgages and other credit-related issues.

The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging, and is the first step to finding resources for older adults in any U.S. community. The current uncertainties of the housing market focus on economic issues, but for older adults and their caregivers there are many other considerations. Given that housing is one of the top five concerns of callers to the Eldercare Locator, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) has issued a two-part booklet to educate older adults and their caregivers about this problem. This booklet can help older adults, Baby Boomers, and family caregivers sort through the array of housing options available, and assist in opening dialogue among these groups. The booklet, Housing Options for Older Adults, A Guide for Making Housing comes with an Instructor Guide. The Instructor Guide provides assistance for professionals who plan to conduct workshops using the consumer housing booklet. The guide includes a CD, online references, a PowerPoint presentation, and handouts for replication. Visit the Eldercare Locator Resource Center's Web site to order the Housing Options for Older Adults, A Guide for Making Housing  booklet and  Instructor Guide or to find more information and resources on the Eldercare Locator.

Fake check scams are a fast-growing fraud that could cost citizens thousands of dollars. There are many types of fake check scams, but it all starts when someone gives a potential victim a realistic-looking check or money order and asks that person to send cash somewhere in return. Visit FakeChecks.org to learn more about fake check scams.

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  • Journal of Consumer Affairs (Open submissions)

  • Journal of Personal Finance. (Open submissions)

  • Financial Counseling and Planning (The Journal of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education). (Open submissions)

  • The Journal of Youth Development: (Open submissions.) 

  • Journal of Family and Economic Issues: (Open submissions)  

  • The Eastern Family Economics and Resource Management Association biannual conference. Seeking submissions for refereed papers, posters, educational program resource exchanges, symposia, workshops, and research in progress and programs in construction. The deadline for Refereed Posters: Research in Progress; Programs in Construction is December 7, 2007. 

  • Galaxy III Conference: The JCEP (Joint Council of Extension Professionals), September 14-18, 2008, Indianapolis, IN. Deadline for submissions is January 15, 2008.

  • The Journal of Consumer Education: The Journal of Consumer Education is accepting submissions for its 2008 issue. Submissions should be either in the form of a research article or a position paper. Research articles should clearly present (a) the problem statement and background on the problem; (b) research procedures including population identification, sampling techniques, data collection methods, and data analysis; (c) a summary of the findings and conclusions; and (d) a discussion of the implications for consumer educators and educational instruction or curricula development. Position papers should discuss important consumer education issues, problems, and trends, including social and economic developments related to consumer education content, curriculum development, legislation, or instructional materials and techniques.

    Manuscripts should be no more than 12 pages, including the text, references, tables, and figures. Please follow APA (5th Edition) style to prepare manuscripts. All manuscripts must be double-spaced with 1-inch margins. Authors should use minimal formatting and 12-point, Times New Roman font. To submit a manuscript, send an electronic copy of the paper, along with a title page, to Dr. Angela Lyons. All submissions should be sent as a Microsoft Word document. The deadline for submissions is February 22, 2008. Authors of submitted manuscripts must either be members of the Illinois Consumer Education Association (dues $20) or pay a $20 submission (check payable to the Illinois Consumer Education Association). Submission fees must be received by February 29, 2008, and can be mailed to:

    Angela Lyons and Urvi Neelakantan, Co-Editors Journal of Consumer Education, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 421 Mumford Hall, 1301 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801. Phone: (217) 244-2612. 

  • The National Women in Ag Conference, April 1-2, 2008, Oklahoma City, OK. Deadline for proposals is December 6, 2007.

  • Research Conference: Identifying and Resolving Financial Crises - The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and the FDIC's Center for Financial Research invite submissions for a conference on the topic of Identifying and Resolving Financial Crises, April 17-18, 2008, in Cleveland, OH. Deadline for papers is December 14, 2007. Contact Joseph Haubrich, (216)-579-2801, or Mark Flannery, (352)-392-3184, for more information.  

  • 2008 American Council on Consumer Interests (ACCI) Annual Conference, July 26-29, Orlando, FL, together with the American Agricultural Economics Association. Proposals for joint sessions with agricultural economics are encouraged.

  • Academy of Financial Services (AFS ), October 2-4, 2008, Boston, MA. Deadline to submit papers is March 1, 2008.

  • Journal of Family and Economic Issues calls for papers  for a special issue on "Family Economic Issues in Transition Economies," which will be published in June 2009. The special issue looks for papers on family economic issues in China , India , Russia , and Eastern European countries. The abstract submission deadline is January 15, 2008. For more information, please contact Dr. Zhuo Chen, co-guest editor.

  • 2008 Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education Conference, Novemnber 19-21, 2008, Orange County, CA. Submission deadline is June 2, 2008.  

 

  • Grants.gov is your source to find and apply for federal government grants. There are over 1,000 grant programs offered by all Federal grant making agencies.

  • The Regional Risk Management Education program: Requests for applications,  administered through four regional centers and a digital center for operations/library/reporting of results. For information, contact:

  • FINRA Investor Education Foundation Grant Programs - The 2008 grant opportunities have been announced. Submission deadlines correspond to the announcement of grants in June, October, and Decemebr fo 2008.  Subscribe to the e-mail newsletter for periodic updates.

  • National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE®) - The NEFE® Grants program has two grant cycles in April and October.  The next two deadlines for grant proposals is December 4, 2007, for the April grant cycle, and June 3, 2008, for the October grant cycle. To learn more about the NEFE® Grants program visit the NEFE® Web site, and click on the Grantsmaking section. 

  • MMI Education Foundation - The foundation uses its resources to serve the public interest and strengthen the communities where we live and work. The foundation provides periodic announcements and grant guidelines.

  • Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Grant Programs for 2007. The submission date for grant applications is December 5, 2007.

  • NRI Request for Applications - Social Science and Integrated Grant Opportunities for 2008. Go to page 5 on this NRI Request for Applications.

  • FDIC's Center for Financial Research (CFR) - Areas of interest for funding proposals include Consumer Finance and Credit Issues, Deposit Insurance, Risk Management, and more. Deadline for submissions is January 14, 2008. Contact Paul Kupiec for more information.

  • International Science and Education Competitive Grants Program - This program supports activities that will enhance the capabilities of American colleges and universities to conduct international collaborative research, extension, and teaching. Contact Hiram Larew for more information.

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Grantees provide financial literacy training to enable low-income individuals and families to achieve economic self-sufficiency.

  • Foundation for Financial Literacy - The Foundation for Personal Literacy supports educational, charitable, and other organizations that use financial education to teach individuals how to convert earned income into passive and portfolio income.

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  • CSREES Contact: Jane Schuchardt, National Program Leader, CSREES-USDA

  • eXtension (pronounced ee-eXtension) Financial Security for All provides reliable, research-based, and up-to-date financial and consumer information, including learning lessons, fact sheets, and unbiased peer-reviewed answers to frequently asked questions. Consumers can access eXtension 24/7/365 on any Internet-ready device.
    Contact: Debra Pankow, family economics specialist, North Dakota State University, or go to eXtension.org and click on Personal Finance.

  • National Initiative "Financial Security in Later Life" Contact: Nancy M. Porter, Family Resource Management Specialist, Clemson University

  • Financial Literacy for Youth Contact: Erica Tobe, Program Leader for Youth Financial Literacy & Housing and Michigan State University Extension


Back issues of Family Economics News are available.

To submit items for consideration for this newsletter, contact Jim Terry, Program Analyst, CSREES-USDA.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on t12/06/2007, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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Last Updated: 12/06/2007