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You are here: Home / Newsroom / Newsletters / Family Economics News - July/August 2009

Family Economics News - July-August 2009

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

  • Financial Literacy and Education Research Priorities

  • Preschoolers and Money

Education/Extension

  • New on eXtension: Home Ownership

  • Cooperative Extension Family Economics Contacts

  • Montana Extension Focuses on Families

Resources

  • Access to CSREES News Releases

  • Census of Agriculture Quick Stats

  • Financial Literacy of Young American Adults

  • How to Protect Against Foreclosure Frauds and Other Tips

  • New Renters’ Rights in Foreclosure

Opportunities

  • Call for Papers:

    • Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal

      Journal of Consumer Affairs

    • Journal of Personal Finance

    • Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning

    • The Journal of Youth Development

    • Journal of Family and Economic Issues

    • W.K. Kellogg Foundation/Family Income and Assets

    • Family Relations - Special Issue

    • In Search of Social Wealth Conference Proposal

    • Eastern Family Economics and Resource Management Association

    • 2010 ACCI Annual Conference

    • Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Family Business

  • Funding:

    • Grants.gov

    • FINRA Investor Education Foundation

    • Children, Youth and Families at Risk 4-H Military Partnership

    • The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB)

    • National Endowment for Financial Education®

    • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

    • FY 2009 AFRI RFA

    • MMI Financial Education Foundation

Calendar

Mailbox

Financial Literacy and Education Research Priorities

The latest issue of the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning outlines recommendations for researchers, foundations, and others who wish to use the results of the October 2008 National Research Symposium on Financial Literacy and Education. The symposium identified critical research questions that could inform outcomes-based financial education, relevant public policy, and effective practice leading to personal and family financial literacy. The journal article is available online. The U.S Departments of Treasury and Agriculture (Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service) convened the symposium on behalf of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission.

Preschoolers and Money

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, funded by a grant from the Credit Union National Association, conducted a study about young children and money. The results showed that pre-schoolers are capable of acquiring basic money concepts long before they enter school. The press release with a link to the full report is available online.

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New on eXtension: Home Ownership

New content to help consumers navigate the financial aspects of home ownership has been published on eXtension's Personal Finance Web site. The Home Ownership link includes three modules: "Are you ready to buy a home?; Steps to Buying a Home"; and "Financial Options."  The interactive site provides potential and experienced home owners with accurate, non-biased information and financial management strategies. The Home Buyer content features the resources of 14 land-grant universities, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Insurance Information Institute, and AARP and includes links to a free annual credit report, tips for improving your credit score, and financial calculators.

Cooperative Extension Family Economics Contacts

The directory of Cooperative Extension contacts for financial security programming has been updated to a new format.  This clickable map format can be used to locate contacts throughout the United States and territories. For changes to this list, contact Jim Terry.    

Montana Extension Focuses on Families

Montana State University (MSU) Extension has released 20 new 30-second radio public service announcements (PSA) promoting MSU Extension Family and Consumer Science programs. The PSAs focus on housing and environmental health, food and nutrition, family economics, and human development.  The MSU Web site also features the MSU Alzheimer's toolkit, specific programs for Native Americans, and a program sampler entitled "Working Towards a Better Tomorrow" that was shared with Montana legislators.

Access to CSREES News Releases

You can subscribe to receive CSREES news releases. Some past examples pertain to the Financial Security Program are America Saves Week and Financial Literacy Day on the Hill. 

Census of Agriculture Quick Stats

Check out the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Quick Stats to query the 2007 Census of Agriculture database.  Users may retrieve customized tables with census data at the national, state, and county levels.

Financial Literacy of Young American Adults

The Financial Literacy of Young American Adults, an analysis of the Jump$tart Coalition’s 2008 biennial survey, is now available on the Jump$tart Web site. The survey, which launched in 1997 and has been conducted every other year since 2000, focused on high school seniors but also included college students for the first time in 2008. The results of these surveys (and comparisons to earlier surveys) are included in the book. Visit the Jump$tart Web site to view the PDF version of The Financial Literacy of Young American Adults.

How to Protect Against Foreclosure Frauds and Other Tips

Many people concerned about their mortgage, their job, or their finances may be especially vulnerable to scams and other costly “fixes” for their problems.  The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has issued a variety of tips to help consumers be on guard financially in the current economy, in areas ranging from foreclosure rescue and loan modification scams to deceptive offers of FDIC-insured certificates of deposit.  The advice was published in the Spring 2009 issue of FDIC Consumer News, the agency’s quarterly newsletter for consumers.  

New Renters’ Rights in Foreclosure

Consumer Action has important new consumer protection information for tenants in your community. Renters must now be allowed to remain in their homes for the duration of their lease - even if the home is being foreclosed on. President Obama signed the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 (S. 896) into law on May 20.

The new law provides renters with a minimum of 90 days notice before a tenant must vacate a property.  If a buyer plans to use the property as his primary home, or the tenant's lease is month to month, or there is no lease at all, the tenant is entitled to at least 90 days notice.

If there is a lease, tenants will be allowed to stay for the duration of the lease before evictions can proceed.  If a state offers greater protections to renters, the new law allows the stronger protections to apply.  These new renters' rights also apply to Section 8 tenants.

These new tenant protections are effective immediately and expire December 31, 2012.

For more information, contact the National Low Income Housing Coalition to view the press release and access the Renters’ Toolkit. 

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  • Grants.gov - this is your source to find and apply for more than 1,000 grant programs offered by all federal grant-making agencies.
  • FINRA Investor Education Foundation. The deadline to apply for June 2010 funding is November 5, 2009.
  • Children, Youth and Families at Risk 4-H Military Partnership. Deadline is July 31, 2009
  • The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) is accepting applications for a 5-year demonstration projects targeted to young people ages 16-21 in rural areas (including tribal lands and other rural Native communities. Deadline is August 3, 2009.
  • National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) - the deadline for NEFE’s April 2010 grant cycle is December 1, 2009. To learn more about the NEFE grants program, visit the NEFE Web site and click on the Grantmaking section.
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - grantees provide financial literacy training to enable low-income individuals and families achieve economic self-sufficiency. Deadline is June 25, 2009.
  • Agriculture and Food Research Initiative AFRI FY 2009 RFA - the deadline for FY 2009 AFRI competitive grants programs RFA is September 30, 2009. Visit Grants.gov to see the synopsis and application package.
  • 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.

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2010

  • America Saves Week 2010, February 21-28, 2010. Planning can be viewed online in the Chairman’s Report.

  • EFERMA (Eastern Family Economics & Resource Management Association) Conference) March 3-5, 2010, Chattanooga, TN. Contact Michael Rupured for more information.

  • 2010 ACCI Conference, April 15, 2010. Information pending.  

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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, 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 the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, 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.

Mention or display of a trademark, proprietary product, or firm in text or figures does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.
 Questions? Comments? Last Updated: 05/05/2010