Money Management and Financial Literacy and Wellness

"... An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest." -Benjamin Franklin

Manage Your Money

Credit Rating & Credit Scores

The go-to site for ordering your annual free copy of your credit report from the three major credit bureaus. www.annualcreditreport.com

Debt Management

The site that provides information on setting up debt repayment plans including referrals to agencies meeting National Foundation for Credit Counseling standards. https://www.debt.org/management-plans/ 

Identity Theft

The site where you can opt out of pre-screened credit offers for five years or permanently. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/search-terms/opt-out 

The Federal Trade Commission’s official site on dealing with identity theft. This site includes information on what to do if victimized and an affidavit to be filled out in the event that your personal financial information is stolen. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/

The site with great information on preventing identity theft as well as some of the latest consumer advocacy issues affecting students across the country. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/media/video-0023-what-identity-theft 

www.OnGuardOnline.gov is the federal government’s website to help you be safe, secure and responsible online.

I Can Afford College

The “I Can Afford College” campaign is a statewide, financial aid awareness initiative sponsored by the California Community Colleges.  The campaign got its start back in 2004, shortly after the California community colleges increased their enrollment fees. The governor and the state legislature wanted to make sure Californians knew how to make college affordable, so they set aside money to create an awareness campaign about financial aid.  http://www.icanaffordcollege.com/

Financial Literacy

The U.S. government’s site for financial education. www.mymoney.gov

Financial Literacy - The site that helps consumers to make sound financial decisions at every life stage. www.360financialliteracy.org

Hands on Banking - money skills you need for life https://handsonbanking.org

Valuable Resources

A Guide for Low-Income College Students: Where to Find Resources and Support

The site for comprehensive information on financing your education. www.ecmc.org

The site for the U.S. Department of Education’s central database where you can look up your federal student aid information including grants and loans. NSLDS (National Student Loan Data System) -  StudentAid.gov

The site for student loan facts, trends, policy issues, and advocacy. www.projectonstudentdebt.org

A college education is one of the most important investments you will ever make. By managing how you pay for school and what you spend money on, you can worry less about debt and more about your career come graduation time. www.annuity.org/financial-literacy/students/

www.annuity.org/annuities/ - As the number of companies offering pensions dwindles, more Americans are seeking solutions for retirement income. Annuities were designed for precisely this purpose.

 Family Resources

Alameda County Community Food Bank (Cal Fresh) Help finding food. https://foodnow.net/

Covered California - Covered California is where Californians can get brand-name health insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Vehicle safety is important! Want to know if there are recalls on your vehicle? (NHTSA.gov) www.safecar.gov

The site to find colleges, learn about financial aid, and use expert college planning tools. www.collegeboard.org

Navigating college - Resource Guide for Homeless and Low Income Students 
https://www.moneygeek.com/education/resources/homeless-and-low-income-student-resources/

Help writing a resume or help finding a job http://www.trivalleycareercenter.org/

Tax Season

Get Free Tax Prep Help if you are a person who generally make $52,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. 

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-you-by-volunteers

To locate the nearest VITA or TCE site near you, use the VITA Locator Tool (https://irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep/) or call 800-906-9887.

For Senior Citizens - To locate the nearest AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) TCE Tax-Aide site between January and April use the AARP Site Locator Tool using your zip code(https://secure.aarp.org/applications/VMISLocator/searchTaxAideLocations.action)
 or call 888-227-7669.

Do I need to file an income tax return? How to find out if you are required to file. https://www.irs.gov/individuals/students