Financial Services and Education Project: Recent and Upcoming Events

Overcoming Account Opening Impediments to the Bank Secrecy Act

Erin Drankoski — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:30:00 -0400

A New America Event
08/18/2009 - 8:30am

The New America Foundation and Appleseed hosted a timely roundtable discussion on a proposed policy aimed at clearing the path for opening basic bank accounts for immigrants and those who are new to the financial system. Participants included counsel and compliance officers of banks, prepaid firms and financial institution processors, representatives of nonprofits serving immigrant families, delegates from the Mexican Embassy and public policy experts.

Too Small to Fail

Communications — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:45:00 -0500

A New America Event
11/20/2008 - 12:15pm

With the big guns in the financial services industry in turmoil, it’s a good time to ask hard questions about the nature of our finance system. Does bigger always mean better? Or does small-scale "relationship" banking, in which individual savers and borrowers are members of the same community, help to make a better banking sector? Community banks and credit unions were regarded until recently as vestigial players in a new world of global consumer finance. But today they aren’t merely… more

Foreclosures: What are Fannie And Freddie Doing to Stem the Tide?

Communications — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:30:00 -0500

A New America Event
11/13/2008 - 3:30pm

On September 7, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were placed into conservatorship. There was an expectation that the move would make the companies, which had hunkered down to preserve capital, much more active in dealing with the on-going housing crisis. What has actually happened, and what are the prospects for the future? How have the companies dealt with borrowers in trouble on the loans Fannie and Freddie own or have guaranteed? How are they working with… more

CA Event: Financial Literacy - Need, Strategy, Opportunity

Communications — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
04/17/2008 - 12:00pm

Families across America face a growing array of financial decisions in an increasingly complex financial environment. Consumers are expected to navigate an increasinly complex financial services market in order to save for retirement, higher education and homeownership. Those with low-incomes -- who disproportionately lack both financial know-how and relationships with financial institutions -- are especially vulnerable to being shut out of the financial marketplace. On Thursday, April 17th, Ellen Seidman, Director of New America's Financial Services and Education Project,… more

Beyond the Mortgage Meltdown

Communications — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 05:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
09/20/2007 - 12:00pm

The current -- and predicted future -- turmoil in the mortgage market highlights an important challenge to the American dream of homeownership: how to make certain that those who enter into homeownership are able to sustain that status, protecting family stability and building equity in a critical asset. Thirty years ago, those who owned homes had fixed rate mortgages and substantial equity, and foreclosure was a rare event. However, many Americans were denied the opportunity to… more

Lever or Crowbar?

Communications — Wed, 23 May 2007 12:15:00 -0400

A New America Event
05/23/2007 - 12:15pm

Increasing troubles in the sub-prime mortgage market, growing concerns about student debt loads, and two new movies and an awareness campaign highlighting the burden of credit card debt are focusing attention on the fact that debt is causing major disruptions in the lives of many families. And yet, it’s the rare family that can build assets—buy a home, start and grow a business, go to college, buy the car that is essential for getting to work—without credit. … more