Tax season is upon us. For individuals earning less than $50,000 annually, VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) offers free tax preparation and filing assistance. Click here for VITA locations and office hours.
AARP also has partnered with VITA, to offer free tax preparation assistance to individuals 55 years of age and older. Click here for AARP VITA locations and office hours.
MESSAGE FROM MAYOR FISCHER
There are way too many families and individuals – in Louisville and across the nation – who are struggling to make ends meet. When times are tough like they are right now, people must pull together to seek creative solutions. I am proud that Bank On Louisville is doing just that, by bringing together an innovative partnership from private, public and community sectors -- with the goal of giving all citizens the opportunity to achieve financial stability.
Bank On Louisville’s network of partners strive to offer everyone a chance to open a bank account – even if you’ve had a poor relationship with a bank in the past, have a bad credit history, or never had an account before. This partnership also connects individuals with free classes and services that can help them make the most of their money. Please join the thousands of other Louisvillians who have discovered the difference that Bank On Louisville can make in your life.
CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING EVENTS
Bank On Louisville is a comprehensive program to serve the "unbanked" and "under-banked," those who live without access to mainstream financial institutions and are forced to rely on expensive check-cashing services.
Visit Greater Louisville Project's blog featuring BOL's Louisville Metro leadership team, who look at some of the financial challenges in people's lives that represent the poverty and income data in GLP's 2011 Competitive City Report.
Why Bank On
- Over the course of a working lifetime, a wage earners using alternative financial services will pay $40,000 in transaction fees related to cash checking, money orders, etc. that would otherwise be available for other purposes and long-term financial stability.
- Retail investments are often heavily tied to credit card and checking account transactions within a geographic area, which will lead to new economic opportunities for individuals and the neighborhoods in which they reside.
- Community-based organizations will have more success in serving their clients and fulfilling their missions, while leading to new business opportunities for mainstream financial institutions.
To read more about the program, download a brochure here. The steering committee worked with local community organizations, banks & credit unions, government agencies, and the National League of Cities to develop a program that helps Louisville residents start saving for the future.
BANK ON LOUISVILLE UPDATES
Bank On Louisville far surpassed its first year goal of opening 500 new bank accounts — a total of 5,952 of bank accounts were opened! Based on this success, Mayor Fischer has urged the BOL Leadership Team to set new stretch goals in FY 11-12, of opening 7,500 new accounts and engaging 500 financial education participants.
