Southern Blog
What to Do If You Are A Victim of Financial Fraud
By Veronica Baxter According to credit agency Equifax, identity theft is the most common form of financial fraud. A victim’s personal information is stolen in order to access existing credit and bank accounts and to open new credit accounts. This article will explain...
Tax Time is Savings Time
By Charlestien Harris It’s that time again, tax preparation season. The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program offers free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals. The VITA program has operated for over 50 years, offering free tax help...
Stimulus Payment Guidelines for Nursing Home Residents
By Charlestien Harris Few people realize that nursing home residents are eligible to receive the Economic Impact Payment or the stimulus payment commonly known as EIP. During the first round of EIP checks, payments were issued to the taxpayers who filed a 2019...
Covid-19 Single Family Foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium Extended
By Charlestien Harris As a HUD certified housing counselor, I try to stay informed on current issues that could directly affect numerous consumers facing mounting debt and other issues related to housing and finances. Last month, the Federal Housing Finance Agency...
Make a Pledge to Save
By Janie Ginocchio We’ve recently talked about taking advantage of a new savings opportunity in Arkansas by using split direct deposit for state tax refunds, and in previous blog posts we’ve talked about making a New Year’s resolution to save as well as best practices...
Beware of Gift Card Scams during the Holidays.
By Charlestien Harris Gift cards are a popular and convenient way to give someone a gift. They’re also a popular way for scammers to steal money from you, because gift cards are like cash. If you buy a gift card and someone it wasn’t intended for uses it, you probably...
New Pandemic Relief Bill to Help CDFIs Serve the Underserved
On Dec. 21, Congress passed a pandemic relief and economic stimulus bill that includes $12 billion for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Deposit Institutions (MDIs) to help ensure funding reaches very small businesses and communities...
Take Advantage of Tax-Time Savings Opportunities
By Janie Ginocchio In April 2019, we announced that Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed Act 774 of 2019, which required two direct deposit lines on the state income tax form so you could split your state refund into two bank accounts. This year, we facilitated the passage...
What to Do Once You Enter a Covid-19 Forbearance Agreement
By Charlestien Harris I have been getting numerous inquiries about next steps when it comes to the pandemic and mortgage solutions available to homeowners as they navigate this difficult time. Therefore, I have provided the five steps that should be taken below. This...
10 Ways to Safely Shop Online this Holiday Season
By Charlestien Harris During this time of year, everyone is gearing up for a busy online shopping season, especially scammers. Risks of getting scammed are higher during the holidays, but you can keep your money safe by following these simple online shopping tips....