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CASH Coalition of Chittenden County |
| Creating Assets, Savings and Hope |
The CASH Coalition assists low- and moderate-income Chittenden County residents to achieve their financial goals through free tax assistance and asset-building opportunities. Generally speaking, CASH services are available to Chittenden County households with income of $40,000 or less, and are FREE. The following services are available through Coalition partners or through referral:
| Taxes | Money Skills | Grow Your Money | Credit and Debt | Happening Right Now: |
| Free tax preparation services
are available week days, evenings and Saturdays during tax season.
Services are provided by IRS-certified volunteers. Whether you qualify
depends on your household income and on how complicated your tax return
is. Beginning in January, you
can find out if you're eligible and get an appointment by calling 2-1-1.
Doing your own taxes? Got a tax problem?
Vermont
Legal Aid's Low-Income Taxpayer Project The National Community Tax Coalition provides information and resources about connecting working families to tax credits nationwide. |
A number of local organizations offer classes
to help you improve money management skills. You see some of the
things happening right now on this page. You can also contact the
following organizations to learn more about what they offer:
Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity Micro Business (CVOEO)
UVM
Extension Opportunities Credit Union offers Financial Education and Homeownership classes throughout the state of Vermont. We also work with organizations to customize training to meet their particular needs.
Opportunities
Credit Union (formerly the Vermont Development Credit Union) in the news: Don't get take in by "Nigerian" scams or other schemes. Never provide your bank account information to a stranger. Don't assume that a check a good just because your bank tells you that the funds are "available" - the check may still be counterfeit. And that "lottery winnings" check that you got in the mail - or that check for more than you asked for your car - with the request that you wire back a "fee" or "taxes" or "the balance" - is probably a counterfeit check that you'll end up on the hook for. Got a question about these kinds of schemes or other consumer fraud? Or about your rights as a buyer? You can contact:
Vermont Attorney General's Consumer Assistance Program
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Some organizations offer programs that allow you to save some of
your money in special accounts. Some of these accounts come with
matching funds. This means that when you save money, the
government or an agency also puts money in your savings account.
Other accounts are helpful for your finances in other ways. Most
of these accounts have restrictions on what you can spend the
money for. Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) will match your savings with additional money. You can spend the money to buy a home, start a business, or get more education. Places to start an IDA are:
Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity Micro Business (CVOEO)
Opportunities
Credit Union (formerly the Vermont Development Credit Union) Family Self-Sufficiency Accounts (FSS) are a way for people with housing vouchers to earn savings based on increases in the family's earned income. To learn more, contact Rhonda Freed at the Burlington Housing Authority at 802-864-0538 x226. |
Each spring
and fall, the CASH Coalition offers a "Free Credit Report Day," when you
can get your credit score and report for free, and sit down with a
credit counselor to go over your report. The next Free Credit Report Day
will be held in the spring of 2010. One way to improve or repair your credit is through a Tracker Loan, offered by Opportunities Credit Union. Call (800) 865-8328 for more information. Need help right now with debt collection or bankruptcy questions? You can contact:
Consumer
Credit Counseling Service of NH & VT
Vermont
Legal Aid
Visit the
Bad Credit
Hotel
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Understanding Credit Workshop In this 2-hour workshop offered by the HomeOwnership Center, you’ll learn about:
*Note: Your credit WILL NOT be pulled during this workshop* Workshop Dates (Pre-Registration preferred):
Workshop registrations are available on our website: www.getahome.org To have a registration form mailed to you or for more information, contact Sarah using our toll free number 1-877-247-7431. Growing Money Classes All classes are held at 294 North Winooski Avenue: “Spend Smart” Class—Learn the foundations of good money management in this class. You'll be introduced to the powerful tools of tracking and budgeting and you'll set financial goals you can achieve . We will talk as a group about ways to stretch your dollars further. At the end of the three part series we will present with our helpful guide to community resources in your area. Mondays - August 2, 9 & 16, 2010 from 6-8 pm “Keys to Credit” Class—This class goes into detail about the important and often confusing world of credit. Learn all the basics and get smart about this issue. You can improve your credit in a variety of ways and we want to help you get started. This is a two-part series. Mondays - July 12 & 19, 2010 from 6-8 pm Worried about your mortgage? Help may be available. Call 2-1-1 to find out where to get help, or call the Vermont Mortgage Assistance Hotline toll free at (888) 568-4547. |
Who are we?
CASH
Coalition Members include:
Vermont
Legal Aid, Inc.
Northfield
Savings Bank
Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO):
Community Action and Micro
Business Development Program
Grippin, Donlan & Roche, CPAs
City of
Burlington/CEDO
U.S. Dept. of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Internal Revenue
Service
Casey Family Services
USDA
Rural Development
United Way of Chittenden County
Opportunities
Credit Union
VT Department for Children & Families, Economic Services
Division
Doorway 2 Dreams Fund, Inc.
Champlain Housing Trust
The CASH Coalition meets monthly. The Coalition has a number of committees, including the VITA Committee, the Financial Education Committee, and the Data Committee, which also meet regularly. To be added to the mailing list, contact Christine Curtis at Christine.E.Curtis@irs.gov.
Site last updated July 29, 2010