The Assets Perspective : The Rise of Asset Building and Its Impact on Social Policy

After the symposium, the papers were refined. This process was aided immensely by the work of Sandy Beverly. A scholar in her own right, she offered insightful and valuable feedback. She is a pleasure to work with and we are greatly appreciative of her efforts. Another set of colleagues contributed as participants in the symposium and as expert resources at large. We were fortunate that these leading lights could join in and enrich the discussion. They include Bob Front Matter....Pages I-XII The Rise of Asset Building and Its Impact on Social Policy....Pages 1-10 Front Matter....Pages 11-11 The Evolution of Antipoverty Programs....Pages 13-31 The Finances of Typical Households After the Great Recession....Pages 33-65 Financial Fracking in the Land of the Fee, 1980–2008....Pages 67-95 Front Matter....Pages 97-97 The Widening Racial Wealth Gap: Why Wealth Is Not Color Blind....Pages 99-122 The Promises and Pitfalls of Homeownership....Pages 123-149 Setting the Record Straight on Affordable Homeownership....Pages 151-164 A Behavioral Economics Perspective on Innovations in Savings Programs....Pages 165-183 Solving the Paradox of High College Expectations: The Role of Children’s Savings Accounts....Pages 185-201 Extending Savings Accounts to Young People: Lessons from Two Decades of Asset Building....Pages 203-225 Making Tax Time the Financial Management Moment....Pages 227-241 Front Matter....Pages 243-243 Foundations of an Asset-Based Social Policy Agenda....Pages 245-261 Asset Building Research and Policy: Pathways, Progress, and Potential of a Social Innovation....Pages 263-284 Back Matter....Pages 285-299 The economy's struggles to overcome the lingering effects of the Great Recession presented unique but essential questions.The book considers a full range of data which considers how this recent experience has impacted households, providing a thorough and contemporary treatment of how the assets perspective has prompted changes within social policy. The Assets Perspective presents a multi-dimensional exploration of the rise of asset building as a new social policy framework. By focusing on long-term economic health outcomes rather than short-term income or poverty, this book offers a valuable lens for thinking about social policy - pointing to opportunities for policy interventions designed to assist families in building their asset base. Topics covered include the evolution of public assistance programs, the racial wealth gap, impact of the Great Recession, the challenge of affordable homeownership, the history of financial services, and the potential of policy reform. With contributions from leading scholars, the book considers how the assets perspective has impacted the manner in which social policy is conceived, designed, and delivered