America Saves - Start Small. Think Big.

Bad habits are hard to break. A credit counselor can help when it comes to sticking to a budget and paying down debt; but as you begin to see your credit card balances go down, the time is ripe for a new vice. Develop a saving habit. You don’t have to earn a lot of money to build wealth. Saving is all about setting priorities and focusing on the long term.

Financial stability is about a lot more than knowledge -- it takes consistent action over time. Most of us do better when we have a supportive environment. Utah Saves is a campaign to make every Utah resident that supportive environment. When enough people and companies belong to Utah Saves, the entire culture will be changed. Utah will have become a saving community!

In a saving community, people encourage each other to save money regularly and habitually. They discourage excessive spending on non-necessities. Financial institutions help people save by offering incentives and other perks. Systems change to favor saving over not saving.

Social marketing is a process that takes time. This is not a quick fix, a specific savings program, or a one-time promotional campaign. It is a long-term, on-going effort to make real change in our nation's future.

Financial insecurity is at the core of many of our society's social ills. Financial insecurity not only results in poverty and homelessness, but poor financial habits can also lead to poor health, domestic violence, troubled youth, and the breakdown of families and neighborhoods. With Utah sitting at the top of the nation's personal bankruptcy and mortgage foreclosure rates, there's no time to lose. We can either watch as families fall through the cracks, or we can act now to get to the root of the problem. Utah Saves attacks this growing epidemic by giving people the tools to achieve personal savings goals and eventually become financially independent. These tools include:

• Creating and sticking to a budget
• Paying for a college education
• Becoming debt-free
• Saving for retirement
• Building an emergency fund
• Starting a small business
• Buying a home

Utah Saves offers free tools and resources including:

• Access to matched savings accounts (IDAs)
• Free tax preparation services
• Free how-to seminars on specific financial planning topics
• A range of low-cost financial savings products
• Wealth-building workshops that motivate people to save and plan
• One-on-one mentoring, coaching, and ongoing support
• Toll Free Moneyline. Savers can call the Moneyline at 1-800-350-9899 for free information, referrals and finanical counseling. Wealth Coaching services are provided by AAA Fair Credit Foundation.

ENROLL NOW or call 1-800-350-9899.