Policy Options to Encourage Savings and Asset Building by Low-Income Americans

This menu of policy options was written with federal policymakers in mind. It reflects the latest and best thinking, and draws heavily on the work of many experts focusing on various facets of savings and asset-building policy. As there are many policy routes to broadening savings and asset ownership, there is necessarily some overlap among the ideas presented below. The proposals are at varying stages of development—some (such as Individual Development Accounts) are fully developed, others (on asset protection, for example) need further refinement, while a few (including asset control issues, which are of particular importance to Native Americans) are still being discussed. This paper, along with the guidance of many experts, will inform the development of an omnibus savings and ownership bill that will be introduced in Congress later this year.

For the complete document, please see the attached PDF version.