To do this, we all need assets to invest in the future and move our families forward.

Yet many families with low incomes are also living in asset poverty, meaning they do not have the financial resources to cover three months of basic living expenses without income.

Financial assets are a stronger predictor of economic well-being and mobility than income. They provide a cushion in times of distress and enable families to invest in opportunities like homeownership, education, and entrepreneurship.

For families living in asset poverty, the opportunity to build assets is out of reach. Anti-poverty programs often discourage or penalize savings, and these penalties intersect with systemic and historic barriers to wealth building for Black and/or Latina women.