March 19, 2002
The Houston Chronicle
by Cay Dickson

Where can low- and moderate-income Americans who want to learn how to put aside more savings for their retirement years find information on that subject? America Saves, at www.americasaves.org, is a nationwide campaign of a broad coalition of nonprofit, corporate and government groups to help individuals and families save and build wealth. The service is free, and the only requirements are that you develop a specific saving goal, select an account, make a deposit in this account each month (or make a debt payment), and let the organization know that you are working toward that goal. The section on saving and building wealth has tips on where to find money by changing or creating new habits, how compound interest can help your money grow and different kinds of savings accounts. An article on research on banking services by the poor discusses barriers - real and perceived - to saving, plus strategies for overcoming these barriers.