The Bush Administration has proposed to include new goals and funding in the federal welfare law for states to promote marriage among welfare recipients. The proposal is based on the assertion that the absence of marriage causes poverty and that marriage, per se, is good for children and for the country. But the proposal raises […]
The potential for stress over money does not go away just because you retire. In fact, it can become more intense. In order to minimize that stress, you must have a solid plan for managing money during your retirement years. This Tip Sheet offers 5 steps to take to create a plan. (Author abstract)
This report explores the effects of employment-relatedoutcomes (namely, average hours worked per week and average earnings per week) on the likelihood of marriage. The key challenge in estimating the effects of various employment-related outcomes on men’s or women’s likelihood of marriage is to account for the possibility that family status may affect employment outcomes (reverse […]
This guide provides practice tips for developing and delivering a marriage and relationship education program and for child welfare and low-income populations. The guidelines address: using inclusive lifestyles and language; ensuring culturally competent programs and trainers; understanding different cultures, including the culture of poverty, and gaining the skills needed to effectively work with people who […]
Money can be the number one source of frustration in relationships. These frustrations ring true for couples regardless of the length of their courtship or the number of years they have been married. This Tip Sheet offers tips to help couples handle the financial strain that often accompanies a long-term relationship. (Author abstract)
This report provides a conceptual framework that describes how asset accumulation unfolds over an individual’s lifetime and how the effects of such accumulation can best be understood within the context of the life course. The report identifies five factors that are important in understanding the low levels of asset accumulation among low-income households and places […]
Economically disadvantaged children are more likely to grow up in unstable single-parent households and have much less access to the financial and emotional support of their noncustodial parent (typically the father). Family instability places children at risk for a number of negative outcomes and plays a large part in the growing disparities of income and […]
This summary synthesizes the findings from a four-paper series by Dr. Robert Lerman entitled Effects of Marriage on Family Economic Well-Being. The series examines the economic returns to marriage.
The Marriage Calculator helps policy makers, researchers, and the general public to understand the financial consequences of marriage for individuals earning less than about $40,000 per year. Users can see how taxes and public assistance change when a couple’s living arrangement changes from living apart to cohabiting to married. This is a general use tool. […]
The purpose of this report is to summarize what we know about these issues for current TANF recipients and former recipients (“”leavers””) from existing literature and to update our knowledge with new analysis using more recent data. The key questions addressed in the report are: – How do the characteristics of the Temporary Assistance for […]