The consumer finance website, The Balance, reports that 38 percent of American households carry credit card debt from month to month, with an average balance of $7,527.

PowerPay.org, a free website and mobile app, was developed by USU Extension for such consumers to enable them to develop a self-directed debt elimination plan. The site shows consumers how much they can save in interest costs and how much more quickly they can be debt free by following a specific plan and by incurring no new debt and rolling over debt payments to other obligations as debts are paid off.

There are many low-income households in Utah that qualify for poverty-fighting tax credits (Earned Income and Child Tax). However, in many instances, these families are less familiar with the relevant tax codes and can’t afford to pay for professional assistance. In addition, some reside in rural areas with limited access to tax assistance.

Ten years ago, USU Extension developed the Virtual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and pioneered the concept of connecting rural taxpayers with urban-area certified preparers via the internet. The program helps low-income households receive the deductions they qualify for and greatly expands rural access to tax assistance. The process is now fully endorsed and promoted by the IRS.

The program requires that participants have direct contact with certified volunteers trained in tax preparation. Urban areas have larger volunteer pools to draw from, resulting in more readily available sites in urban versus rural areas.

USU Extension directs the Virtual VITA program in three counties (Grand, Summit, and Wasatch) and has helped establish VITA sites in seven others.

To learn more visit  utahtaxhelp.org.

Many people struggle with spending and budgets because of behavioral patterns that may have been in place for years. Change Makes Cents is a series of financial education lessons developed by Extension professionals that focus on setting goals for personal financial behavior change. The series offers four lessons: budget basics, credit 101, getting organized, and avoiding debt.

In a 3-year period, the Change Makes Sense series has been used more than 20 times. Organizations that have used Change Makes Sense include Workforce Services, community churches and state Extension services.

First-time homebuyers often don’t know how much house they can afford and are sometimes taken advantage of as they navigate the home-buying/financing process.

Studies show that homeowners who receive education before purchasing are less likely to default on their home loans. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recognizes the need for homebuyer education, and the USDA Rural Housing Loan Services and others offering low-interest loans require that first-time borrowers attend an in-person course before they can qualify for a loan. USU Extension implemented HUD certified, first-time home- buyer courses in Salt Lake and Weber counties. This worked well for those areas, but there were still many people around the state who couldn’t attend classes in these locations in person.

To resolve this issue, an online HUD-approved, first-time homebuyer education course was created by USU Extension in 2005 for residents in Utah and other states. In January 2018, USU Extension was designated one of three nationally approved online homeownership education providers approved for national use by USDA Rural Housing clients. The course has been successful because home- buyers can take it at their convenience. Completing the training and receiving the certificate also qualifies them for low-interest loans and home-ownership assistance grants to help them get into a home they can afford.

Visit extension.usu.edu/hbe for more information.