Remarks by Rich Petersen, Executive Director of Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB), at the public launch of ROADS to Financial Independence
ServiceSource, Oakton, Virginia
June 3, 2015
Good morning. On behalf of the Capital Area Asset Builders, Board of Directors and Staff, we thank you for the opportunity today to come together in partnership with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the National Disability Institute, ServiceSource, fellow asset-building and disability organizations from across the country and the community on the launch of the ROADS to Financial Independence Initiative.
At CAAB, our daily work is guided by our vision of Financial Security and Prosperity for All; and we are humbled to be included in the ROADS Initiative as it is truly a proactive and unprecedented ground breaking demonstration of the concept of the inclusion of All.
For many of us here this morning, we remain painfully aware that far too often the concept of the inclusion of All unfortunately has not been necessarily applied to people with disabilities. We know that people with disabilities in America comprise the most economically vulnerable population in our country, as they are twice as likely to be living at or below the poverty line as their non-disabled peers. We know that approximately 50% of American’s with disabilities are unbanked or underbanked. And we know that easy, ready and supported access to education and non-biased information on financial matters and products are critical in ensuring that people with disabilities can fully participate and thrive in the American economic mainstream.
So today as Greater-DC ROADS, the Capital Area Asset Builders in conjunction with our local partner, ServiceSource, proudly join in with each of the other five pilot partner cities to launch an ambitious agenda with the aspiration to foster a national community of collaboration that brings together unique partnerships comprised of disability service agencies, like Service Source, with non-disability financial education and coaching organizations like CAAB, to work side-by-side with adults with disabilities to identify the daily financial challenges all Americans face in effectively dealing with debt ,credit, savings and the development and protection of lasting assets to pass on to future generations. Our goal is to offer realistic and practical solutions that support and empower people with disabilities in making well-informed financial decisions and to establish longer term goals to improve upon their financial security and upward mobility.
For further information on ROADS to Financial Independence, please visit http://bit.ly/1M5iKnU
The ROADS to Financial Independence Initiative will collect, compile and analyze data from the interactions between the financial coaches and the consumers of this initiative. We will utilize this information so that we can learn, with the support of CFPB staff and the technical assistance from staff at the National Disability Institute, about what really works and doesn't work in supporting people with disabilities in creating personal pathways to their better economic future.
Thank you for inviting CAAB to today’s event and we look forward to working with you in the future.
About Capital Area Asset Builders
Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower low- and moderate-income residents of the Greater DC Area to take control of their finances, increase their savings, and build wealth for a better future.
Connect with CAAB via our social media platforms:
- Twitter: @CAAB_GreaterDC
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- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/capital-area-asset-builders
