Build & Empower
Real, mostly-free programs that put money back in your hands, help you own a home, start a business, or go back to school. Many people qualify and never claim them.
The EITC gives working people a refund worth up to several thousand dollars — but many who qualify never claim it. Free IRS-certified VITA volunteers will do your taxes at no cost and make sure you get every credit.
Check the EITC → Find free tax help →Down-payment assistance, grants, and low-cost loans exist in every state. A free HUD-approved counselor walks you through what you qualify for.
Find a HUD counselor →Individual Development Accounts match your savings — sometimes $2 or more for every $1 you save — toward a home, education, or a business.
Learn about IDAs →The Small Business Administration, free SCORE mentors, and Small Business Development Centers offer no-cost coaching, plus low-interest loans and grants — with special programs for women, minority, veteran, and rural entrepreneurs.
Find free help →Filing the FAFSA is free and unlocks Pell Grants (money you don't repay), work-study, and low-cost loans. Many are surprised how much aid they qualify for.
Apply free (FAFSA) →American Job Centers offer free training, and registered apprenticeships pay you while you learn a trade.
Find apprenticeships →Better English opens doors — better jobs, higher pay, and more confidence. RetentiaLingua teaches the words you actually use at work and helps you remember them, so it sticks.
Improve your language skills →Community Development Financial Institutions lend and invest in underserved areas — a source of fair small-business and housing capital where big banks often won't.
Find a CDFI →The Life & Money Checkup points you to the right ones first.
Take the free Checkup →Better Tools links to independent government and nonprofit programs we don't run. Eligibility and amounts vary. Not legal, tax, or financial advice.