Order Your Free Credit Report
By law, you are entitled to three free credit reports every 12 months–one each from the three credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
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Read Your Credit Report
Information in Your Report Video Introduction to a Credit Report Sample Reports Identifying Potential Errors Dealing with Errors Monitoring Negative Information Information in Your Report Once you order a credit report from one of the three agencies, your report will appear on screen. We recommend printing your report (it might be long!) and saving it […]
Fix Errors on Your Credit Report
The credit bureaus maintain tens of millions of reports, so they cannot verify the accuracy of the information in everybody’s reports. Fortunately, there are ways to identify and dispute errors in your credit report.
Money As You Grow – Resources for Educators
Many libraries and youth programs across the United States are using books from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s “Money as You Grow” Bookshelf for their children’s reading programs. Free resources to support your local program can be found on the CFPB’s website. UW-Madison Division of Extension also has materials around children and money created especially […]
Wisconsin Earned Income Credit
The Earned Income Credit (EIC) is a tax credit for workers who earn low or moderate incomes. There are two types of Earned Income Credits: a federal credit that is claimed on your federal taxes, and a Wisconsin credit that is claimed on your state taxes. If you qualify for the EIC and file your […]
Federal Earned Income Tax Credit
The Earned Income Credit (EITC) is a tax credit for workers who earn low or moderate incomes. There two types of Earned Income Tax Credits: a federal credit that is claimed on your federal taxes, and a Wisconsin credit that is claimed on your state taxes. If you quality for the EITC and file your […]
Homestead Credit
The Homestead Credit is a state of Wisconsin tax benefit for renters and homeowners with low or moderate incomes. It is designed to lessen the impact of rent and property taxes. People who do not file Wisconsin state income taxes may still be eligible to claim the Homestead Credit. Am I Eligible for the Wisconsin […]
Money $mart in Head Start Newsletters
Sixteen monthly newsletters have been created and reviewed by UW-Madison Division of Extension educators based on evaluations and feedback from previous Head Start financial literacy project participants. Newsletter issues 1-8 are sequential, so that each topic builds on the information in the previous topic. Because many families are enrolled in Head Start for more than […]
Money $mart in Head Start – Consent Form and Baseline Survey
The goal of this financial research project is to find out if setting goals and having access to financial literacy information can help improve financial outcomes. As part of this project, UW-Madison Division of Extension gathers survey information from Head Start families who agree to participate. A baseline survey is given out in fall, and […]
Money $mart in Head Start Program Impacts
Initial Research Project with Head Start Families The Money $mart in Head Start (M$iHS) program consists of a series of partnerships between local Head Start programs and UW-Madison Division of Extension educators. The MSiHS program offers a mixture of three financial literacy interventions—monthly newsletters, financial education workshops, and financial coaching—to families with children enrolled in […]
Additional Resources for Planning and Paying for College
In addition to the resources included throughout this website, the following links are to trusted resources about planning and paying for college. UW-Madison Division of Extension Resources College savings fact sheet (also available in Spanish) – Summarizes the importance of college savings and describes different types of college savings accounts. Savings planning worksheet – Short […]
Benefits of Higher Education
Although the costs of higher education continue to increase, college graduates enjoy lower unemployment rates and higher earnings. The following chart shows median monthly earnings for U.S. workers in 2021 based on their educational attainment (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). People with a bachelor’s degree earned a median of $1,334 per week or about […]
