Guide to Financial Literacy and Education Resources

The information shown on this site, and contained within the printable materials, is designed to provide you with information and resources to help you better understand events and choices that impact your personal finances. The information does not identify every resource or informational site available; it does provide a variety of resources to help you develop your financial literacy skills and knowledge.

Note: some resources may contain additional links to more resources; some resources are free while others may require payment for materials or services provided. The Office of Consumer Credit does not endorse or specifically recommend one resource over another.

 

Consumer Protection Resources

Attorney General of Texas

Focus on unfair and deceptive business practices that target seniors, as well as consumer education for seniors and their families.
https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/cpd/consumer-protection

https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/seniors/senior-consumers

Phone: 800-621-0508

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

The CFPB enforces federal consumer financial laws to protect consumers in the marketplace. The CFPB takes consumer complaints and monitors financial markets for new risks to consumers.
https://www.consumerfinance.gov 

Phone: 855-411-2372

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

The FDIC’s Consumer Response Center is responsible for investigating all types of consumer complaints about FDIC-supervised institutions and responding to consumer inquiries about consumer laws and regulations.
https://www.fdic.gov/

Phone: 877-275-3342

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ Community Development Department supports the Federal Reserve System’s economic growth and financial stability objectives by promoting programs and policies that stabilize neighborhoods, assist small businesses and improve the financial stability of low- and moderate-income households.
https://www.dallasfed.org/cd.aspx

National Industry Standards for Home ownership Education and Counseling 

A set of guidelines for quality home ownership and counseling services. Industry professionals who adopt these standards can be trusted to provide consistent, high quality advice.
https://homeownershipstandards.org/home/Home.aspx

Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC)

Complaints may be filed with the OCCC concerning: pawn transactions; secondary mortgage and home equity loans; motor vehicle sales financing, property tax loans; payday and auto title loans; debt management and debt settlement providers, crafted precious metal dealers, and registered creditors.
https://occc.texas.gov/consumers

Phone: 800-538-1579

 

Financial Assistance

2-1-1 Texas

2-1-1 Texas is a free, anonymous social service hotline that connects individuals with information and resources in your local community.
https://www.211texas.org/

Phone: 877-541-7905 or Dial 2-1-1

 

Financial Coaching / Education

Financial Health Pathways

Free financial education classes and financial literacy resources for individuals residing in the Austin area.
https://financialhp.org/

Phone: 512-456-8630    

United Ways of Texas

Local chapters provide financial education and individual counseling to increase the financial stability and health of their community.
https://www.uwtexas.org/

Phone: 512-651-1149

 

Homebuyer Education / Housing Counseling

NeighborWorks America

NeighborWorks America creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities.
https://www.neighborworks.org/

Texas Financial Toolbox

Connection to classes, events, one-on-one counseling and home buyer programs to help consumers reach their home ownership goals.
https://www.texasfinancialtoolbox.com/

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

HUD provides tools to current and prospective homeowners, renters so that they can make responsible choices to address their housing needs in light of their financial situations.
https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/housing-counseling/

 

Online Resources

Better Money Habits, in partnership with KHANACADEMY

Education on credit, debit, savings & budgeting, home-ownership, auto, retirement, college, privacy & security, personal banking and taxes & income.
https://bettermoneyhabits.bankofamerica.com/

ClearingHouse, Jump$tart

Online library of financial education resources for teachers, parents, caregivers, and anyone committed to financial smarts for students.
https://jumpstartclearinghouse.org/

Dallas Federal Reserve – Building Wealth

Personal finance education resource that presents an overview of wealth-building strategies for consumers.
https://www.dallasfed.org/-/media/microsites/cd/wealth/online/index.html

Hands on banking

An online learning center offers resources for anyone who wants to learn more about money management. The financial articles can help you find answers to your questions, from budgeting tips to buying a home, to improving your credit.
https://www.handsonbanking.org

Money Smart – A financial Education Program

Comprehensive financial education curriculum designed to help low- and moderate-income individuals outside the financial mainstream enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships.
https://www.fdic.gov/resources/consumers/money-smart/index.html

MyMoney.Gov

Government website providing education to help manage and grow your money.
https://www.mymoney.gov

Smart About Money (SAM)

In-depth guided learning courses and financial education tools.
https://www.nefe.org/initiatives/smart-about-money.aspx

The Mint

This site provides tools to help parents as well as educators teach children to manage money wisely and develop good financial habits: the building blocks for a secure future.
https://www.themint.org/index.html

The Savvy Senior

Links to organizations that provide resources for seniors on various financial and life planning topics.
https://www.savvysenior.org

 

Texas Financial Education Endowment (TFEE) Recipients

Austin Community College (ACC)

The mission of ACC is to provide affordable access, through traditional and distance learning modes, to higher education and workforce training, including appropriate applied baccalaureate degrees, in its service area. The mission of ACC’s Student Money Management Office (SMMO) is to support ACC student success by providing accessible and relevant money management education, enabling students to make informed financial decisions.
https://www.austincc.edu/

Building Financial Capacity Coalition (BFCC)

The mission BFCC is to foster community prosperity by enhancing the knowledge and skills Rio Grande Valley families need to improve their financial decision-making. They are devoted to teaching and providing resources to individuals and families on how to manage their personal and small business finances.
https://www.bfccrgv.com/

Center for Transforming Lives

The Center for Transforming Lives helps homeless and impoverished women, children, and families move from poverty to independence through homeless services, early childhood development and financial empowerment services.
https://www.transforminglives.org

Community Development Corporation of Brownsville

CDCB is a multifaceted affordable housing organization devoted to utilizing collaborative partnerships to create sustainable communities across the Rio Grande Valley through quality education, model financing, efficient home design, and superior construction.
http://www.cdcbrownsville.org/

Easter Seals of Greater Houston

Easter Seals offer help, hope and answers to people of all ages with disabilities and their families. Through therapy, training, education and support services, Easter Seals creates life-changing solutions so that people with disabilities can live, learn, work and play in our community.
https://www.eastersealshouston.org/

El Paso Credit Union HOAP, Inc

El Paso Affordable Housing offers free financial education, home ownership workshops, credit counseling, and promoting savings, while developing loan products and financial services that will empower low to moderate members to access low cost capital, develop family assets, build wealth, and credit worthiness.
http://www.epcuah.org/

Family Eldercare

Family Eldercare thoughtfully partners with older adults and people with disabilities to create stability, dignity, and well-being.
https://www.familyeldercare.org/

Family Pathfinders

The Mentoring program matches trained volunteer mentors with families struggling to overcome the bonds of poverty, homelessness and reentry after incarceration. The Financial Capability program, which includes financial education and financial coaching, helps low and moderate income people attain long-term economic stability by building skills to address personal needs for improving financial behaviors.
http://www.pathfinderstc.org

Family Service Association of San Antonio (FSASA)

Family Service created a Life Success Model. The Life Success Model focuses on broader areas of service that follow a continuum of care that addresses the needs of our clients in a more holistic manner through integrated services with key focuses on: education, counseling & seniors, job training & financial stability and parent & community involvement.
https://family-service.org/

Financial Mentors of America, Inc.

Financial Mentors of America is dedicated to teaching families how to plan and create amazing futures.
http://www.financialmentors.org/

The FoolProof Foundation

FoolProof's mission is to provide free, independent resources to help learners make the right decisions in life.
https://www.foolprooffoundation.org/

Foundation Communities

Foundation Communities creates housing where families succeed. They provide people with an affordable, attractive place to call home, as well as opportunities right at their doorstep to transform their lives through education, financial stability and health resources. 
https://www.foundcom.org

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
https://www.gsnetx.org/

Goodwill Industries of Central Texas

Goodwill’s mission is “generating lifelong connections to work”, and they envision a world where everyone has access to meaningful employment. Their aim is to build independence, support healthy families, and create strong communities.
https://www.goodwillcentraltexas.org/

Goodwill Industries of Central East Texas, Inc. 

Goodwill’s mission is to provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment via job training and placement. They strive to empower individuals, strengthen families, and build communities, one job at a time. 
https://lufkingoodwill.org/ 

Harris County Department of Education

The Harris County Department of Education supports Harris County by enriching educational opportunities and providing value through services. It is a public entity dedicated to helping meet the needs of uniquely challenged learners and school staff in the state’s largest county through innovative programming and support services.
https://www.hcde-texas.org/

Houston Area Women's Center

The Houston Area Women’s Center works to end domestic and sexual violence and supports all in building safe and healthy lives through advocacy, counseling, education, shelter, and support services. Their services are free, confidential, and available to everyone.
https://hawc.org/

Independent Bankers Association of Texas Education Foundation

The mission of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas Education Foundation is to build financially literate communities in Texas.
https://ibat.org/

Mansfield Mission Center 

The Mansfield Mission Center provides financial coaching services to members in crisis situations.
http://mansfieldmission.org/

Metrocrest Services, Inc.

Metrocrest Services specializes in helping individuals, families, and seniors navigate through crisis situations and work to stabilize their lives for a brighter future.
https://metrocrestservices.org/

Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP)

PEP’s mission is to unite executives and inmates through entrepreneurial passion and servant leadership to transform lives, restore families, and rebuild communities.
https://www.pep.org/

RAISE Texas

The mission of RAISE Texas is to advance equitable policies and programs that foster financial security and economic mobility for low- and moderate-income Texans.
https://raisetexas.org/

Society of St. Vincent de Paul- Diocesan  Council of Austin

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay organization, provides financial assistance, food, material goods, and spiritual support to those in greatest need throughout Central Texas. Aid is given through personal visits to the poor by volunteers called Vincentians who embrace all works of charity and justice, including disaster relief. 
https:www.ssvdp.org

Texas Council on Economic Education

TCEE’s goal is to provide teachers with hands-on lessons and programs that allow students to practice implementing real life economic and personal financial skills, and thus pave the way to a life of economic security and a Smarter Texas.

Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC)

Targets the housing needs of low-income families and other underserved populations who do not have acceptable housing options through conventional financial channels through initiatives such as first time home buyer grants and other down payment assistance programs.
https://www.tsahc.org

Trinity Basin Preparatory, Inc.

Trinity Basin Preparatory is a free public charter school that was founded in 1998 with the goal of providing an education that focuses on literacy and language acquisition skills.
https://www.trinitybasin.com/

United Way of Tarrant County

The United Way of Tarrant County seeks to improve lives across diverse communities by: prioritizing needs in education, income, and health; forming innovative and effective partnerships with other organizations; and strategically raising and investing resources to make lasting change.
https://www.unitedwaytarrant.org/

Wesley Mission Center 

The Wesley Mission Center empowers people on their journey to self-sufficiency and wholeness.
http://www.wesleymissioncenter.org/

Women's Resource of Greater Houston 

The Women's Resource of Greater Houston helps women and girls make choices toward becoming independent, productive, and financially stable In their programs, women acquire the essential financial knowledge, skills and confidence they need to make sound decisions and improve their lives – for themselves and for generations to come.
https://thewomensresource.org/

 

REVISED JANUARY 2023