Financial Beginnings Oregon

Big news! Financial Beginnings Oregon is now part of one national organization! That means more resources, more stories, and more impact — all in one place.
🎯 This page will be retired soon, so be sure to follow our new home:
👉 Make sure to follow us here: https://hubs.ly/Q03yphnK0

Let’s keep growing together. 💚

We’ve moved! This page will soon go quiet as we’ve officially merged all state programs into one national Financial Beginnings organization. Follow us here to stay in the loop: https://hubs.li/Q03xVmVf0

We have just about a month left of tax season and free tax prep help is available!

Did you know the average Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) received by eligible Oregon taxpayers last year was $2,262?

According to the IRS, 223,000 Oregonians took advantage of the EITC and put money in their pockets in 2024 . However, approximately 25 percent of eligible Oregon taxpayers didn’t claim the credit. Remember, you can’t receive the credit if you don’t file your taxes. Free tax preparation help is available! Go to https://www.oregon.gov/dor/programs/individuals/Pages/get-free-tax-help.aspx or cashoregon.org.

We are beyond excited to announce that for a second year, Financial Beginnings is an awardee of Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services Division of Financial Regulation's 2025 Statewide Sponsorship Program. We look forward to continuing our work with DFR as we expand access to financial education across Oregon.

If you didn't know, DFR offers a wealth of no-cost publications on homeownership, renter's insurance, and so much more. You can browse their full resource library here:

Division of Financial Regulation : Publications : Outreach and education : State of Oregon Find links to free publications from the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation on insurance and financial services

Did you know that the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services' Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) offers free consumer resources available for download on their website? Their publications cover a range of important topics and provide valuable information to help you become a better-informed consumer in Oregon.

Here are just a few of the resources they have available:
✅ "A Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance"
✅ "A Consumer's Guide to Health Insurance"
✅ "A Consumer's Guide to Renters (and Home!) Insurance"
✅ "Oregon Investor Guide"

Additionally, many of their publications are available in Spanish!

Check out their full list of resources here:

Division of Financial Regulation : Publications : Outreach and education : State of Oregon Find links to free publications from the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation on insurance and financial services

The National Public Data breach has potentially compromised your personal information. What can you do to make sure this information, including your Social Security Number and passwords, are safe?

Cybersecurity company Pentester created an easy, legitimate search engine to indicate whether your information is included in the data breach. Check out https://hubs.li/Q02M6tqF0 for free.

If your information HAS been compromised:

1️⃣Freeze your credit files with the major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and Transunion. This will prevent any bad actors from borrowing in your name. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group has a detailed step-by-step guide: https://hubs.li/Q02M6nJ80

2️⃣Review your credit report to flag any suspicious activity and report it to the three major credit bureaus.

3️⃣Consider subscribing to an identity theft protection service. Here is a list of some of the services on the market: https://hubs.li/Q02M6bDf0

Data breaches are unfortunately becoming more and more common. Monitoring your credit report regularly (at least once a quarter), keeping track of data breaches, and using secure passwords are all great habits to keep your personal information protected.

Read more about the breach here: https://hubs.li/Q02M6j770

Our partner in financial empowerment, Bank of America, has selected their four student leaders for this year's Bank of America Student Leaders Program. This summer they will support the work of Habitat for Humanity in Portland to help make a local impact in their communities, while building essential workforce experience and leadership skills.

Read more about the class of 2024 Oregon and Southwest Washington Bank of America Student Leaders below!

Portland-based Ky Dang is a rising senior from McDaniel High School. He volunteers weekly as a teacher’s assistant at Van Lang Vietnamese School, a place he credits for helping him come out of his shell as he assimilated to America at the age of 9. He’s now dedicated to helping other youth embrace their Vietnamese culture.

Hillsboro-based Ivette Alonso Garcia is a recent graduate from Liberty High School. She currently serves on the Oregon Health Authority’s Youth Advisory Council and spent the last three years as part of a small group of students working together to build an RV-12 two-seat aircraft, an experience she says gave her a tremendous head start in exploring a career in aviation.

Beaverton-based Ryan Jun is a recent graduate from Mountainside High School. He serves as Student Body Treasurer and President of Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), a club that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. He credits his music education for increasing his tenacity, confidence, and willingness to take risks.

Portland-based Ammar Mukadam is a recent graduate from Westview High School. He is part of the school’s cybersecurity team and a highlight of his experience has been their work with the Tech Caregiver Program for which they conduct research and provide cybersecurity education at free public events. Ammar plans to study computer science in college and concentrate on innovative assistive technology.

We can't wait to see what these four accomplish!

https://hubs.li/Q02HGhq50.

Reminder to join us virtually on Thursday, June 6th from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM PST for a review of different funding sources available to assist with paying for your higher education!

The FAFSA deadline is fast approaching and changes made to the application process this year may catch some folks off guard. In this free webinar, learn about the basics of the FAFSA and how to access additional support in completing the application. Presented by Alex Yang, a financial educator and parent who recently completed the new FAFSA process, and done in partnership with Bank of America.

Register at https://hubs.li/Q02y_DHb0

Please note that this is not intended as a 2023-24 FAFSA Preparation workshop.

The FAFSA deadline is fast approaching and changes made to the application process this year may catch some folks off guard.

Join us virtually on Thursday, June 6th from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM PST for a review of different funding sources available to assist with paying for your higher education. You will learn about the basics of the FAFSA and how to access additional support in completing the application. Presented by Alex Yang, a financial educator and parent who recently completed the new FAFSA process, and done in partnership with Bank of America.

Register at https://hubs.li/Q02xR1Gs0

Please note that this is not intended as a 2023-24 FAFSA Preparation workshop.

Having a great time connecting with OnPoint Community Credit Union employees about the value of financial education at their Volunteer Fair! We are so grateful for the support that OnPoint provides and for creating such a great space to build community.

Want to follow OnPoint's lead and get out into your community to spread financial wellness? Sign-up to become a Financial Beginnings volunteer today!

https://hubs.li/Q02tZ_6s0

Exciting News! Financial Beginnings Oregon, Financial Beginnings Washington, & Financial Beginnings USA are now ONE organization! 🌟 After a year of planning, we've merged into simply: Financial Beginnings, uniting to better support and empower our learners, volunteers, and hosts. Our mission remains the same: Empowering youth & adults for financial success. Visit our FAQ page at https://hubs.li/Q02sWg5t0 for more info! 💪💰

Join us this week for a free webinar on the basics of credit & debt, taught by Financial Beginnings' very own, Joanne Danganan. This virtual class is open to everyone, so please share this post through your networks and help us spread the word!

Credit & Debt Webinar
Taught by Joanne Danganan of Financial Beginnings
Thursday, April 18th from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM (PST)
Register:

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Community Class - SAFE Credit & Debt. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Join us for a lesson on Credit & Debt, a free virtual class sharing strategies that help reduce debt and overcome financial barriers.