Opinion: Path to Prosperity Starts With Savings

(Jan. 27) -- America's second-largest minority is probably not what you think.

It's low-income workers. More than one in four working Americans is low-income according to the Census Bureau, even though on average they are working the equivalent of 1¼ full-time jobs.

To help these families, most of our social programs have focused on the income side of the equation, providing benefits to help families meet basic needs. But the history of prosperity clearly shows that what these families need is help overcoming their "asset poverty." Education, small-business ownership and homeownership are what ultimately lift people out of poverty.

Given that, it's encouraging that President Barack Obama has been talking up the Savers' Tax Credit as he previewed his State of Union address. The Savers' Tax Credit would provide a boost to low-income earners who are already saving and would make it easier for millions of Americans to save for a secure retirement.

This initiative is particularly important now, during the most severe economic downturn in a generation in which low-income earners have been especially hard hit.

But the Savers' Tax Credit is only the beginning of what should be a very concentrated focus on the financial lives of low-income Americans.

With the landscape for employment shifting permanently away from well-paid manufacturing to other 21st-century industries, low- to moderate-income Americans will have to rely on critical assets such as a post-secondary education and other larger investments to negotiate the economic transition and to position themselves for future economic mobility.

None of that is possible unless there are opportunities for these Americans to save money. Yet, these opportunities are unevenly and sparsely available in the U.S.

The Savers' Tax Credit is an excellent idea that should be accompanied by financial management training and should be among a range of financial products made available to low-income earners.

Matched savings accounts, for example, should also be among the financial products made available to low-income earners. Matched savings accounts that are specifically tailored to low-income American families would enable them to save, build assets and ultimately thrive in the financial mainstream.

With matching funds drawn from a combination of private and public sources, current versions of matched savings accounts have successfully helped tens of thousands of low-wage workers pursue post-secondary education and small-business growth, and even purchase a first home (with most keeping these homes).

These matched accounts also come with in-depth financial education courses that help savers continue to manage their money long after the matching savings comes to an end.

The concept of matched savings accounts, ideally offered by the private sector, is consistent with other programs that have been some of the greatest generators of wealth for average Americans in the history of our nation. From the G.I. Bill to the creation of the 401(k) and Roth IRA, our nation has been deliberate in choosing tools that help Americans build wealth -- and prosperity has followed for those able to enjoy these government-led efforts.

Data show that matched savings accounts are good social and economic investments.

Savers with matched accounts were 35 percent more likely to own a home, nearly twice as likely to attend college and 84 percent more likely to own a business. Even more impressive, for each federal dollar invested in matched accounts, five dollars were pumped back into the national economy in various forms. In an environment where the Obama administration is focused on recouping billions of dollars in bailout funds, it is hard to argue against this kind of ROI.

Financial products like matched savings accounts should have bipartisan appeal. These wealth-building tools propel the efforts of hardworking families aspiring toward prosperity and security.

Our nation should meet them halfway to ensure the integrity of the American Dream.
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Ben Mangan is president, CEO and co-founder of EARN, and Camille Busette is vice president of EARN, a California-based nonprofit that focuses on helping low-wage workers invest in assets that build wealth.