Public Policy Blog
The latest from Southern Bancorp Community Partners’ Policy Team on issues affecting economic security in our markets and beyond.
Strengthening the Case for Removing Asset Limits on SNAP & TANF: Results of DHS Asset Limits Study
In support of Southern’s mission to create economic opportunity and promote financial security, our policy team worked to pass legislation (Act 535 of 2013) during Arkansas’s 89th General Assembly that required the Department of Human Services (DHS) to conduct a study...
New Poverty Measure Paints Different Picture of Poverty Rates in Arkansas and Mississippi
In October, the Census Bureau released the poverty rate based on the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). This snapshot of poverty in America, which varies somewhat from the standard official measure released in September, accounts for regional differences in...
New Unbanked and Underbanked Rates Underscore Need for Affordable and Accessible Financial Services in Arkansas and Mississippi
As a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) seeking to provide affordable and accessible financial services to Arkansans and Mississippians, a recently released FDIC survey on unbanked and underbanked households in America caught our attention. The study...
Bringing CSAs to the Legislative Forefront in Arkansas
Promoting savings as a way of building assets has long been a focus of Southern Bancorp’s work, which is why we were so excited to read CFED President Andrea Levere’s op-ed in last month’s New York Times that highlighted the effectiveness of Children’s Savings...
Recognizing National Save for Retirement Week
This is National Save for Retirement Week, a national effort to increase personal financial literacy and raise public awareness about the importance of saving for retirement.[1] This week provides an opportunity for employees to reflect on their personal retirement...
Building a Housing Trust Fund for Mississippi & Sustaining One in Arkansas
As a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Southern seeks to support efforts focused on housing availability and accessibility for low- and moderate-income families in both Arkansas and Mississippi. We do so because of our belief that affordable housing...