Public Policy Blog
A little “nudge” can do us good
We’ve all been nudged before. But did you know there are different types of nudges? Behavioral economists (those folks who look at why we make the choices we make with our money) have their own definition: “a subtle policy shift that encourages people to make...
How a little line can add up to big savings
Most (if not all) of us should be saving more. We know we need a financial cushion for life’s inevitable emergencies[1]. If we have children, we know we should be saving for their college. And if we plan on retiring someday, we should probably save for that, too. But...
Dr. Karama Neal Named President of Southern Bancorp Community Partners
Little Rock, Ark. – Southern Bancorp, Inc. CEO Darrin Williams announced today that Dr. Karama Neal has been named President of Southern Bancorp Community Partners (SBCP), a 501(c)(3) development finance organization and loan fund. SBCP works alongside, and in...
Cliff-Jumping Without a Parachute: The State of Retirement Today
By Kathryn Hazelett Are you prepared to jump into retirement? Do you anticipate a soft landing or does it feel more like jumping off of a cliff without a parachute? For the majority of Arkansans and Mississipians (as well as the majority of Americans), it likely feels...
Keep Your Eye on the Prize… (Linked Savings)
By Kathryn Hazelett Practically everyone knows that we should be saving, and yet we still don’t do it. Or at least we don’t save enough. Add our general lack of savings to the fact that most families will experience a financial shock[i]within a year, and it’s easy to...
Happy Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day!
President Ronald Reagan called the federal Earned Income Tax Credit ’the best anti-poverty, the best pro-family, the best job creation measure to come out of Congress.” This Friday, January 26, 2018, is Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day. Nationally, an...