Aug 11, 2014 | Past Policy Efforts, Public Policy Blog
Last week, Gallup reported in a survey that not only did the rate of uninsured adult Arkansans decline by nearly half (from 22.5 percent in 2013 to 12.4 percent mid-2014), but that Arkansas now leads the country in decreasing the percentage of uninsured adults and...
Jul 21, 2014 | Public Policy Blog
Southern has a long-standing commitment to provide opportunities for economic stability and mobility for people and communities in rural Arkansas and Mississippi, and to complement our asset-building services, Southern promotes public policy efforts in both states and...
Jun 26, 2014 | Public Assistance Asset Limit Reform, Public Policy Blog
Last month, the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) presented a federal policy proposal offering ten opportunities to reform the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to better fulfill its purpose of moving families toward self-sufficiency....
Apr 29, 2014 | IDAs and CSAs, Public Policy Blog
This week, Southern Bancorp Community Partners (SBCP) released its paper, “Evaluating College Savings Plans: A Case Study on Arkansas and Mississippi,” to illustrate and examine the current options of college savings accounts offered in Arkansas and Mississippi and...
Apr 18, 2014 | Payday Lending, Public Policy Blog
Southern Bancorp has been a longtime advocate for policies, programs and products that promote family economic security. A part of this advocacy includes efforts to eliminate predatory practices such as payday lending. In our most recent Policy Points edition,...
Mar 10, 2014 | IDAs and CSAs, Public Policy Blog
Last week, the Institute on Assets and Social Policy, a research institute at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management, released “State Asset Building Coalitions: Perspectives from the Field.” The report captures the key lessons learned...
Feb 20, 2014 | IDAs and CSAs, News, Press Releases
Helena-West Helena, Ark. – Southern Bancorp Community Partners (SBCP) is proud to announce a new product for non-traditional students in Phillips County. This new offering is available from SBCP’s Individual Development Account program and is part of SBCP’s ongoing...
Feb 13, 2014 | Public Assistance Asset Limit Reform, Public Policy Blog
Last Friday, following months of negotiations, President Obama signed into law The Agricultural Act of 2014 (also known as the Farm Bill). This five-year legislation enacts policies and authorizes agriculture, trade, marketing, and other programs as well as rural...
Feb 6, 2014 | News, Past Policy Efforts, Press Releases
Southern Bancorp project to provide matching funds for revitalization efforts in historic downtown corridor HELENA, ARK. – Southern Bancorp announced this week the launch of the Riverside Renewal Project, a program to accelerate the revitalization of historic downtown...
Feb 4, 2014 | Poverty and Economic Mobility, Public Policy Blog
Despite an improving national economy, 51.9 percent of Arkansans are in a persistent state of financial insecurity, according to a report released last week by the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED). CFED’s 2014 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard defines...
