Financial Wellness
Financial Counseling & Coaching
Whether you've had a foreclosure, want to buy a house, need to get out of debt, or are having a financial crisis, ESOP's Financial Empowerment Coaches can help you set financial goals and make a plan to achieve them.
0% Interest Small Dollar Loan
Our small dollar loans give you the ability to take a small personal loan for your most important expenses without needing to turn to payday lenders.
Benefits Assessments & Application Assistance
The Benefits Enrollment Center can see if you qualify for the benefits available from more than 1,300 federal, state and local programs like help with utilities, food, transportation, housing assistance, and more.
Connecting Our Seniors to Technology
Our free computer classes can help older adults learn how to use the internet safely and confidently with the support of both technological and financial coaching.
Free Income Tax Preparation
We help individuals of all ages prepare their taxes and get their state and federal refunds free of charge. Spanish language services are available!
Matched Savings Program
The Matched Savings Program helps you build emergency savings together with the assistance of our Financial Empowerment Coaches! We will match $1 for $1 up to $500 after 12 months in the program and all of the program criteria have been met.
Medicare Part D Assistance
Our Medicare and Benefits Enrollment Center has helped thousands of Medicare beneficiaries and people age 55 and older in Northeast Ohio and beyond.
Senior Property Tax Loan
Our Senior Property Tax Loan Program provides loans to homeowners age 55 and older to help them pay delinquent property taxes and avoid foreclosure.
Resources
Recognizing COVID-19 Scams
As COVID-19 impacts lives around the world, we may feel vulnerable, confused and in need of information, whether on how to keep ourselves and loved ones safe, or how to help support the doctors and nurses who work tirelessly to save lives. Sadly, the uncertainty of the times has also given rise to people who seek to take advantage of this vulnerability and confusion through scams, misinformation and false promises of cures and treatments. Our older loved ones may be particularly vulnerable to these scams as well. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), adults over the age of 60 lose money to scams at twice the rate of people between 20 and 59.
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Tax Tips for Older Adults for the 2019 Tax Season: Understanding Qualified Medical Expenses
While most people agree that it’s hard to look forward to the paperwork and headache of tax season, for older adults managing medical bills, taking advantage of tax deductibles can be financially beneficial. According to a National Bureau of Economic Research study, Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance and other government programs on average will cover about 80 percent of an older adult’s healthcare costs; however, this leaves 20 percent of costs financed out-of-pocket, and for older adults who are from low income households, retired or on a budget, this can take a huge bite out of their savings.
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What We Can Do about Robocalls
The term robocall has been around since the 1990s, but in the last few years, they’ve become an ever-present part of our lives. According to the YouMail Robocall Index, in 2018, 47.8 billion robocalls were placed in the US, and just in the first half of 2019, 34 billion calls were made. You’re not imagining that it’s gotten worse – it has.
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Decision-Making With Your Older Loved One: Choosing a Power of Attorney Agent
Establishing a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care or Finances can give loved ones the ability to control who makes important health care or financial decisions for them if their physician declares they are no longer able to make these decisions for themselves. Having a Power of Attorney is important because it assures loved ones have someone who can act on their behalf and, ideally, respect their wishes.
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Internet Safeguards to Avoid Online Scams as an Older Adult
Over the years, the internet has grown and expanded to the point where it influences much of our daily lives. As the prevalence and everyday uses of the internet have expanded, so too has the presence of scammers and hackers who take advantage of the internet to steal personal information, deceive innocent people and spread harmful viruses. The internet is a valuable resource, and we shouldn’t let the fear of being scammed stop us from utilizing it. However, we should be cautious about where and to whom we give our information, and educate ourselves about internet scams so we don’t fall prey to people intending to mislead us.
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