Financial Pillar Text

Financial wellness is an important factor in meeting basic needs like nutrition and housing—and it can have a tremendous impact on physical, behavioral and emotional wellbeing. Because maintaining financial stability is a lifelong process, we offer financial wellness programs and services to people of all ages. We address topics including budgeting and goal setting, credit and debt management, fraud prevention, benefit qualifications and beyond.

Asset Publisher

View Details

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.

View Details >>
View Details

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.

View Details >>
View Details

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.

View Details >>
View Details

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.

View Details >>
View Details

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!

View Details >>
View Details

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.

View Details >>
View Details

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.

View Details >>
View Details

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.

View Details >>

Financial Education Workshops Callout

Resources

Resources

Please enter a date in the format M M / d d / y y y y
An older adult pulling a 5 dollar bill from a change purse. Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Can You Actually Buy Happiness? Reflections on Emotional Spending

Have you ever felt down and out – and then headed to the mall? Have you ever felt overwhelmed, angry, or isolated – and then cheered up with a purchase on eBay? Do you use shopping as a way to celebrate an accomplishment or recover from a disappointment? Have you ever subscribed to the idea that shopping is a stress-relieving therapy and even cheaper than a visit with a psychiatrist? If so, did shopping in those moments actually make you feel better in the long run?

Read More

By Lisa Weitzman | 11/13/2019

An older adult putting money into a piggy bank

Budgeting Tips for Older Adults

We all know how important it is to save money, but sometimes that’s easier said than done. Everywhere we go, there are different demands on our wallet, from weekly grocery trips to exciting new films at the movie theater to self-care treats at the hair salon. Add those expenses to monthly bills, medication costs and gas fill-ups, and it’s no wonder our wallets can end up stretched thin.

Read More

By Tiffany Taylor and Julie Hayes | 10/11/2019

Two older adults reviewing financial documents together

Helping a Loved One Maintain Good Credit

While it’s important for all of us, at any age, to keep our finances in good condition, issues of credit card debt are growing among older adults. If we are caring for a loved one struggling with debt and maintaining good credit, it is important for us to understand credit scoring and how to help a loved one improve their credit so they can better manage debt.

Read More

By Tiffany Taylor and Julie Hayes | 09/10/2019

Recognizing the Signs of Financial Abuse

It is important for all of us to know the signs of financial exploitation so we can help prevent this from happening to our loved ones, such as our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or dear friends. There are several warning signs to look for and then to question further.

Read More

06/06/2019

A stressed caregiver struggling with receipts and calculations

Reducing the Financial Fatigue of Caregiving

There are many rewards of caring for a loved one, but caregiving can also come at a cost. According to several studies, the average female caregiver loses more than $324,000 during their lifetime in wages, pensions and Social Security benefits, due to their caregiving responsibilities.

Read More

By Sonya Edwards | 06/06/2019