Having assets (a bank account, a car, an insured home, a good credit rating) does more than help families weather a crisis. It can move them out of poverty permanently, with benefits to individuals, government, corporations, and society as a whole.

In 1991, 30 Massachusetts nonprofits approached AARP and the Office of Elder Affairs about providing money-management assistance to seniors. The resulting program helps roughly 1,200 clients per month to handle their finances with less anxiety.

In April the Fed announced a major redesign of its financial education Web site as a way to increase use of Federal Reserve educational materials and promote economic and financial education in the classroom.