Free Credit Scores for You--IF You're Active Military

We've discussed the whole issue of free credit reports (which you can demand, once a year, from each of the credit reporting companies, via www.annualcreditreport.com), and credit scores (which you can only get for free if you subscribe to a service from the credit reporting agencies, which will not be free).  But if you are an active member of the military or the spouse of an active military member, you can indeed get a free credit score without subscribing to anything. 

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation is offering free FICO credit scores to active military, but you have to go through military financial educators and counselors your nearest Personal Financial Management Program (PFMP) Office which is usually part of the Airman & Family Readiness Center, Army Community Service, Fleet and Family Support Center, Marine Corps Community Services or their equivalents. 

The only thing is, you can't get Experian's score this way, because they don't have a contract with the FIEF, and you can get a credit score from TransUnion (the "default mode"), or Equifax, but not both.  'Tis a puzzlement, but you can read all about it, and more, at the FAQ page.

Money for Urban Farmers in Detroit, New York

Now that population losses have given Detroit vacant land equivalent in size to the entire city of Paris, some people are making lemonade out of a lemon situation and turning the vacant land to farmland.   Backyard horticulture in the D was always strong, as befitted a city with lots of relocated peasants and sharecroppers and their descendants, but now it's turned into bigger business.  It's reclaiming at least some of the land, and creating a chance to make healthful food available in a city where many of the supermarkets fled. 

Charter One Bank has announced the availability of some small grants for farmer's markets in the city, and vendors at Eastern Market, the city's biggest market.  The vendors at Eastern Market are eligible to apply for grants of between $500 to $3,000.  In addition, eight to ten grants ranging for $500 to $3,000 are available for urban farmers for equipment, land, or other materials. These are for farmers that complete farm training program at the Greening of Detroit, The Garden Resource Collaborative, Earthworks Urban Farm or the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network. 

In New York City, the Farm City Fund makes loans available to urban agriculturalists in the New York metropolitan area.  Loans for new ag businesses, or the expansion of existing ones, range from $5,000 to $30,000.  Only 5 loans will (and probably have been made) in 2012, but the program is expected to grow.

Volunteer Home Repairs for the Needy and Elderly

Most people know about Habitat for Humanity, a group that creates homes for the poor out of voluntary community labor, in which the new homeowners are required to contribute "sweat equity." In Toledo and the Maumee Valley area, HFH also does home repairs.  But there are also organizations that help pitch in and help poor and elderly homeowners repair their homes.

One is Christmas in Action, which provides home repairs for people on a fixed income who are over 60 or physicallly disabled.  You need to live in an area that has a local affiliate nearby and contact that affiliate group.

A much larger network of volunteer home fixer-uppers is Rebuilding Together, with over 200 local affiliates around the United States.  They help low-income homeowners fix their homes without the qualification of being elderly or disabled.  They also do community rebuilding work in partnership with other local organizations.  If you do not live near a local Rebuilding group, get in touch with the national organization at 1-800-473-4229.

Remember that if you are elderly, the federal government has a page on home repair and modification, and how to find it.  Your best bet is to find a local office on aging in your community, or call 211 if your area has it, and ask for a home repair agency.  For people in Toledo and northwest Ohio, an extra list is here.

Getting Help From Business Incubators

A few weeks ago, we had an entry on culinary incubators--organizations that give food entrepreneurs the space, equipment and support they need to create food products for market.  But there are general incubators, too, that help various types of businesses take off with space, equipment, access to funding, and other types of support.  Some provide free or inexpensive office space, or lab equipment for high-tech businesses.  Many offer access to loans or other types of funding.  They may offer mentoring or help writing a business proposal. 

Business incubators are different than small business development centers in a couple of ways.  SBDC do not provide space, equipment, or networked service, which many incubators do.  Also, small business centers are required to help any small or new business that requests their help, whereas business incubators often require you to apply for admission into their program.  Many business incubators only provide start-up space and help for certain kinds of businesses in which they specialize.  For instance, the Toledo, Ohio incubator at the University of Toledo specializes in renewable fuels, information technology, and other high tech businesses.  Many specialize in nuturing the type of business that takes a fair amount of research and development before they can bring a product to the market.  Techtown in Detroit, from their material, seems more broadly based and offers services and/or space to all sorts of start-ups. 

You can find an incubator near you at the National Business Incubators Association website.  Howevever, sometimes the links are not terribly helpful.  They may lead to an incubator's main site--like a university--with no link to the actual incubator activity.  In those cases, you might want to google the incubator's name and see what you can find. 

Some Emergency Help from Employers, Unions, Etc.--Groups Taking Care of Their Own

When disaster strikes, the Red Cross and other disaster aid agencies rush to assist, but what other help could one possibly get?  How about from their employers or union?  Or professional organization?  Some large organizations do indeed help their own.

Among employers, the employees of Jack in the Box fast food restaurants can be eligible for assistance from the Jack in the Box Foundation from natural or personal disasters.  Employees of Food Lion may be eligible for grants of up to $500 if they can provide evidence of need.  The Office Depot Foundation offers aid to employees who have suffered from natural disasters.

At least two unions, the Teamsters and the Communication Workers of America, offer disaster relief grants for members who have been hit by natural disasters.  And the National Automobile Dealers Association and the National Association of Realtors does the same for members of their professional associations. 

It's not exactly a professional organization, but the Craft Emergency Relief Fund gives grants and loans to craft artists who have suffered "career-threatening emergencies."  Besides loans and grants, they provide some forms of "brokered assistance," including discounted rates on materials and discounted or waived booth fees.  See the website for more information.

Summer Electricity Payment Help in 2012

Even though it's only mid May, the temperatures are heating up.  While most people know that there is help for heating bills for low-income people, fewer people know that in many places, there's also the possibility of help to pay for cooling bills--and maybe even a window air conditioner or fan.

In Ohio, the summer heat emergency program begins taking applications on July 1, and runs through August 31st.  But besides income restructions--recipients have to living in households making no more than 200% of the poverty level--households are only eligible for the aid if someone in the household is  60 years or more old, or has a qualifying medical condition, and have that condition verified by a doctor. The aid is a one-time per year payment of $175, plus (in some places) a fan or air conditioner, if they do not have one and did not receive one within the last 3 years from the program.  In Ohio, the HEAP programs are administered locally by community action agencies--check yours when the time comes to apply.

Some other states have summer programs, too.  If so, that money comes through the same state agency that administers the winter heating program.  Check them to see if there is a summer energy program for your state.

An Ohio Tax Amnesty, and Tax Holidays in Several States

The state of Ohio has offered a tax amnesty for people who have not paid a consumer use tax (on goods or services obtained in the state after 2009), you may be eligible or a tax amnesty.  Here’s the FAQ.  If you weren’t registered for the tax, there may be some payment plans (at zero interest) available to help you pay.

 Looking this up made me inadvertently find a list of tax holidays—periods where state sales taxes are not levied on certain products in 23 states.  The list is courtesy of the Federation of Tax Administrators.  It’s an interesting list; for instance, in Mississippi, there are two days a year that you can get a tax holiday on clothing and footwear up to $100 in value, and for three days, you get no tax on weapons, ammo and other hunting supplies for three days in September.   Check it out and see if there are a few days of the year when it might be worth your while to buy certain things.

Student Loans That Aren't From the Feds.

A lot of news stories have been generated about federal student loans for higher education.  But the feds aren’t the only source of loans.  Some private organizations that give scholarships may also provide low or no-interest educational loans for population groups that they serve.  Sure we love the truly free money.  But cheap money is a positive occurance, too.

There's this link to a CNN story with a list of no-interest student loans, courtesy of a couple dozen nonprofits across the USA.  They are open to targeted groups, mostly by geography, but check them out anyway--you could be in a target population.

For instance, The Evalee C. SwartzCharitable Trust for Education provides interest-free loans for needy students, and the Military Officers Association offers not only scholarships, but interest-free loans to the children of current and retired U.S. military officers. The Orphan Foundation gives loans and scholarships to former foster care children.

The P.E.O. Foundation gives low-interest loans to women who need help in completing their higher education.  The woman must be recommended by her local PEO chapter and be within two years of finishing their schooling, with a current interest rate no higher than 4% that must be repaid within six years of completing school.   The Pickett and Hatcher Educational Fund gives low-interest loans to undergrads who are not in the field of medicine, law, ministry or vocational education.

The most interesting of the bunch is the Theater Communications Group.  People are always beating the bushes for money to repay the student loans that are already out, but if you are a promising young professional in theater direction or design, they may provide money to help pay outstanding student loans.