As part of United Way of Pueblo County's commitment to programming that provides economic mobility and opportunity for members in our community, we are proud to announce the establishment of the Pueblo Financial Empowerment Center in collaboration with the City of Pueblo and the national Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund).
The Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) offers professional, one-on-one financial counseling and coaching as a free public service to area residents.
United Way is thrilled to be the nonprofit partner providing invaluable support and educational resources that help empower people and families to improve their financial capability, health, and independence.
Convenient co-location partners throughout the community to best serve your needs!
- Housing Authority of the City of Pueblo - Hyde Park Community Center
- Mariposa Center for Safety (Administration)
- Posada
- Pueblo Community Health Center - Eastside Clinic
- Pueblo County Department of Human Services (DHS)
- Pueblo Workforce Center
Financial counseling in the FEC model focuses on the areas of banking, credit, debt, and savings – particularly as they affect low-to-moderate income residents. FEC clients generally work on the following counseling activities:
- General money management
- Budgeting and reducing expenses.
- Finding and using safe and affordable banking products
- Establishing and building credit, and increasing credit scores
- Decreasing debt and reducing delinquent accounts
- Building savings and learning effective savings behaviors
Sometimes, the activities above are financial goals in and of themselves, such as opening a banking account or paying off debt. More often, these activities are stepping-stones towards clients’ larger goals, such as increasing credit score to prepare for homeownership, or building savings to purchase a car.
Clients may come into the FEC with specific goals in mind, such as wanting to learn more about their student loans and an effective repayment strategy, while other clients may just want to complete a general review of their finances to see what is possible to achieve.
Coaches are not investment advisors, lawyers, crisis managers, benefits navigators, or therapists. Coaches should also not be making financial decisions for clients; they can suggest options using their expertise and knowledge of a client’s specific situation.
