U.S. Savings Bonds are government-backed debt securities designed to help Americans save money while funding federal spending. Think of them as a low-risk piggy bank that grows over time, ideal for long-term goals like education or retirement. Backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government, these bonds offer stability unmatched by stocks ...
The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program is a federal lifeline for workers who can no longer earn a living due to severe, long-term disabilities. Think of it as an insurance policy you’ve paid into through payroll taxes—it steps in when illness or injury sidelines you from work for at least a year or proves ...
The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program is a federal safety net designed to help vulnerable Americans meet basic needs when age, disability, or blindness leaves them financially strained. Unlike Social Security or SSDI, SSI isn’t tied to work history—it’s strictly need-based, acting as a financial lifeline for those with little to no income or assets. ...
The Social Security Card is a government-issued identification document tied to a unique nine-digit number—the Social Security Number (SSN)—that serves as a cornerstone of life in the United States. Think of it as a financial fingerprint: it tracks your earnings, unlocks access to benefits, and acts as a universal identifier for everything from jobs to ...
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) VISTA Program, now widely known as AmeriCorps VISTA, is a national service initiative that’s all about fighting poverty in the United States. VISTA stands for Volunteers in Service to America, and the program’s roots go back to the 1960s, when President John F. Kennedy first dreamed up ...
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) Community Service Grants, or CSGs, are a cornerstone of public media funding in the United States. These grants are designed to help noncommercial public radio and television stations deliver high-quality content and essential services to their local communities. Let’s break down what these grants are all about, how they ...
The Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) are a set of federal laws that make sure workers on certain government-funded construction projects get paid fair, local wages. If you’re in construction, government contracting, or just curious about how public projects are built in the U.S., understanding these laws is pretty important. What’s the Davis-Bacon Act? The ...
The Drug-Free Workplace Act is a U.S. federal law passed in 1988 that’s all about keeping certain workplaces free from illegal drugs. If your business wants to win federal contracts or receive federal grants, you have to play by these rules. The idea is to make sure that taxpayer-funded work is done in a safe, ...
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act-usually just called “Dodd-Frank”-is a major U.S. law passed in 2010 to overhaul financial regulation after the 2007–2008 financial crisis. The crisis exposed deep problems in how banks, lenders, and Wall Street firms operated, leading to a near-meltdown of the global economy. Dodd-Frank was Congress’s answer: a ...
The Department of Commerce (DOC) Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, often called EAA, is a flexible grant program run by the Economic Development Administration (EDA). Its main purpose is to help communities across the United States respond to major economic disruptions-whether those disruptions happen suddenly, like a factory closure or natural disaster, or develop over time, ...