October 12, 2020

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is offering a webinar open to the entire tax preparation field. This webinar puts important planning tools and resources in the hands of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (VITA/TCE) programs for encouraging saving and promoting financial well-being. Registration is required. Open and save the attached calendar item to reserve time for the webinar on your calendar.

Webinar: Messaging for Today’s Operational and Economic Environment

Thursday, October 15, 2:00 – 3:00 Eastern

Messaging is a means to communicate effectively so that people understand an idea and are motivated to take an action. This webinar will discuss using tools from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to develop savings messages that work in today’s operational and economic environment.

• Message Triangle. This tool is based on the principle that people focus best on messages built around three or four consistent points. The message triangle represents three simple, powerful and concise points that center around a unifying theme. Once you have developed a message triangle around a given action, it becomes the foundation for your pre-tax season marketing materials, onsite materials, volunteer talking points, and other communication tools.
• Anchored Message Worksheet. Anchoring is an insight from behavioral economics: Giving people reference points—such as suggested amounts to save—gets them thinking about their decisions in relation to those reference points. This worksheet helps you to construct an anchored message about tax time saving that your tax site can use to get taxpayers thinking about what they can and should save.

These and other tools for tax time savings planning are on the Bureau website: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/practitioner-resources/resources-for-tax-preparers/planning-tools-strengthen-services/.

Register online to receive a calendar invite and additional information on how to join the webinar: http://icfconsulting.adobeconnect.com/ttsi_messaging/event/registration.html.

Who Should Participate?

• Individuals who lead free tax assistance programs
• VITA site coordinators
• Applicants and other interested in the Bureau’s Tax Time Savings Pilot.

Technical Notes

If you have not previously used Adobe Connect, ensure that your computer and network connections are configured to provide you with the best possible experience by running a test in advance of the training. Visit http://www.adobe.com/go/meeting_test.

If you have questions before or during the webinar, contact Ben Miller, bmiller@icf.com, 703-587-2141.

Important Announcement:

Tax Time Savings Initiative 2021 cohort (application deadline extended to October 22, 2020).

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) is looking for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs to join the Tax Time Savings Initiative 2021 cohort. If you offer VITA, we hope you are considering applying to join this year’s Tax Time Savings Initiative 2021 cohort.  Cohort members will have unique opportunities to start, expand, and adapt their tax time savings efforts. If you think your program is a good fit, fill out thisapplication and send it to taxtime@cfpb.gov by October 22th, 2020.