Category Archives: Money Management

Myth Busting Women’s Banking for Women’s History Month

Pair of blue Aldo high heeled shoes with floral print. One is resting on a large white block. The other is hovering above against a light blue wall.

I keep seeing articles and some allusions on big financial sites that say something along the lines of, “It was illegal for women to have bank accounts in their own name before the 1960s.”

And this just isn’t accurate.

While I’m all about pointing out the financial barriers women face — and banking was and is one of them — I’m fairly certain this one isn’t true.

Let’s talk about what really happened in the 20th century and prior to get a better look at women’s banking history.

Not all women

Let’s be perfectly clear with something upfront: Discourse around women’s rights in American history most often revolves around white women’s rights. Some of the laws we’ll cover today date back to a time when slavery was still legal. Some of them were influenced by people who used blatantly racist arguments to prop up the rights of white women.

And we can see the residual effect of that racism even to this day. Black individuals and other marginalized populations are still being denied credit or being given access to less credit than white individuals in 2023. Some offenders over the past 10 years include:

  • Wells Fargo
  • Hudson City Bank
  • Associated Bank
  • Bank of America

On top of limited credit, systemic poverty enforced by redlining and a million other racially-charged laws means that you’re more likely to be unbanked if you’re not white.

If you’re unbanked because you’re in Chexsystem, you might have ended up there because of the predatory fees banks are allowed to charge on low-income client accounts. If you’re in Chexsystem that effectively means you still can’t open a bank account at most financial institutions to this day.

Further reading: Kassandra Dasent’s review of The Black Tax

Colonial America & Post-Revolutionary America

Women could participate in the economy — including banking —  in Colonial America. To be fair, the percentage of women that did participate in banking in particular was minuscule compared to total populace because there were still so many societal obstacles. Though a much larger portion of the population did engage in small business endeavors.

It was a little more complicated for married women. When you got married, you were typically subject to coverture laws, which essentially means you merge into the same legal being as your husband. In most colonies, that meant your husband could conduct business relative to your shared estate without your consent, but you could not do the same without his consent.

You could, if you were monied and powerful enough, become a feme sole trader, which was a legal allowance that let you evade coverture. In this way you could get married and still maintain your own legal estate as if you were single.

While things got marginally less good after the Revolution that established our new country in terms of banking and property rights, as pressure to raise the first generation of American men fell on mothers, by and large these same rules applied to women in the early days of America. Things were particularly favorable to women (at least in the context of the times) in the Northeast, and New York state in particular had some progressive laws in this rite.

The Constitution did disbar women from voting. So while you could theoretically hold economic power if you were among the privileged few, you couldn’t wield political power directly.

FUN FACT: Wanna know something that was widely accepted in early America? Abortion.

When things started to change course

Things started to change for women in the Victorian age leading up to and including the Industrial Revolution.

Why did they change?

Ironically enough, because of the rise of one specific woman to power.

Queen Victoria of England is purported to have some pretty strong views on women’s roles in society, which included unpaid domestic labor and motherhood as a divine calling. ‘Proper’ women weren’t meant to work outside the home. Her philosophies spread to the States.

This was also the era when women were considered to be morally superior, and had to take on the burden of amending men’s iniquities while being discouraged from building their own independence.

In many ways, this was a rebellion against the relative gains women’s rights had experienced in England in the 1700s.

How much of these popular thoughts of the time can actually be ascribed to Victoria’s opinions is a little cloudy. While she is on record saying women shouldn’t pursue certain professions, and after her death some comments she made casting the women’s rights movement  in a negative light surfaced and circulated, she was also used as a foil by both sides of women’s rights movements simply because she was a woman in power.

A lot of women who weren’t rich still did work. Things weren’t equal towards them, and there was a lot of workplace harassment. (Arguably while things have gotten better, these circumstances still exist in 2023.)

Rich women often passed from being an attachment on their father’s estate to merging into their husband’s estate, without building up any assets or savings they could truly call their own.

Early laws for women’s property and banking

It’s interesting that the number of laws protecting women’s financial rights rise exactly when those rights were effectively being further restricted because of shifting societal norms.

Most of these laws applied to married women because, again, if you were single or widowed or  divorced, you were still allowed to hold property or open a bank account. At many, though not all, banks, you might need a male family member’s consent, but this was  a bit less common than if you were married.

Just because you were allowed to manage your finances independently if you weren’t married didn’t mean you didn’t face discrimination. A bank might refuse to lend to you or allow you to open a bank account based on your gender, though a lot of the culture around those laws varied in different states.

There were often ‘Ladies Waiting Rooms‘ at banks that were friendly to women. Depending on the state and the individual bank, these rooms were meant for you to wait while your husband conducted business, or for you to wait while someone in the ‘Ladies Department’ prepared for the meeting concerning your own, independent finances.

1839: Married women can hold property in their own name in Mississippi. But like…

Mississippi is often credited as the first state that passed laws allowing married women to hold their own property. But the story is messy.

Remember how I said women’s rights were often advocated for in a racially-charged way?

This story is no exception.

Both legal cases that culminated in the passage of the Married Women’s Property Act of 1839 centered around a woman’s right to own a slave as her own property.

The other aspect of this story is that while Mississippi was the first state to feel the need to pass this type of law, Louisiana Civil Code may have had some modicum of influence on the case. And Louisiana Civil Code already allowed married women to maintain their own property.

Please note that I do not condone the language used in the following piece, but you can take a deeper dive on the history of this specific law here.

1848: Married Women’s Property Act in New York State

In 1848, New York State passed a law that gave married women the right to own their own property. It should be noted that despite being a Northern state, slavery did still happen in New York. So it’s not like that element was taken out of the equation.

This law gave married women the right to:

  • Not be automatically liable for her husband’s debts.
  • Enter contracts independently.
  • Collect rents in her own name.
  • Receive inheritances in her own name.
  • File a lawsuit on her own.

Every single other state followed suit over the next 52 years, with similar laws on the books across the country by 1900.

1862: First state allows women to open bank accounts regardless of marital status.

That’s right. Alllll the way back in 1862, California became the first state to pass a law that explicitly allowed women to open a bank account in their own names — regardless of marital status. So even married women could participate independently.

Something to note, both with New York and California, is that these laws were impacted by people involved in the Suffragist movement. Many in the Suffragist movement were notably racist, using the rights that Black men technically but not always effectively gained after the Civil War as an argument for why white women should be granted political power and the right to vote.

Banker of Note: Maggie Lena Walker

1862: Homestead Act

In 1862, Abe Lincoln signed the Homestead Act. There’s a lot to say about the Homestead Act, but there are two pertinent points in today’s context.

The first is that it pushed cultural norms by not requiring a male cosigner for single women to participate in homesteading in their own name. While it wasn’t a banking regulation, the fact that this policy was included was of influential note.

The other thing to note with the Homestead Act is that, once again, systemic obstacles made it difficult for Black people to participate regardless of gender. Kassandra keyed us into the fact that while former slaves were eligible, the application fees were high enough to be prohibitive to an already economically disenfranchised people, resulting in 99% of the beneficiaries of the Homestead Act being white.

So, what happened in the 1960s, then?

To be real with you, I’m not 100% sure what people are referring to when they say something in the 1960s happened to make it legal for women to hold a bank account. All I can find are unsourced declarations parroted across finance sites over the past couple of years.

There were laws passed that protected women against (certain types of) pay discrimination when it came to the minimum wage, and against certain cases of employment discrimination. White women did piggyback their way into the Civil Rights Act of 1964, too, though this law didn’t apply to banks.

What I can tell you is what happened in the 1970s.

RBG and credit

Okay, so we know that at least since the mid-1800s if not prior, women could open a bank account in their own name. Whether they could do it as a single woman or a married woman varied by state. And even in states that allowed it, there were cultural practices that effectively ended in discrimination.

Credit was even more of a problem, and it was becoming an increasing concern as Americans started relying more heavily on credit in the 20th century. In these instances, married women were often still considered to be one legal body with their husbands, and banks often required the husband’s signature and assets to be considered on the application.

In this space, single women also faced discrimination, especially if they were younger and of marrying age. The assumption was that once they got married, they’d no longer work or have an income, and therefore they’d be bad accounts to take on.

Perceived fertility wasn’t the end all and be all, though — we were still holding onto some Victorian values that women were the weaker sex, more emotional and incapable of handling practical, logical matters on their own. Like money, and more specifically, credit.

In 1974, after a lot of great work from RBG while at the ACLU, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act passed, which, among other things, required banks to consider credit applications in a woman’s own name regardless of marital status, and only allowed banks to require the consideration of a husband’s finances if it was a joint application.

My understanding (I am not a lawyer) is that these regulations applied to anyone who issued credit, and because banks and financial institutions are the ones that tend to offer credit, they also could no longer make these requirements of those applying for deposit accounts, either.

Though, again, depending on where you lived, you may have already been protected from that discrimination by state law for deposit accounts in technicality if not practice.

Why is this important?

Were things harder for women in regards to banking prior to the 1970s?

Absolutely.

But it was not illegal for a woman to hold a bank account prior to the 1960s. Some women did, and some women also held mortgages and other financial products in their own names. Some women were independently wealthy of their spouse or lack thereof.

A lot the women who did hold bank accounts were single — whether they be single mothers, never married, or widowed. Overall, they faced a lot of financial obstacles particularly when it came to workplace and employment discrimination. But when they were allowed to earn money, some were allowed to manage it, and many of them deserve some props for doing so.

It’s not just the erasure of women’s contributions that’s important. When we pretend like nothing was allowed for women in the financial sector prior to the 1970s, we also erase the systemic racism built into our legal history. Many of these laws were passed in favor of white women’s whiteness, sometimes in direct and vocal opposition to the rights of Black citizens and other marginalized citizens.

We continue to see the remnants of these ideologies passed on through our laws and the practice thereof today.

All this said, I do not have a PhD in History. I am not a lawyer. If I’m missing nuance, if I’m missing laws, let me know in the comments. This conversation is open to discourse.

Money News: 2023 Edition

It’s 2023 and we’re all very busy pretending the sky isn’t falling.

I hope that so far this year has been a little easier on your finances. Today, I wanted to take a minute to provide you with updates on some of the topics we’ve discussed on Femme Frugality in the past.

Some of the updates are great news or good hacks you can use to make your money better.

Some of them are straight bummers.

But if we’re aware of the negatives, we can plan better for them and ultimately make our financial lives a little less rocky.

Getting Grants for Disabled Family Members

Today is launch day for Season 3 of Mom Autism Money!

Joyce and I were super psyched to sit down with Sheletta Brundidge to learn about how her family secured over $200,000 in grant funding for her Autistic children’s needs.

Not only has Sheletta gotten the money, but she now teaches workshops to parents who want to do the same. She shares tips and tricks for the grant search and application process in this episode.

Even if you don’t need this episode, I promise there’s someone in your life who does. Insurance hardly covers the cost of disability, and grants can help individuals and families fill in the gaps. Please share it with the people in your life it could help.

ABLE Age Adjustment Act passed!

In December 2022, SECURE 2.0 passed. Inside of SECURE 2.0 was the ABLE Age Adjustment Act, which pushes the eligible age of onset of disability from 26 to 46, opening up the accounts to 6 million new Americans effective in 2026.

Here’s where you can get all the details on the changes and implications of this bill’s passage into law.

If you don’t care about ABLE accounts, you need to look into SECURE 2.0 period. Especially if you’re not Daddy Warbucks. There are massive changes to retirement plans in there, and most of them apply to low- or middle-income Americans. For once, the changes can tip things in our favor if we’re paying attention.

Your tax refund is prolly gonna be a whole lot smaller.

I know. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you haven’t filed your taxes yet, you need to be prepared for the fact that your 2022 refund is likely to be a whole lot smaller this year. Here’s why.

You might even owe!

Inflation isn’t done with the grocery stores yet.

Overall, inflation is on its way down. It’s still incredibly too high, but at least it’s headed in the right direction.

One place where it’s NOT headed in the right direction?

The aisle of your grocery store. The USDA is predicting an overall hike of 8%, though prices may go up way higher than that depending on item, and some products are actually predicted to have a price decrease.

Here are some of the things you can expect to spend more money on in 2023. The piece is specific to Costco, but aside from the bit about membership fees, the same general idea can be applied to any store.

The Feminist Financial Roundup

About four years ago, The Feminist Financial Handbook hit the shelves at a bookstore near you. A lot has happened in the time since!

In the upcoming months, we’ll be doing check-ins with some of the women featured in the book. You’ll be able to catch up with the careers, lives, and money wins and losses of people like Nicole Lynn Perry, Heather Watkins, and more.

 

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Ahead of this series, I wanted to give everyone a chance to read the book who hasn’t. So today, we’ll be covering a bunch of reviews and roundups where you can learn more about The Feminist Financial handbook, and where you can catch a big sale on your purchase.

Get The Feminist Financial Handbook for Less

Black Friday and its related sales start EARLY anymore, friends.

And this week, you’ll be able to catch one of the best early holiday sales on Amazon.

 

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Last week, The Feminist Financial Handbook was 12% off on Amazon. We’re expecting a similar discount — or an even bigger one! — sometime over the next two days. This would be a great time to make your purchase to catch up on the stories of these amazing women.

UPDATE: The sale just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter! The initial Early Black Friday sale has come and gone, but in the time since Amazon’s started some even better ones. You can now get The Feminist Financial Handbook for 16% off!

It’s also a great time to make a purchase to gift to someone over the holidays.

 

New Sale Direct from Publisher

Announced just this week, the publisher — Mango — is having a huge holiday sale!

If you buy direct from Mango, The Feminist Financial Handbook is 30% off. That’s even cheaper than Amazon!

 

The Feminist Financial Roundup

 

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Over the years, The Feminist Financial Handbook has been featured in some pretty fun reviews and roundups. If you’re looking for more background on the book to inform your purchase, be sure to check these out!

Bitches Get Riches

“Here is an example of how to say ‘Something is wrong,’ while simultaneously doing something about it. The whole premise of the book is ‘certain people are oppressed, but let’s help them find their power with the following financial tools.’ It belies the feminist=victim simplification. For the author is definitely a feminist (who knew?), and she’s using her financial skills to lift up both her own life and the lives of others who find themselves in dire financial straits because of prejudice…

It’s a huge departure in the best way. Instead of simply describing how financial systems work, The Feminist Financial Handbook details how social systems work within a financial framework: how they’re broken, how they’re disproportionately built for certain kinds of people and not others, and how to work within and around the system to beat the game.”

-Piggy of Bitches Get Riches, Bitchtastic Book Review: The Feminist Financial Handbook

 

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Money for the Mamas

“I have absolutely viewed people’s hardships through my own lens. So, needless to say, this book was a much-needed total wake-up call for me. I say it was hard for me, but I know facing my own prejudices isn’t nearly as hard as those who have lived under this system that keeps people down. This book humbled me, and it will absolutely change how I help people navigate their finances.

One of the key differences of this book is that it’s very tactical in its help (which most finance books focus on strategies). Tactical help is much more actionable and immediately beneficial, as strategies are long-term benefits.”

-Kari of Money for the Mamas, 15 Best Finance Books for Women

Other awesome authors on this list:

  • Jean Chatsky
  • Lauren Greutman
  • Patrice Washington
  • Kumiko Love
@serraisabella The Feminist Financial Handbook by Brynne Conroy #womenauthors #womenwriters #WomenOwnedBusiness #womensappreciation #womensappreciationmonth #womanartists #financialbooks ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono – moshimo sound design

Clever Girl Finance

“We live in a society controlled by whoever can pay. Brynne argues that women can create a more fair world by building their own wealth.

It draws from stories of women of varying races, sexual orientations, abilities, and financial situations. Brynne provides motivation and resources to achieve personal success.”

-Ashlee Sang of Clever Girl Finance, The 15 Best Financial Literacy Books for Women

Other amazing authors on this list:

  • Vicki Robin
  • Jen Sincero
  • Beth Kobliner

 

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Review at Smart Money Mamas

“If you’re a woman who has never felt like a personal finance book was talking to you, or if you’re feeling weighed down by society or life’s difficulties, Brynne’s book is your chance to get advice from a perspective you know well. I want to be clear, though, that any woman can gain knowledge from this book, even if you’re feeling like a financial rockstar and just want to learn how to acknowledge where you’ve benefitted and better support other women.”

-Chelsea of Smart Money Mamas, The Feminist Financial Handbook: A Must-Read New Book

Review at The Plutus Foundation

“This book does more than attempt to bring understanding of differentiated circumstances and the resulting specific advice for women and other marginalized identities to the reader. Brynne nails down a number of inherent systemic problems, legacy issues with society and barriers that certain members grapple with but will never affect others, and shows how they apply to the quest for individualistic (with the individual being the important unit of a mostly-capitalistic economical society) financial freedom.

But importantly, she shakes off the idea of societal victimization and offers practical advice for navigating finances in spite of the kyriarchy — which, by the way, is a word I needed to look up even though I knew the Latin etymology, so don’t be ashamed if you do, too.”

-Harlan Landes of The Plutus Foundation, The Feminist Financial Handbook

 

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Maggie Germano

“Any book with the words “financial feminist” in the title is going to catch my eye. Add someone as great as Brynne Conroy and you have a winner…

In this book, Brynne dives into the financial issues that disproportionately affect women in our society. But you won’t walk away feeling hopeless because she gives you actionable steps to achieve financial success in your own life.”

-Maggie Germano, 5 Books That Make Personal Finance More Accessible

Other fantastic authors on this list:

  • Erin Lowry
  • Kristen Wong
  • Alexa Von Tobel

 

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Women Who Money

“Brynne Conroy has written a personal finance book like no other.

The Feminist Financial Handbook doesn’t tell you how to get rich quick or put you down for your money choices.

Her handbook provides valuable information, action steps, and resources to help you make changes in your personal and financial life.

More importantly, the personal stories and concepts she shares in the book will help you better understand the experience of others – and that’s priceless.”

-Vicki of Women Who Money, The Feminist Financial Handbook [Book Review]

 

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Your Dream

Why is personal finance a feminist issue? I’ve read a bunch of finance 101 type books aimed at women, but the ‘The Feminist Financial Handbook’ by Brynne Conroy was the first of them that answered this question by walking the reader through a diverse array of rarely-heard perspectives on the issue.”

-Mallika Sen of Your Dream Blog, Book Review: The Feminist Financial Handbook

 

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Pretty Progressive

“Sometimes the best way to stick it to the man is by doing well for yourself. There’s just one problem: it’s hard to do well for yourself when systemic oppression has placed innumerable hurdles between you and your aspirations. The Feminist Financial Handbook provides real motivation and resources for real women who may be struggling―not only those who have already accumulated wealth.

In this book, author Brynne Conroy provides actionable tips for women in business to overcome these obstacles without dulling the visceral experience of the real-life struggles women face as they try to master their money management and their lives.”

-Pretty Progressive, 14 Clever Feminist Books To Read For Women In The Business World

Plano Public Library

“Author Brynne Conroy shares practical advice on saving, financial planning and more while delving into issues that disproportionately affect women, like the wage gap or the long road to economic recovery after experiencing domestic violence.”

-Plano Public Library, Financial Literacy: Latest Added to the Collection

Other great authors on this list:

  • Tiffany Aliche
  • Michelle Singletary
  • Bola Sokunbi

 

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Roundup on This Book, That Book

“Because women’s experiences don’t exist in a vacuum relegated to their gender, the handbook explores financial issues with anecdotes and perspectives of women of different races, sexual orientations and abilities.”

-This Book, That Book, Celebrate Financial Literacy Month With These Awesome Personal Finance Guides

PA expands food stamp eligibility. Can you get help with groceries?

Woman in mask with gloves on holding a red basket full of healthy food from the grocery store.

Good news for my Pennsylvania friends!

On October 1, 2022, the state expanded eligibility for food stamps.

That’s a really good thing, because here in Pennsylvania, I find myself paying more than double for groceries compared to what I was spending before the pandemic. I know we’re all facing this same issue.

Today, we’ll get into changes to Pennsylvania’s SNAP program along with some of the extra savings programs you qualify for once you’ve got your EBT card.

Expanded SNAP Income Eligibility Guidelines in Pennsylvania

As of October 1, 2022, Pennsyvlania has expanded food stamp eligibility from 130% of Federal Poverty Income Guidlines (FPIG) to 200% of FPIG.

That means income limits are now:

  • 1 person household: $2,266 per month
  • 2 person household: $3,052 per month
  • 3 person household: $3,840 per month
  • 4 person household: $4,626 per month
  • 5 person household: $5,412 per month
  • 6 person household: $6,200 per month
  • 7 person household: $6,986 per month
  • 8 person household: $7,772 per month
  • 9 person household: $8,560 per month
  • 10 person household: $9,348 per month

Have a bigger household? Add $788 for each additional household member.

 

Income deductions for households with disabled or elderly people

If someone in your house is disabled or elderly (age 60+,) you can deduct certain expenses from your income in order to qualify.

Here are some of the expenses you may be able to deduct:

  • Standard deduction: Everyone should qualify for this one. It’s based on your household size. Households of 1 – 4 people get a standard deduction of $193; households of 5 people get a deduction of $225; households with 6 or more people get a deduction of $258.
  • Earned income deduction: You can deduct 20% of your gross monthly income from employment.
  • Excess medical deduction: If the elderly or disabled person in your household has medical expenses of more than $35, you can deduct it from the household monthly income for eligibility purposes. You can deduct almost anything — including dental expenses — except for special dietary expenses. Here’s which expenses count and how to calculate them.
  • Dependent care deduction: If you pay for childcare, or dependent care for a disabled person of any age, you can usually deduct them from your monthly income numbers. You can only do this if you’re paying someone outside of your household, and only if you need that care in order to work, get job training, or pursue your education.
  • Shelter and utility deduction: If your shelter and utility expenses combined are more than 50% of your income, you can deduct all of them when you have a disabled or elderly person in your home.

There is a catch: If you don’t naturally qualify because your income is more than 200% of FPIG, you can take these deductions if you have an elderly or disabled person in your home.

But the deductions will need to get you under 100% of FPIG in order to qualify.

 

New SNAP Asset Test Limits in Pennsylvania

Qualify for SNAP benefits because your household income is under 200% of FPIG?

Hooray!

There’s currently no asset test for you in Pennsylvania.

 

Asset tests for households with disabled or elderly people

Of course there’s gonna be an asset test for households with disabled or elderly people that need to use deductions to get under 100% of FPIG.

It wouldn’t be America if there weren’t additional undue burdens on already marginalized households.

The only good news on this front is that the asset test went up. Before, your countable assets could only add up to $3,750 before you were disqualified from SNAP.

But as of October 1, 2022, the asset test is now $4,250.

 

Use an ABLE account to shelter your assets

ABLE Accounts for the Disability Community

If the disabled person in your household was disabled before their 26th birthday, they’re eligible to open an ABLE account.

Even if they’re 47 today.

NOTE: There is currently legislation moving through Congress that would up the age of onset for ABLE eligibility. This would double the number of Americans eligible for ABLE accounts. Here’s how you can help support passage of the ABLE Age Adjustment Act.

An ABLE account is a 529 account that can be used to pay not just for educational expenses, but any expenses related to the disabled person themselves.

When you keep money in an ABLE account, it is sheltered from asset tests, allowing you to qualify for programs like SNAP even if you have up to $100,000 in the account.

You can open a Pennsylvania ABLE account here.

ABLE accounts are usable in all 50 states. But Pennsylvania’s comes with some tax advantages for Pennsylvania residents.

On your state income taxes, you’ll be able to deduct all contributions to an ABLE account from your taxable income.

Max contributions for 2022 are set at $16,000, but can be higher if the disabled person qualifies for ABLE to Work.

For now, you can also use ABLE contributions to qualify for the Saver’s Credit on your federal income taxes.

FUN FACT: Pennsylvania is currently only one of two states that allow you to deduct 100% of your ABLE contributions on your state taxes. The other state is Mississippi.

How to apply for SNAP benefits in Pennsylvania

Okay, so you’re newly eligible for food stamps.

Exciting!

But how do you apply?

You’ll do so using the COMPASS website.

I’m not going to lie to you. The COMPASS website is glitchy. You should plan to spend about 30 to 45 minutes on your application, and you might have to log in multiple times as the site regularly kicks users out mid-application.

The good news is that if you’re logged into your account, it should save your application so you can pick up right where you left off when you log in again.

At the completion of your application, you’ll be given an option to ‘View required documents.’ Technically, there are certain households that are protected from having to provide all this extra paperwork.

But in my experience with welfare offices, it’s good to provide that paperwork, anyways. It’ll help the process go smoother and more quickly. It takes less time than trying to figure out if you’re one of the households that isn’t required to provide documentation.

There will also be a separate button that will allow you to upload that paperwork. You might as well do it right as you’re applying — putting it off means you might miss a deadline.

The paperwork you’ll be asked for will vary depending on your personal situation. But some examples of things you might be asked for include:

  • Image of your drivers license.
  • Income documentation. That might be your most recent W2s, or — if you’re self-employed — your most recent 1040 or business income records.
  • Proof of disability. (They might already have this if the disabled person is on Medicaid.)
  • Rental agreement.
  • Bank account information.
  • Medical bills from the past 90 days.
  • Etc.

Other savings that open up after you have SNAP

Supposedly, DPW is going to be qualifying people for SNAP in as little as 5 days.

I’ll believe that when I see it. But it’s a nice goal.

After you get approved for SNAP benefits, there are several other programs you’ll automatically qualify for.

These programs can save you money across a ton of areas, whether we’re talking about your internet bill, taking your kids to different cultural events in your city, or even maintaining your Amazon Prime membership.

 

Get $30 off your internet bill every single month

How to Get $30 (or more!) Off Your Internet Bill

The first program you should look at if you’re on SNAP is the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The income limits for this program are now very similar to Pennsylvania’s food stamp eligibility guidelines. But being on SNAP first makes the application process so much easier.

That’s because if you’re on SNAP, you qualify automatically. The application can take just a few minutes as you won’t have to answer as many questions when you’re already on SNAP.

This program gives you $30 off your internet bill every month, or $75 if you live on Tribal Lands.

The ACP has a ridiculously quick turnaround for a government program. You’re likely to see the discount on your actual internet bill in as little as 24 to 48 hours after filling out your application.

 

Get discount admission to attractions across the state

When you get on SNAP, you’ll be issued an ACCESS card.

ACCESS cards are pretty great because they get you discount admission to a ton of cultural sites and attractions across the state.

Here are a bunch of places you can get discounts if you’re in Eastern PA.

Tip for Philly People: I highly do not recommend applying for the Art ACCESS card unless you’ve already filled out a comprehensive application with COMPASS for all potential programs and been denied. If you’re disabled, there’s a strong chance you qualify for a regular ACCESS card for F-R-E-E. The Art ACCESS card comes with a not-inexpensive fee.

In Pittsburgh, here are a bunch of places that will give you discounted admission:

  • Children’s Museum: Regularly $16 – $18 per person; ACCESS admission only $2 per person.
  • Carnegie Science Center: Regularly $12 – $20 per person; ACCESS admission only $3 per person.
  • Carnegie Museum of Art & Natural History: Regularly $12 – $20 per person; ACCESS admission only $2 per person.
  • Andy Warhol Museum: Regularly $10 – $20 per person; ACCESS admission only $1 per person.
  • Mattress Factory: Regularly $10 – 20 per person; ACCESS admission only $2 per person.
  • Phipps Conservatory: Regularly $11.95 – $19.95 per person; ACCESS admission only $3 per person.

There are tons of others, too. I’ll have to write an article for you all covering the ACCESS discount in Pittsburgh sometime soon.

Another way you can search for some of these locations across the country is through Museums for All. Though these discounts are certainly not limited to museums, depending on which part of the country or state you’re in.

 

Get a discount on your Amazon Prime membership

Did you know people with EBT cards get a discount on their Amazon Prime membership?

It’s true! Amazon raised its Prime membership prices to $14.99 per month this year. Alternatively, you can choose to pay for an entire year at once for $139.

However, if you’ve got an EBT card like the one you’ll get for SNAP benefits, you can get your membership for just $6.99 per month. That’s a discount of more than 50%.

You can apply for the discount here.

 

Get curbside groceries

Map of community transmission levels for the US from the CDC for the week of Wed Sep 21 2022 - Tue Sep 27 2022. 84%+ of counties are shown to be in high or substantial rates of transmission.

COVID-19 transmission map for Sept 21 – 27, 2022 via the CDC.

In 2020, there were serious problems with people getting curbside orders using SNAP benefits in Pennsylvania. There were state and local laws prohibiting it.

However, in the time since, both the state and many municipalities have lifted these restrictions.

Because those laws were discriminatory.

They inherently put lower- and middle-income people who received SNAP benefits at higher risk of catching COVID.

So now in all areas of the state that I’m aware of, you can get curbside orders using SNAP. If your municipality won’t let you, try hopping over to the next municipality.

Not all stores make SNAP checkout easy, though.

For example, Giant Eagle makes it super easy to check out with SNAP benefits. You can do so within the app or on the website.

But Target?

Not so much.

You could go inside Target to use your EBT card.

But you could also opt to protect your health by simply shopping with another store that does make using SNAP to pay easy within their app or on the website itself.

 

Best Financial Content for Underserved Communities

On Friday, the 13th Annual Plutus Awards happened in Orlando Florida, hosted by David & John of Debt Free Guys. The Plutus Awards honors creators in the independent financial media.

Some of you may remember that the podcast Joyce and I run, Mom Autism Money, was nominated for two awards this year: Best New Personal Finance Podcast and Best Financial Content for Underserved Communities.

Rainbow background. Text reads 'Momautismmoney.com Best new personal finance podcast (infinity symbol) best financial content for underserved communities' Image of a trophy with dollar sign over it. text below reads: \"13th Annual Plutus Awards Finalist\"

Thank you to all of you who helped nominate us! I have some news for you…

WE WON!

Best Financial Content for Underserved Communities

Mom Autism Money won the award for Best Financial Content for Underserved Communities, presented by Queer Money Podcast.

We were floored. We had hoped to get nominated, and were thrilled when that happened.

To learn that we won was next level.

Mom Autism Money

Mom Autism Money centers financial education for parents of Autistic children. Part of the reason we created the podcast is because there is so little navigable personal finance information for disabled people and their families.

If we — as personal finance writers who have both been in this space for over ten years — had questions, we knew most other parents needed access to this information, too.

We feel so lucky to be able to contribute this super niche financial literacy content to the community, and the community’s support in return means everything.

That said, we were up against some pretty phenomenal competition. Part of the reason it was so unexpected to win was because the creators in this category have all accomplished amazing things while serving their communities.

Today, I want to encourage you to check them ALL out.

 

Dasha of The Broke Black Girl

Brand: The Broke Black Girl
Centers: Women of Color, particularly African-American Women.
Award info: Best Debt Freedom Content for her Instagram

 

Jeff of Homo Money

 

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A post shared by Jeff a.k.a. Homo Money (@homo_money)

Brand: Homo Money
Centers: The LGBT+ Community
Award info: Best New Personal Finance Blog presented by Wallet Hacks

 

Berna of Hey Berna

Brand: Hey Berna (particularly on IG)
Centers: Women of Color
Award info: Most Entertaining Personal Finance Creator at the 12th Annual Plutus Awards

 

Yanely of Miss Be Helpful

 

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A post shared by Yanely Espinal (@missbehelpful)

Brand: Miss Be Helpful
Centers: Gen Z & Latino Communities

 

Tiffany of Money Talk with Tiff

Brand: Money Talk with Tiff
Centers: The Black Community

 

Jannese of Yo Quiero Dinero

Brand: Yo Quiero Dinero
Centers: Latinx & POC communities
Award info: Podcast of the Year presented by Capital Group
Best Entrepreneurship or Side Hustle Content presented by Wallet Hacks

 

Best New Personal Finance Podcast: Rich by Intention


In the Best New Personal Finance Podcast category presented by Steve Stewart, the winner was Rich by Intention! We were so happy to see them win. Anjie & RJ consistently pump out new episodes with ever-interesting and accomplished guests.

Be sure to check out all of their fantastic work!