Ray Boshara

Washington, DC -- Beginning July 1, 2009, Reid Cramer will assume the post of director of  New America Foundation's Asset Building Program. Cramer, who holds a Ph. D from the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin, has been research director in the assets program since 2003 and played a leadership role in New America's Next Social Contract Initiative as well. Before joining New America, Cramer served at OMB in both the Clinton and George W. Bush Administrations.

A child in Uganda, orphaned when his parents died of AI DS, is off the streets and avoiding AI DS himself by saving money for secondary school with the support of the innovative Suubi project, which provides poor children with Child Development Accounts. In China's western Xinjiang region, a poor rural farmer sees his "dead," or untouchable, pension savings become "live," or usable income-producing assets, thanks to the work of a visionary local government bureaucrat.

Today, May 21st, the New America Foundation and Center for Social Development (CSD) at Washington University in St. Louis announced a new College Savings Initiative to examine and improve "529" college savings plans so more people have the opportunity to attend and complete college.  

Key talking points on 529 plans, their current flaws, and how progressive features might remedy them.

 

 

 

 

President Obama recently called for a new era in the American economy--an era where Americans save and invest, rather than borrow and spend. Now that the 2008 tax season has come to a close--with over three-quarters of Americans receiving federal refunds averaging more than $2,700--how can families best save and invest their precious funds?

Washington, DC -- The New America Foundation commends Vice President Biden and the Obama Administration's Middle Class Task Force for their announcement today to review 529 plans to make them more effective and reliable. The announcement came during a meeting in St. Louis, Missouri on College Affordability. "529s are a great vehicle for college savings for many better-off families, now the challenge is to make them a good deal for low- and middle-income families as well," said Ray Boshara, Vice President of Domestic Policy Programs… more

A discussion with Authors Phillip Longman and Ray Boshara, with Commentary by Mark Schmitt and Reihan Salam.

New ideas and new alliances--especially and most recently, The Poverty Forum--offer hope and a fresh blueprint for bi-partisan action to combat poverty amidst a deepening recession which threatens to push millions of Americans into, or further into, poverty. Other new ideas, new reports, and new alliances have emerged as well. The recently enacted recovery package includes significant help for struggling families, but does it go far enough? What other policies must we consider? And what are the politics of reducing poverty and expanding opportunity… more

The Next Progressive Era provides a blueprint for a re-empowered progressive movement and describes its implications for American families, work, health, food, and savings.

Ray Boshara of the New America Foundation says many low-income people in the United States believe strongly in their ability to move up. But net worth is critical. "Families that have stocks, families that have homes, savings, what can they do with ...