The Aspen Institute Financial Security Program

What do you do when 55% of Americans don't have enough savings to simultaneously weather a loss of income and a rise in expenses? We can learn a thing or two from birds when it comes to flocking together to protect the most vulnerable. In this episode of the Birds & Nerds podcast, Aspen FSP’s Joanna Smith-Ramani and host Ramona Schindelheim talk about the ways that public and private organizations can provide all Americans with the financial security they need to reach their full potential. "In our country, we tend to think we can make everyone better off just by income. But it's actually the combination of income, benefits, and [intergenerational] wealth," Joanna says. Tune in to learn more 🎧 https://lnkd.in/ehCSWwgq

“There are a lot of champions in this room. It gives me hope.” That’s one quote we overheard at our recent Aspen Benefits Leadership Forum, held in St. Louis earlier this month. At a time when the public #benefits landscape is rapidly changing, this event gathered more than 60 national leaders in our benefits ecosystem to discuss how we can navigate these challenges and ensure that American families receive the help they need. Conversations tackled pressing and timely topics, including the ways local states are responding to H.R. 1, opportunities to leverage new technology amid policy transition, and the relationship between public benefits and societal trust. In the Forum’s opening panel, members of Aspen FSP’s Community Advisory Group stressed the need to focus benefits policy and delivery on the people our system serves: “Benefits need to work for the people.” That message was a throughline across the Forum, with participants exploring solutions that can both meet new administrative requirements and reduce burden for benefits recipients. As one panelist noted, “There is opportunity here to make good progress on reducing burdens on clients and caseworkers.” While leaders acknowledged the difficulties posed by work requirements and error rate reductions, many expressed optimism, too. Citing how the UK rebuilt its social welfare system in the wake of World War II, one speaker emphasized the need to think big about how we can use this moment of policy transition to re-imagine our benefits system. In addition to the content, participants also told us that the Forum offered them an invaluable space to connect and build community, re-energizing them for the work ahead. As we look ahead to 2026, we’re building on that Forum momentum to launch new collaborations with partners like National Academy of Social Insurance and deepen the work with our State Benefits Leadership Cohort. Stay tuned for more on those efforts and for a full report on the Forum, available in early 2026! Tim Shaw Alex Coccia, PhD Riani Carr Bianca Lopez Sheida Elmi Callie Greer Kadisha Davis Antonio Gutierrez Estrada Sarah Esty Joanna Smith-Ramani Ida Rademacher

Every year, Americans lose over $158 billion to scams. These stolen funds are used to fuel transnational criminal networks and undermine U.S. national security. In a new blog post, "Elevating Fraud and Scams as a National Security Threat," Aspen FSP program associate Laila Bera explores how scams are now a core funding stream for transnational criminal organizations, and outlines why the U.S. must respond with the same urgency as it does to other national security challenges. Read the blog 👉 https://lnkd.in/e3c3sNcz The Aspen Institute’s National Task Force on Fraud and Scam Prevention has developed recommendations for a coordinated, whole-of-ecosystem strategy to disrupt scams, modernize our approach, and protect American households. Learn more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eid526Qd

Our retirement savings team, Karen Biddle Andres and KC Boas, spent the last week in the UK, learning how other nations approach the complexities of older people’s financial lives. Armed with fresh insights from the Silver Economy Forum, they share key takeaways on #longevity and how they plan to translate those learnings into innovations that will support the financial security of older Americans. Read their reflections ⬇️

Scam compounds in Southeast Asia have become a global criminal enterprise, stealing billions from Americans, exploiting vulnerable workers, and fueling organized crime networks around the world. These operations are highly coordinated, transnational, and increasingly tied to other forms of trafficking, corruption, and organized crime. Today’s announcement of the Southeast Asian Scam Centers Strike Force, led by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division , the U.S. Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), marks a major step forward in confronting this threat. The initiative will target and dismantle these networks at their source to protect American consumers and businesses abroad, while strengthening our national security. This is exactly the kind of action envisioned by our National Strategy to Prevent Scams: a whole-of-society approach that unites government, industry, and law enforcement to stop scams before they start. We look forward to seeing the Strike Force's work in this space and encourage policymakers and corporate leaders across the U.S. to build on this anti-scam momentum. Read the press release here: https://lnkd.in/eAp6xybY

500 people, two days, one question: What, and who, is an economy for? Last month, The Aspen Institute hosted the first Aspen Ideas event focused exclusively on the economy. Over 500 people convened in Newark, NJ, for two days of deep and timely discussion about the kind of economy we want to build—and how we can make it work for everyone. Sessions tackled everything from the policies and technology that shape our economy to the rise of crypto and speculative investing and how we measure economic success. But across the main stage and breakouts a common theme emerged: We need to make sure that everyone has a stake in our economy’s success. Because when everyone has a stake, our economy—and our social fabric—is stronger. Aspen FSP’s convenings and research have zeroed in on this North Star for the last several years, and our sessions at Aspen Ideas: Economy further explored the emerging and proven solutions that can help all Americans save and build wealth across their lifetimes. Take it from one of our speakers, CEO of Stackwell Trevor Rozier-Byrd. Speaking at our co-hosted panel with The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and Gary Community Ventures, he said: “Wealth is about more than the dollars and cents of it. It’s about agency. It is about freedom. It is about the ability to shape and direct one’s outcomes. The clearest pathway to wealth is through ownership.” Whether that on-ramp to ownership is through a 401(k), an early wealth building account, or a stake in commercial real estate, Aspen FSP and our partners are working to make those solutions more accessible. And through Aspen Ideas: Economy we made new connections and deepened our partnerships with many dynamic, multi-sector leaders who are shaping the future of our economy. Now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work together. Want to go deeper? Watch the recordings ⬇️ 🎬 What and Who Is an Economy For? https://lnkd.in/e-nJa2sm 🎬 Investing in Widespread Wealth and Ownership https://lnkd.in/ewG9qhdU 🎬 The New Economics of Longevity: Living Better, Longer https://lnkd.in/euYMnAeZ 🎬 Where Will We Go from Here? https://lnkd.in/eeYptYgj Thank you to our Institute colleagues, partners, and funders who came together to make Aspen Ideas: Economy happen. This event was spearheaded by Ida Rademacher, vice president at the Aspen Institute and co-executive director of Aspen FSP, alongside Rhett Buttle, Sarah Zetterli, Jinhee Kim, Lorelle Atkinson, and Aspen Institute President Dan Porterfield. We’re also grateful to Prudential Financial for their support of this event.

Trump Accounts are not just early wealth-building tools. They represent something fundamentally new—a lifetime investment account that follows a person from birth through work and into retirement. That evolution creates opportunities for innovation that we are only beginning to explore. As policymakers, practitioners, philanthropists, nonprofits, employers, private-sector leaders, and others turn their attention to the 2026 rollout deadline, there are important questions we still need to address to ensure these accounts work for the people who need them the most: ⚙️ How will people open accounts so that universal coverage becomes a reality? 💰 How can we encourage additional contributions from external organizations? 🏛️ How can the infrastructure built for Trump Accounts support the successful implementation of the Saver’s Match and vice versa? To start answering these questions, Aspen FSP convened a series of three expert roundtables featuring leaders from a range of sectors, including private industry, academia, government, philanthropy, and nonprofit organizations with experience in early wealth building. These conversations, held under Chatham House Rule, surfaced both practical next steps and areas where further inquiry is required. These roundtables are an early step in advancing dialogue and action to bring Trump Accounts to life. Read the insights compiled by KC Boas and Jason E. about building a system that’s as widespread, intuitive, and impactful as the ambition behind it ➡️ https://lnkd.in/daFbFFZ8 Karen Biddle Andres Ray Boshara

Our financial system, despite its potential, is leaving too many Americans behind. In 2022, the median net worth of the bottom half of U.S. households was just $27,000. This isn't just a statistic; it's a call to action. We believe a truly robust financial system must serve everyone. That's why, earlier this year, we brought together 50+ leaders in fintech, banking, investing, and regulation to diagnose the challenges facing our financial system and chart a path forward. The conversations there inspired our report, "Five Forces of Change Shaping the Next Decade of Inclusive Finance," which identifies two critical priorities for building a better, more equitable system: ⚙️ Leveraging technology to enhance product quality and benefits 💪 Fortifying our financial ecosystem for growing challenges Aspen FSP’s co-executive directors Ida Rademacher and Joanna Smith-Ramani dig into this report in our latest newsletter 📬 https://lnkd.in/eU5pgM-C Download the report to to get the full insights ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ekZXWP7c Kate Griffin Erin Borġ (Thiemann) Laila Bera

People need financial stability to invest in their futures and, ultimately, build wealth. In fact, our 2021 report “Foundations of a New Wealth Agenda” cites financial stability as a precondition of wealth, meaning that families need positive cash flow, low debt, and quality public and private benefits to amass investable sums. With public benefits playing a crucial role in making sure families have the support they need to navigate daily life and save for tomorrow, this week’s #SNAP cuts threaten the long-term financial security of millions of Americans. As Aspen FSP director @Tim Shaw says, “Programs like SNAP are essential not only because they combat poverty—they are also necessary for families to build the financial foundations necessary to climb the economic ladder and achieve the American dream.” Read “Foundations of a New Wealth Agenda” to learn more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eRpuzqre

“Americans are asking for help. Being scammed is now the second biggest crime fear in this country,” says Aspen FSP’s Kate Griffin. Speaking at our recent public event, United Against Fraud: How America Will Defeat Scams, she detailed the threat that fraud and scams posed to household finances and national security.  The event gathered nearly 500 people in-person and via livestream to release the U.S.’s first-ever proposed national strategy to prevent scams. To solve this national crisis with a whole-of-ecosystem approach, we’re calling for: 🏛️ Bold government leadership 🤝 Public-private collaboration 🛡️ Enhanced law enforcement ⚖️ Modernized legal frameworks   Download the strategy to learn more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eid526Qd Watch United Against Fraud: How America Will Defeat Scams 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g_NtpUQc  #CyberSecurityAwarenessMonth Erin Borġ (Thiemann) Laila Bera Nick Bourke Molly W. Rubenstein Ida Rademacher Joanna Smith-Ramani