County Launches Free Financial Counseling to Help County Residents Increase Asset Protection and Intergenerational Wealth

The Washtenaw County Financial Empowerment Center (FEC), in partnership with the national nonprofit Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund), announced that free legacy planning services are now available through the Washtenaw Financial Empowerment Center. This one-on-one financial counseling program offers residents access to help with legacy planning and taking steps to protect their assets at no cost. To schedule an appointment, please visit www.fecpublic.org/portal-washtenaw.

Research shows that the majority of Americans own at least one asset – a bank account, a 401K, or a home – that is valuable today and likely to appreciate, but few have taken the steps necessary to secure those assets. Nearly 70 percent of Americans do not have a will or a broader legacy or estate plan. By increasing access to information about topics like adding beneficiaries to accounts and creating essential documents such as wills and powers of attorney, this program will help people in America protect their assets for the future. 

“Time is key to building your financial security. Every family in Ypsilanti deserves the peace of mind that comes with planning for the future,” said Ypsilanti Mayor Nicole Brown. “By offering free legacy planning services at the Financial Empowerment Center, we are breaking down barriers that too often prevent residents from protecting what they’ve built and ensuring their loved ones are cared for. This is about equity, dignity, and helping our community thrive across generations.”

Toni Kayumi, Director of Washtenaw County’s Office of Community and Economic Development, said, “Our Financial Empowerment Center counselors already help residents take control of debt, improve credit, build savings, create budgets, find affordable banking services, and more through free one-on-one sessions. OCED is excited to add legacy planning services as another no-cost opportunity that we can offer our community. Our FEC’s professionally trained counselors strive to help their clients build assets and protect them, so connecting clients to free resources for wills, powers of attorney, and estate plans are logical next steps in helping residents plan for the future and ensure that they and their loved ones are cared for.”

“Washtenaw Financial Empowerment Center counselors work hard to help clients build assets. With the addition of legacy planning services, counselors also can help Washtenaw residents protect and preserve those assets for future generations”, said Jonathan Mintz, President and CEO of the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund. “We are thrilled to partner with Washtenaw County to provide these crucial services and ensure that legacy planning is available for everyone.”

Washtenaw County is one of dozens of cities and counties nationwide offering free financial counseling services through the FEC initiative. At FECs, professionally trained counselors provide one-on-one guidance to help individuals and families with low and moderate incomes manage their finances, pay down debt, increase savings, establish and build credit, access safe and affordable mainstream banking products – and now, protect and preserve their assets.

FECs have served more than 200,000 clients nationwide. Collectively, they have helped residents reduce over $344 million in debt and grow their families’ savings by nearly $70 million. Since opening in 2023, the Washtenaw FEC has supported more than 450 clients, helping them reduce almost $400,000 in debt and build roughly $50,000 in savings.

The Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund supports municipal efforts to improve the financial stability of households by leveraging opportunities unique to local government. By translating cutting-edge experience with large-scale programs, research, and policy in cities of all sizes, the CFE Fund assists mayors and other local leaders to identify, develop, fund, implement, and research pilots and programs that help families build assets and make the most of their financial resources. The CFE Fund is currently working in over 145 cities and counties and has disbursed over $70 million to local governments and their partners to support these efforts. For more information, please visit www.cfefund.org. To learn more about the FEC Public initiative, please visit www.fecpublic.org.

Washtenaw County’s Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) offers professional, one-on-one financial counseling as a free public service to enable Washtenaw County residents to address their financial challenges, needs, and plan for their futures.

New clients can make an appointment at www.fecpublic.org/portal-washtenaw, and returning clients can make an appointment at www.fecpublic.org/appointment-washtenaw.