Financial Resource Center

Employees, staff and immediate family household members have access to financial education and free 30-minute sessions with financial experts. If you have concerns or questions about topics such as budgeting, debt, college financing, retirement or estate planning, for access call the EAP at 866-724-4327 or the weblink via AskmyHR.

Mass General Brigham Sponsored Financial Webinars

For a variety of educational webinars about retirement, log in to AskmyHR

• Harvard University Employees Credit Union
• RTN Federal Credit Union
• Metro Credit Union 

• United Way’s Mass 2-1-1 Statewide Consumer Hotline
• Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC)
• Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC)
• New Hampshire 211
• Money Fit

• Boston.Gov – Food Resources
• BWH Faulkner – Boston Area Food Resources
• Fair Foods – $2 for a Bag of Groceries
• MA SNAP Food Stamp Program
• Project Bread Hotline – Access to Food for Those in Need
  1-800-645-8333
• The Greater Boston Food Bank
  617-427-5200
• Child Nutrition Outreach Program – Access to School Breakfast and Summer Meals
• Women, Infant & Children (WIC) Program – Nutrition, Health Education and Free Healthy Food for Qualifying MA Families
  1-800-942-1007
• NH Food Bank – Food Pantry List
• Rockingham Country Food Pantries

• ABCD Fuel Assistance Program (Boston)
  617-357-6012
  TTY: 617-423-9215
• Citizens Energy Oil – Discounted Heating Oil for Low-Income Families & Elderly
• Mass.Gov – Heating System Replacements and Repair for Low-Income Households
  617-573-1100
• MA Dept. of Housing & Community Dev. Energy Assistance Programs – Heat Line
  1-800-632-8175
• MA Good Neighbor Energy Fund
• MA Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Residential Assistance for Families in Transition
• MA Utility Shutoff Protection
• MA Department of Public Utilities
• National Grid – Discount Rate Application for Massachusetts Customers
• Eversource – Discount Rate Application for MA, NH, CT
• LEO Fuel Assistance – MA. North Shore

• FinAid – General Resource for College Financing
• College Cost – Planning Form
• Saving for College – Information for Massachusetts
• Harvard University Employees Credit Union – A Guide to 529 Plans
• Harvard University Employees Credit Union – Comparing Your Financial Aid Award Letters
  

College can be funded in a variety of ways. Scholarships can be a good option to pay for college. Unlike loans, the advantage of scholarships or grants is that they do not have to be repaid. Many workplaces offer tuition reimbursement for college educations. Below are some resources to help you navigate the scholarship process.

• FastWeb – Scholarships Database
• Scholarships.com – Massachusetts
• Johnson & Johnson – Nursing Scholarship and Financial Assistance for Nursing Education

All students must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and turn it in as soon after the first of the year as possible. It is important to return this form quickly, because some aid is supplied on a first-come, first-served basis. The following resources can help guide you through the financial aid process.

• US Dept. of Education – Federal Student Aid – Applying for and Repaying Student Loans
• Consumer Finance Protection Bureau – Comparing Financial Aid Offers and Understanding Loan Repayment
• Association of American Medical Colleges – Financing Medical School

These resources will provide guidance with grants and part-time work opportunities that can assist with financial assistance during education.

• SallieMae – Understanding College Grants
• Federal Student Aid – Understanding Work Study Programs

• Federal Student Aid – Tools for Managing Student Debt
• Student Loan Hero – Tips for Paying-off Student Loans
• Mass Educational Refinancing Authority (MEFA) – Loan Refinancing 
• Federal Student Aid – Loan Forgiveness Information
• Mass.Gov – Loan Forgiveness for Health Care Professionals Licensed in MA

• 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy – Retirement Planning
• AARP – Financial Blogs You Should Read
• AARP – Ten Steps to Get You Ready for Retirement
• Smart About Money – Retirement Plan Course

• Mass General Brigham – Alight Solutions
  • 833-885-5656
• For a variety of educational webinars about retirement, log in to AskmyHR

• Social Security – How to Apply for Benefits Online
• Retirement Age Calculator – Find your Full Social Security Retirement Age
  

• AARP – Reimagine Your Life
• AARP – Ready for Your Second Career?
• APA -Prepare for Retirement – More than Money in the Bank
• Encore Boston Network – Engaging the Talent of People over 50 for Social Good 

Our lives today are full of transactions which are likely to reveal pieces of information about us.  Whether it is a credit card number, a social security number, bank information, your name, address, or phone number, personal information may be used without your permission or knowledge. Below are some ways to protect your personal data.

• Limit the amount of personal information you provide on the internet. Do not respond to requests for personal or financial information through email, text, phone or social media.
• Enable any alerts your bank or financial vendor offers; check credit reports and consider signing up for a credit monitoring service.
• Do your best to be diligent about minimizing risk, monitoring balances in accounts and looking for any unexplained charges or withdrawals.
• Report any suspicious issues immediately.

IdentityTheft.gov – Step by Step Guidance

1.  Notify affected creditors or bank
2.  Change all relevant passwords
3.  Check your credit reports

• Equifax
  1-800-525-6285
• Experian (formerly TRW)
  1-888-397-3742
• TransUnion
  1-800-680 7289

4.  Put a fraud alert on your credit report
5.  Ask that Credit Unions remove fraudulent information from your credit report
6.  Freeze your credit
7.  Report to:

• Your Local Police
• The Federal Trade Commission
  877-438-4338
• FBI Internet Crime Division

• How to Maintain Internet Safety

• IRS – Identity Theft Information for Taxpayers
• IRS – Reporting Suspected Tax Fraud Activity
• Federal Trade Commission – Tax Related Identity Theft Resources
• MA. Dept of Revenue – Protecting Yourself from Identity Scams
  617-626-2280
• Commonwealth of MA Dept. of Revenue Tax Advocate
  Email at – taxadvocate@dor.state.ma.us
• Social Security – Identity Theft and SSA Fraud Line
  1-800-269-0271

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – Consumer Complaint Assistance
• Commonwealth of MA – Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
• Mass.Gov – Consumer Guide to Scams

• Preventing and Responding to Scams directed at Seniors