Your Family Financial Empowerment Resource Hub

Learn together. Grow together. Build wealth together.

Welcome to the Roots to Wealth Resource Hub. Building financial security and generational wealth doesn't happen overnight. It starts with knowledge, grows through action, and becomes stronger when families and communities work together.

Whether you joined us for the Roots to Wealth Family Financial Empowerment Summit or you're exploring these resources for the first time, this page is here to help you take your next step. You don't have to figure everything out at once. Start where you are. Take what you need. Keep growing.

1. Build Your Financial Foundation

Budgeting, Saving & Financial Confidence

Understanding where your money goes is one of the first steps toward making it work for you.

Start here:

  • Create a household spending plan that reflects your priorities.

  • Set a realistic savings goal, even if you're starting small.

  • Build an emergency fund over time.

  • Talk openly with your family about money goals.

Helpful resources:

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Financial Tools
Free tools and information for budgeting, banking, debt, and major financial decisions.

MyMoney.gov
Financial education resources from the federal government.

K-State Powercat Financial
Financial education and support through Kansas State University. Check eligibility and available services.

Your next step: Choose one financial goal to work toward over the next 30 days.

2. Understand & Strengthen Your Credit

Credit 101 & Financial Confidence

Your credit history can influence your options when renting a home, borrowing money, or financing a business.

What you can do:

  • Review your credit reports for errors.

  • Understand what affects your credit score.

  • Make a plan for managing debt.

  • Learn how to build or rebuild credit responsibly.

Helpful resources:

AnnualCreditReport.com
The federally authorized website to request free credit reports.

Credit Reports & Scores
Guidance on understanding credit reports, disputing errors, and improving credit habits.

Your next step: Review your credit reports and identify one thing you can address.

3. Explore Pathways to Homeownership

Preparing for Your Future Home

Homeownership can be one pathway to building stability and long-term wealth, but the right path depends on your family's goals and finances.

Start preparing by:

  • Understanding your budget and what you can comfortably afford.

  • Learning about mortgage options and closing costs.

  • Exploring down payment assistance programs.

  • Connecting with qualified housing professionals.

Helpful resources:

Kansas Housing Resources Corporation
Information about housing programs and resources in Kansas.

HUD — Buying a Home
Guidance on the homebuying process and finding housing counseling.

CFPB — Owning a Home
Tools for comparing mortgages, understanding costs, and making informed decisions.

Your next step: Find out what financial steps would help you become mortgage-ready, whether your goal is next year or several years away.

4. Protect What You Build

Financial Protection & Generational Planning

Building wealth is important. Protecting it matters, too.

Think about how you can help your family prepare for unexpected challenges and make informed decisions about the future.

Topics to explore:

  • Emergency savings and financial preparedness

  • Insurance and protecting important assets

  • Beneficiaries and organizing financial documents

  • Wills, estate planning, and passing on assets

  • Recognizing scams and financial fraud

Helpful resources:

CFPB — Fraud & Scams
Resources to help recognize and respond to financial scams.

Kansas Legal Services
Information about civil legal assistance and eligibility for services.

Your next step: Review the beneficiaries on your financial accounts and identify any important documents your family needs to organize.

Estate planning, insurance, and investment decisions may require advice from qualified professionals.

5. Grow an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Entrepreneurship is about recognizing opportunities, solving problems, creating value, and teaching the next generation what's possible.

Family entrepreneurship ideas:

  • Talk with your children about business ideas.

  • Teach the difference between revenue, expenses, and profit.

  • Encourage young people to save and reinvest part of what they earn.

  • Support locally owned businesses.

  • Explore how business ownership can create lasting community impact.

Helpful resources:

U.S. Small Business Administration
Guidance on starting, managing, and financing a small business.

Kansas Small Business Development Center
Business advising and educational resources for Kansas entrepreneurs.

SCORE
Business mentoring and entrepreneurship education.

Your next step: Have one family conversation about a business idea, skill, or opportunity you'd like to explore together.

6. Keep the Money Conversation Going at Home

Financial Literacy for Every Generation

Children learn about money from what they see, hear, and practice.

Try these simple family activities:

Young Children: Practice identifying coins, counting money, and understanding needs versus wants.

Elementary-Age Children: Set a savings goal, compare prices, or plan a small purchase.

Teens: Build a simple budget, discuss credit, explore entrepreneurship, and practice making spending decisions.

Adults: Share financial lessons, set household goals, and talk about the values you want to pass down.

Helpful resource:

CFPB — Money as You Grow
Age-appropriate activities and conversation starters to help families teach children about money.

Your next step: Schedule a 15-minute family money conversation this month.

7. Connect With Community Resources

Roots to Wealth is about more than financial information. It's about connecting families with people, organizations, and opportunities that can support their goals.

026 Summit Speakers & Community Connections

Additional summit resources and partner materials:

Jamie Bosse:

Brittany Fielder:

With Gratitude

Roots to Wealth is hosted by Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills, with generous support from the Ward & Brenda Morgan Community Fund and in partnership with Manhattan Area Technical College.

Special thanks to our speakers, community partners, volunteers, and Commerce Bank for providing the K-State basketball giveaway packages.

And thank you to every family investing in a stronger financial future.

Learn together. Grow together. Build wealth together.

These resources are provided for educational purposes and do not constitute individualized financial, legal, tax, or investment advice.