Amber Kapiloff Stone grew up in Farmington. She left to get a degree at UMaine, spent a few obligatory years traveling and exploring and, of course, living in Portland. In the end she came back to Farmington. She is your stereotypical “boomerang” kid. High Cost of Living in Rural Maine Amber had never been a… Read more

How can tacos help students at the University of Maine at Farmington become more financially literate about taxes, debt management and personal finance? Taxes and Tacos Event The UMF Financial Literacy Peer Education Program is hosting a “Taxes and Tacos” event for students, 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11, in the Kalikow Education Center lobby,… Read more

As anyone who’s ever been stuck in traffic knows, the journey isn’t always about where you’re going—it’s about how you get there. As it turns out, the same principle is at work when you have to make a decision about your money. Arriving at a sense of financial well-being takes skills and know-how. Here are… Read more

Blog By Courtney-Rose Dantus, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection – NOV 19, 2018 The holidays are a time of giving, from traveling to see family and friends to shopping for gifts. For many people, all of this spending can add up quickly. During the 2017 holiday season, American credit card debt rose at the second-fastest… Read more

Western Maine CA$H is excited to honor one of our IRS-certified tax preparers! Kelli Lasko first heard about the Western Maine CA$H through a presentation done by the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area at her job at Franklin Savings Bank. She was looking for a volunteer opportunity and has always liked doing taxes (“crazy… Read more

Getting started as a volunteer When Siiri was a student at the University of Maine at Farmington she learned about a local opportunity to be trained and certified to help community members with their taxes.  At the time she couldn’t participate due to scheduling conflicts.  When she graduated, however, she wanted to put her skills… Read more

“I’m a college graduate, and I have a hard enough time figuring out the healthcare marketplace – the pluses and minuses, the credits and debits. I would much rather have volunteers at the Western Maine CA$H Coalition help me with my taxes. They’re competent, educated, and trained in it, and there is no charge. I… Read more