Your Money, Your Goals - A financial empowerment toolkit for social services programs.

 Personal check

 Paycheck

 Direct deposit (to a checking or savings account or prepaid card)

 Payroll card (prepaid card arranged by employer)

 Electronic benefits transfer (EBT)

Why does this matter? Each way to get income has advantages and disadvantages. Some of these
advantages and disadvantages may make it easier or harder for you to manage your income. To
better understand the pros and cons of each method, use Tool 3: Cash, paychecks, direct
deposit, payroll cards, and EBT—understanding the pros and cons.

After you have you have tracked your income, be sure to add it into your budget or cash flow
budget. For more information on cash flow budgets, see Module 10: Managing cash flow.

Garnishments

There are two kinds of garnishment:

 Wage garnishment—your earnings are garnished or attached to pay for a debt

 Nonwage garnishment—money in a bank account is attached or garnished to pay for

a debt

Wage garnishments give the government or creditors the right to collect money directly out
of someone’s paycheck. This can generally only happen with a court order.

Common reasons for wage and nonwage garnishment are:

 Taxes owed to the IRS or the state

 Money owed for child support

 Money owed for delinquent student loans

 Other unpaid or delinquent debts such as credit card or medical debt