Mayor’s Office of Employment Development to offer one-on-one legacy planning support to help residents retain wealth by protecting and preserving assets, with support from Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund. 

OCTOBER 28, 2025 – Today, the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED), in partnership with the national nonprofit Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) announced that free legacy planning services are now available through the Baltimore City 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.

Research shows that the vast 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. 

"We want all of our residents to have the tools and resources they need to provide for their families and build wealth," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "This program will offer personalized advice from trusted experts, who can help Baltimoreans manage their finances in the short and long term. Whether you need guidance on reducing debt, building savings, protecting your assets, or anything else, I encourage all of our residents to check out this free service.”

“Baltimore City Financial Empowerment Center counselors work hard to help clients build assets. With the addition of legacy planning services, counselors also can help Baltimoreans 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 Baltimore City and the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development to provide these crucial services and ensure that legacy planning is available for everyone.”

Baltimore City Financial Empowerment Center 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 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.

"At MOED, we believe that financial literacy empowers individuals to not only secure a job but also build lasting career success. Our goal is to help residents turn their careers into financial security and, ultimately, pathways to wealth building", said MacKenzie Garvin, Esq., Director of the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development. "By expanding access to legacy planning, we are helping Baltimore families protect what they’ve earned, create generational stability, and strengthen our city’s future economy.”

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 2020, the Baltimore City FEC has supported more than 1,400 clients, helping them reduce $4.04 million in debt and build $569,000 in savings.

Maryland residents can schedule free virtual or in-person sessions with the Baltimore City FEC by going to bit.ly/fecbmore.

About the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund)
The CFE 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 or follow us on Bluesky at @cfefund.bsky.social; learn more about the FEC Public initiative at www.fecpublic.org.

About the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development
The Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Employment Development (MOED) is committed to empowering Baltimore residents and businesses through job placement, training programs, and support services. MOED. Our mission is to promote economic justice in Baltimore City by connecting individuals with meaningful employment opportunities and businesses with the city's brightest talent. For more information, please visit moed.baltimorecity.gov or follow us on Instagram at @jobsbaltimore. 

Media Contacts:

Keyarah Watson, Keyarah.Watson@baltimorecity.gov, Director of Communications and Digital Media, Mayor’s Office of Employment Development

Katie Plat, kplat@cfefund.org

###