Career Ladder Identifier and Financial Forecaster
The Federal Bank of Atlanta’s CLIFF suite—CLIFF Snapshot, CLIFF Dashboard, and CLIFF Planner—models the interaction of public benefits, taxes, and tax credits with career advancement to help individuals and advisers make more informed decisions.
About CLIFF
| Comparison Categories | CLIFF Snapshot | CLIFF Dashboard | CLIFF Planner |
|---|---|---|---|
| What This Tool Does | Compare scenarios. Shows how changes in wages, work hours, or benefits affect financial stability. | Analyze long-term impact. Projects income and benefits over 20+ years and shows when income reaches self-sufficiency. | Build a detailed plan. Creates customized education, career, and budget plans for an individualized financial picture. |
| Time to Complete | Quick | Moderate | In-depth |
| Customized Work Hours + Wages | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Career Selection | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Customized Budget | — | — | ✓ |
| Individualized Public Assistance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
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Quick Start Guide
A concise overview of CLIFF tools and their use. The Quick Start Guide helps counselors quickly identify the most appropriate tool for their clients. -
CLIFF Academy
Free on-demand training with four structured courses: Core Concepts, CLIFF Dashboard, CLIFF Planner, and CLIFF Snapshot. -
Find an Occupation Name
CLIFF Tools rely on formal occupational names identified by the federal government. Use this keyword search to find the official name for any occupation.
Coaching Resources
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Interest & Skills Match Tools
Browse careers by industry or explore careers that match interests and training using O*NET—a US Department of Labor occupation database. -
Discover College Tuition Costs
The Department of Education College Score Card allows you to compare college costs, find colleges offering desired fields of study, and more. -
Estimate Federal Student Aid
Federal Student Aid Estimator provides an estimate of what federal student aid a person may be eligible to receive, including the Pell Gant.
Other Resources
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Policy Rules Database (PRD) Dashboard
The Policy Rules Database (PRD) Dashboard is a simple-to-use visualization tool that shows how all existing public assistance programs and tax credits come together to support any type of family in any location in the United States. The PRD Dashboard shows how the dollar value and composition of public assistance changes with increases in income.
How do I use this tool?
You can find training on benefits cliffs and other FREE CLIFF tools at CLIFF Academy.
This tool is great! How should I share it with others?
Please reach out to us at CLIFF.
How do I know which tool to use?
See the materials under the “Learn CLIFF” tab.
CLIFF Usage
The CLIFF tools are designed to be used in a coaching environment focused on advancing economic mobility. The CLIFF tools are not intended to provide career or financial advice. The calculations provided by the tools are summaries for educational and informational purposes only. Do not rely on them as an official determination of public assistance. Determination of eligibility and amount of public assistance is made solely by the applicable provider(s). It is possible that users may be eligible for additional public assistance not covered by the tools. The CLIFF tools do not store any user information or no information entered in the CLIFF tools can be saved for subsequent retrieval.
Contact us if you have questions on our research or tools.