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As the government shutdown continued into its second month and federal workers missed their second consecutive paycheck, Betterment and XY Planning Network joined the ranks of companies offering free services to affected workers.
Those workers could be put back on the payroll soon, however, since President Donald Trump announced Friday that the government will reopen for three weeks while negotiations continue on border security. The House and Senate are expected to vote on a bill to reopen the government on Friday, which Trump is expected to sign.
Trump left open the possibility that he could declare a national emergency or shut down the government again if no agreement is reached with House and Senate Democrats, who have opposed his demand for more than $5 billion to fund a border wall with Mexico.
Federal workers have missed two consecutive paychecks over the month-plus shutdown and it's not clear yet exactly how soon they will be reimbursed for lost wages when the government reopens. Their situation led Betterment on Thursday to join XY Planning Network as well as many other businesses to offer free services to affected federal workers.
Betterment's offer is for free "brief consultations" with workers to help them manage their cash needs. The offer is for all government employees interested in speaking with a member of Betterment's team, but employees who are not currently Betterment clients would first have to set up an account to receive advice.
