Water-reducible resins, neutralized resins, and derivatized resins useful for water-borne and solvent-based coatings and inks, powder coatings, and anti-corrosive coatings are disclosed. The water-reducible resins are copolymers of a vinyl aromatic monomer, a propoxylated allyl alcohol, and an acrylic acid monomer. These low-molecular-weight resins uniquely contain both hydroxyl and acid functional groups, and allow controlled curing with a variety of crosslinkers in coating systems. Coatings of the invention are useful in many applications, e.g., automotive basecoats, industrial appliance coatings, and wood finishes.