If you are behind on your bills or are drowning in credit card debt, chances are you might have been tempted to take out a payday loan. A payday loan is typically a loan between $100 to $500 that you have to pay back from your next paycheck. But, payday loans can be more damaging than they are helpful since many have interest rates that exceed 400%. What Is a Payday Loan? Payday loans are a short-term borrowing solution where you obtain a high-interest loan based on your credit profile and income. They may also be referred to as check or cash advance loans. The loan amount is usually a portion of your next paycheck. As mentioned, these loans can carry crazy interest rates for short-term borrowing. Finding Better Alternatives Some individuals can not afford to pay payday loans off within a couple of weeks. So, they either roll the loan over or take another payday loan out to pay off the first one. There are alternatives you can try rather than taking out a payday loan.. They include:
  1. Ask Family or Friends
    Ask a family member or friend if they would be willing to make a short-term loan to help you out of a tough situation. If they agree, you should always put the loan agreement in writing, provide them a time period where you will be able to repay the loan and offer to pay them a reasonable, but friendly, interest rate. This ensures reliability and trust. If they can not help you out financially, perhaps they could help with things like:
    • Sharing meals

    • Free child care

    • Other assistance

  2. Sell Valuable Belongings
    You can sell valuable items through a yard sale or at a pawn shop. You can put your belongings up for auction on sites like Craigslist or eBay. Selling belongings for fast cash is definitely a better solution than taking out a payday loan, especially if they are items you do not need.

  3. Try a Payday Alternative Loan (PAL)
    The National Credit Union Administration regulates PALs. It created the program in the year 2010. However, the loans must be:
    • Given in amounts between $200 and $1,000.

    • Issued only to people who have been members of the credit union for a minimum of a month.

    • Affordable, with a 28% maximum annual percentage rate and no more than a $20 application fee, which will reflect the actual processing cost.

    • Provided to individuals one at a time; people can not receive more than three PALs within a six month period.

    • Provide no rollovers; they must be repaid completely after one to six installment months.

  4. Get a Second Source of Income
    A temporary or additional part-time job might be needed for covering extra expenses. Today, there are a lot of side gig opportunities, including dog sitting, rideshare driving, and even grocery shopping. If you have substantial debt, you might require more funding than what a short-term payday loan can provide. Ask your family or friends if they can help watch your children so you can get a second job.

  5. Seek the Help of a Bank
    Many banks, when you consult with them, will often help consumers with pending overdrafts. They might help you work a short-term solution out with reduced fees. But, you’ll never know until you ask them.
Remember, payday loans, while a standard solution for paying off debt, come at a high cost, and they can be more damaging than they are helpful. So, it is always better to seek alternatives to payday loans whenever possible.

Alternatives to Pay Day Lenders

View Resource Alternatives to Pay Day Lenders
The decision to become a one-car family can be one of the most financially liberating choices for any family to make. With the average cost of a new mid-size SUV hovering around the $25,000 mark, the expense of owning and operating multiple vehicles can be astronomical. Of course, the decision to downsize to one car is one that requires careful consideration before you make your move. What is the Dynamic? The first question you need to consider is this: what will it take to make your family work with only a single car? Many small and medium-sized cities offer plenty of transportation alternatives to automotive travel. So, the good news is that having multiple vehicles is not a lifestyle necessity. But you must really take stock of the practicalities of using alternate forms of transportation, too. One of the most important aspects of making the transition is effective communication by all family members. Last-minute changes of plan can throw the entire day off-course. That means you need to keep an active calendar of events, so the whole family always knows what is going on with transportation. At the end of the day, you need to have everyone on board to make the one-car plan work for your family. If family members are resistant or holding out, it could set your efforts back before you even know it by making everyone miserable with the new arrangement. Benefits of Being a One-Car Family There are many benefits to being a one-car family that goes well beyond the financial benefits. In addition to eliminating monthly payments, parking, insurance, maintenance, registration, and more, keep in mind to include things like: The big question most families have when weighing this decision is how to make it work. That requires careful planning and taking the time to measure how “on board” your family is for the idea. Make sure they understand the potential costs and benefits. Other Means for Transportation Becoming a single-vehicle family does not mean that other members of the family are left out in the cold when it comes to transportation. It just means you have to plan for specific events a little more carefully than if you were to have two vehicles. Fortunately, there are many alternative forms of transportation available in communities of all sizes, such as: There is also the potential to telecommute. If one or both parents in the family can work from home, making a move to a single-vehicle would be more comfortable. The goal is to simplify your finances and your lifestyle by downsizing your debt and your car situation. Make sure you have it planned to the point that it does not cause additional, unnecessary stress to accomplish. Takeaway Making the switch to become a one-car family does not have to be a painful decision, nor does it need to feel like a monumental sacrifice. As a matter of fact, it can be quite freeing by doing the following: With benefits like these, the sacrifice actually seems quite small.

Becoming a One-Car Family

View Resource Becoming a One-Car Family
For those at the low-to-moderate-income level, the most substantial barrier to homeownership are the closing costs and a down payment associated with obtaining a mortgage loan. Because of this, most house finance agencies (HFAs) provide some closing cost and down payment assistance (DPA) to qualified homebuyers in their states with low-to-moderate-income.

What Is a Down Payment Assistance Program?

DPA programs offer homebuyers low-interest loans and grants that decrease how much they must save for a down payment. Nationwide, there are over 2,000 of these programs. Country, state, or city governments operate a lot of them. DPA programs will vary by the location, but many homebuyers could qualify for thousands of dollars worth of assistance for down payments. Most of the DPA programs through an HFA must be used along with a first-lien mortgage product the HFA offers. Several states provide stand-alone closing cost and down payment assistance that people can use in combination with any eligible non-HFA mortgage product. Certain DPA programs are focused toward certain populations, like: Others provide assistance for homebuyers who meet the purchase price and income limitations of their programs. Programs like these are structured in various ways including: A lot of HFAs also hand out federal funds to nonprofits or municipalities within their states for regional or local DPA or closing cost use. Frequently, these funds don’t need to be used simultaneously with HFA first-lien mortgage products.

How Do Down Payment Assistance Programs Work?

State housing finance agencies provide this help to combine with county and city government programs to meet affordable housing needs. Frequently, the plans are provided along with mortgages targeted towards first-time homebuyers. The types of closing costs and DPA vary by program. However, common types of assistance are:

Do I Qualify for a Down Payment Assistance Program?

DPA programs are usually meant for first-time homebuyers. A repeat homebuyer could be counted (and often is) as a first-time buyer if, in the past three years, they have not owned a home. Other requirements may include buying a home in a particular “qualified” area or income caps. Each DPA program is a bit different. The exact requirements for qualifying will depend on your location and the programs available. However, many have guidelines that are similar, including: Each program will vary by zip code. However, you are likely to more readily qualify if you are purchasing in a “target area.” so to speak.

How to Apply

Here’s how you can get started:
  1. First, you will want to browse the different DPA programs your state’s housing finance agency offers. Check out first-time home buyer state programs to find out about programs in your location.

  2. Next, check with your county and city to see if they provide any local first-time homebuyer grant programs.

  3. Then, visit the local government agency website or organization administering the program to see about DPA requirements and obtain a list of approved mortgage lenders.

  4. Lastly, apply for a mortgage through a lender approved for working with the grant program. You might want to check with local agencies about recommended loan officers with experience helping individuals apply for grants administered by them.

Takeaway

DPA can make a substantial impact on your home buying potential. It helps you buy a home more quickly. Many buyers are stuck on the sidelines, putting money aside and watching interest rates rise and fall. DPA programs might offer grants or forgivable loans for your closing costs and down payment. Resources like these can instantly build your buying power and help you buy a home much quicker.

Down Payment Assistance Programs

View Resource Down Payment Assistance Programs
Sudden financial windfalls come in many forms. Some people have no idea they are in the works or how to deal with them. Putting the money aside until you assess your situation can help you manage your good fortunes better and place you in a considerably healthier overall financial position. These are a few things you should do when you come into the money before you spend a dime.

Assess Your Debt

The first thing you want to do is look at your overall debt situation. Is your windfall enough to pay off some or all of your debt? The key is to assess and identify the debt that has the highest interest rate. You want to pay that debt entirely off, if possible, first. The best way to go is to make a list of your debts in order of interest rate from high to low. Then to start at the top and work your way down. If you cannot pay all of your high-interest debt off with your windfall, pay as much as possible and focus your attention on other high-interest debt. Some people focus on paying the most significant debt off first, but that is not always the best plan. Without careful consideration, high-interest debt can quickly spiral out of control, becoming massive unsecured revolving debt. In other words, it can become your own financial albatross. That is why you want to pay that debt off first. If you can pay off your highest interest debt, then move on to the next most high-interest debt. Continue on until you are at least within the realm of lower interest rate debts that will be easier for you to manage in the long-term.

Laying Out a Plan

Before you do anything, make sure you take care of your good old Uncle Sam. Otherwise, he could come back to hit you with a painful bite in the form of penalties and fees. Work with your accountant to determine how much of your windfall is subject to taxation and how it will affect your income tax rates. Make sure to set aside enough to cover the required taxes. Second, make sure you set aside some money to enjoy. Life is too short, and there are no guarantees. While it is always wise to think of the future, it can be foolish to do so entirely at the expense of today. Have a little fun with your windfall. You have earned it! Next, work on your debt situation. It is always good to have a plan going into negotiations and talks with creditors. Having cash on hand places you in a position of power dealing with them. Many of them will be more than happy to negotiate on things like interest rates if you promise to pay the principal in full.

Future Opportunities

Do not forget to look for ways to invest your money. Paying off debt is one thing. It is a good thing. You do want to remove some of the weight debt places on your shoulder. But you should also plan for the future with your windfall. That means setting aside some money for an emergency fund and investing the rest. If you do not currently own a home, you might be interested in using some of your windfalls to make a downpayment on a home. It is the ultimate investment in the future for your family. If you have a mortgage, consider paying it off if you have already paid off higher interest debts. Alternatively, you might invest in an investment property or a vacation property that you can use part of the year and rent out to others for the remainder of the year. Your financial windfall has created economic opportunities that, when used wisely, can help you improve your financial situation for life.

Takeaway

Do not forget to take a moment to enjoy your windfall with a little splurge for yourself and your family. Then get to work using your financial bounty wisely.

What to do with a Financial Windfall

View Resource What to do with a Financial Windfall
Financial aid offers make college possible for many students across the country. But not all are created equal. It is essential to make an apple to apple comparison when it comes to financial aid packages to make the best decisions about your higher education options.

What Types of Financial Aid are Available?

Financial aid comes in many different styles and can include support from your college or university, the federal government, or private sources. These are some of the types of financial assistance that may be included in your financial aid offer. While other financial aid types are available, these are the most common financial aid types available today.

What Is a Good Financial Aid Offer?

The best financial aid offers are those that allow you to proceed with and complete your college education with the least amount of debt. If you must take on debt, it is best to prioritize subsidized debt over unsubsidized debt. The sad truth is that most people cannot fund their complete college education with grants and scholarships alone. Rising tuition and on-campus housing costs have created a scenario in which most grant programs are insufficient to meet students’ needs over four years. Consider that many students require five years to complete all course requirements, and those expenses are even more significant. That means you must compare financial aid offers that consider a wide range of information in addition to the cost of tuition, such as: Loans exist to fill in the gaps that grants, scholarships, and work-study programs leave open in your educational funding needs. They should be approached cautiously and used only when necessary. The best financial aid packages offer you the option to use few if any, student loans for your education.

Which Offer Is Better?

Because some grants, scholarships, and work-study offers are college-specific, you will have to compare packages individually to determine which best meets your needs. You will need to do a little homework to compare the cost of attending the various colleges and universities, including living expenses in and around the college.

Takeaway

The financial aid landscape can be tricky to maneuver, especially for students just beginning to explore their financial aid options. These tips can help you make better-informed decisions about which college you attend, the financial aid you accept, and even where you live while attending college.

Comparing Your Financial Aid Offers

View Resource Comparing Your Financial Aid Offers
With all the available credit card reward programs, the problem is not whether you should get a rewards card, but what type would be the best?

What Are Credit Card Points and How do They Work?

Credit card points are one of the three primary credit card rewards types. The other two are miles and cash back. You can earn credit card points in various ways, which include: When it comes to a points credit card, you will most likely earn a minimum of one point per $1.00 you spend on all your purchases. However, other cards may offer more or less. Individual card programs may provide the same point amount across all purchases. Others will reward specific spending categories (i.e., restaurants, gas, groceries) with extra points. You can typically redeem your credit card points for things like: Sometimes, you could also redeem donations to charity or exclusive events. Each issuer provides a distinct range of choices and configures your redemption price settings. For instance, your points might be worth a penny when you put them towards travel. Then for cashback, they might be worth half a cent. While individual issuers have their own redemption instructions, you can typically redeem your points by going to your online account and the issuer’s reward center. This is where you will see your reward choices and their cost in points.

Getting the Most From Credit Card Points

When you contemplate signing up for a rewards card, the most essential thing is to do some serious thinking. An application you get in the mail might seem perfect, but it might not be a good fit in practicality. For instance, you might get an airline miles card, but you hardly ever fly. This would not be an ideal match. So, here are some tips to help you get the most out of your credit card points:
  1. Align Your Interests and Your Rewards
    Different reward card programs will come in various forms. Typically they allow you to collect points toward:
    • Gift cards

    • Merchandise

    • Cash back

    • Points

    • Travel miles
    Therefore, it would make sense to align your rewards with your goals or with what interests you. Suppose you are focused on budgeting your income better, for instance. In that case, you may select a card that provides cash back on basic things like filling your gas tank or shopping at the grocery store. Obviously, you would probably want to go with an airline miles reward card that provides you with miles if you travel. Try to avoid reward programs that try and entice you to spend more money, like those where you are required to meet a specific spending requirement within a short period. You might wind up spending more money than you normally would have.

  2. Do Some Comparison Shopping
    A big mistake a lot of consumers make is impulsively adding a credit card to their wallet. Rather than making an impulse decision at the moment, take several minutes to compare similar credit card offers online.

  3. Run Spending Through a Single Card
    Narrow the number of cards you use and do most of your spending on that card. That way, you will maximize the value of that card’s rewards program. Having a good rewards card will not do much good if you do not use it. While you do not want to spend needlessly to earn rewards, use the rewards card to pay for your usual expenses. This way, you will get more out of your spending in the form of rewards.
    To keep your credit card balance under control, you might wish to make weekly payments to avoid an unexpected bill at the end of the billing cycle.

Cash Back or Travel?

Selecting a rewards credit card will often mean choosing between travel benefits or cashback. There are advantages to both. Cashback is easy to redeem and flexible. Miles or points offer you the chance of free vacations. These days, individual cards allow you to redeem rewards for travel or cash at the same value. However, if you are making a decision between the two, your lifestyle is really what you should consider. Cash Back Rewards come in dollar form with a cash back card, not miles or points. You can redeem your rewards for: Cashback cards do not typically charge an annual fee. Not to mention, redeeming the rewards is really simple. Travel With travel credit cards, you receive miles, points, and in some cases, cash. There are two primary types: For individuals looking to earmark vacation rewards, these types of cards could help and may provide extra benefits.

Takeaway

There are a few essential things you need to consider when it comes to rewards cards or credit card points. You must decide whether you want a card with increased rewards in specific areas or a card with straight points across all of your purchases. Then base your decision on how you typically spend. Once you choose, regularly use your card – but not too much, so you can earn rewards and redeem them. Be sure you completely understand all your redemption options, particularly the value of your points for each.

Evaluating Credit Card Reward Programs

View Resource Evaluating Credit Card Reward Programs
If you own a home, the mortgage payments you make each month could help you build a substantial asset – home equity. The home equity you build represents how much of your home you own, which can grow with time.

What Is Home Equity?

Equity is how much of your house you actually own after you account for debt. To calculate this value, you will need to subtract your loan’s balance from your home’s market value. If you come up with a negative number, your house is worth less than what you owe, and you end up with negative equity. Having equity is valuable. It enables you to:

How to Build Equity in Your Home

There are ways to build up your home’s equity, including:
  1. Make a Large Down Payment
    Making a bigger down payment when you purchase a home allows you to gain equity right from the start. It is instant equity. For a bonus, when you put 20% or more of your property’s value down, you avoid costly private mortgage insurance.

  2. Pay More Money on Your Mortgage
    If you choose to add to your monthly mortgage payment each month, ensure the money you are adding will apply to the mortgage principal. Ask the lender of your mortgage how you can do that and keep an eye on your monthly mortgage statements to ensure the money is being credited accurately. There are several ways of paying more regularly:
    • Add more money to your monthly payment. Ensure it is a high enough amount that will make a difference but doesn’t harm your budget.

    • Change to making mortgage payments biweekly. Instead of paying monthly on your mortgage, pay biweekly. This will add on an extra monthly payment annually to your mortgage.

    • Schedule additional automatic payments with your bank or credit union to apply to the mortgage at regular intervals.

  3. Enhance the Property
    Some home improvements, remodeling, and curb appeal projects can boost the equity of your home. Smaller projects, such as replacing a front entry door or garage door or adding attic insulation, do better at increasing your home’s equity, particularly if you pay with cash rather than through a loan.
    Other things you can do to improve your property’s value involve enhancing your home’s energy efficiency. For instance, you can install double-paned windows, switch to LED lighting, upgrade to energy-efficient appliances, and add solar panels. Even smaller upgrades, like adding a smart thermostat, can appeal to energy-conscious buyers. Of course, modern bathrooms and kitchens are sought after, as are finished basements and decks.

How Does Building Home Equity Help Me?

Building equity in your home could be a long-term wealth-building strategy. Making your monthly payments decrease the amount you owe, therefore making payments on your home is often referred to as “a forced savings account.” This is different than almost all other assets bought with a loan, like vehicles, which lose their value as you’re paying them off.

Takeaway

It can take some time to build equity, but it is worth it. After you have built up enough equity, you can turn around and draw from it through a home equity credit line or home equity loan. Boosting your property’s value, making a larger down payment, and paying more on your mortgage each month are only some ways of growing your equity.

Building Equity in Your Home

View Resource Building Equity in Your Home
You may have wondered what happens if your aging parent ends up losing their ability to make financial or health decisions. How will you or other family members help them in these circumstances; how will you know what to do? A power of attorney, or POA, provides the legal ability to decide on another person’s behalf, like a loved one or an aging parent.

What Is a Power of Attorney?

A POA is a legal document that provides a person, referred to as the attorney-in-fact or agent, the authority to make decisions and take action on behalf of another person, known as the principal. Depending on the POA’s terms, the agent will have either limited or extensive authority to make a legal decision about the principal’s:

Steps to Create a Power of Attorney

There are certain steps you need to take to create a power of attorney. These include:
  1. Determining Your Needs to Help You Choose the Accurate Document
    You will first need to know the various types of POA documents available to you. So, what are your needs? Will you have to take over another person’s personal affairs or monthly expenses? Will someone have to take over yours? Do you need or want someone to make business decisions for you? Sell your property?

  2. Determining the Agent
    Depending on the state, the agent might be called an attorney-in-fact. Either way, they will receive the legal authority outlined within the POA to decide on behalf of the other person (the principal). This should be an individual who is:
    • Responsible and trustworthy

    • Won’t abuse this power

    • Make decisions in the best interest of the principal

  3. Filling Out the Document
    Once the “needs” have been determined and an agent selected, it is time to fill the document out. This is a simple process, but the document must comply with your state’s rules.

  4. Signing the Document
    Sign the document properly to make it legally binding. Again, depending on the state, you might have to sign it in front of a notary and two witnesses. Make copies of the document and keep the original. Many institutions won’t accept a photocopy of the document.

Different Types of Power of Attorneys

There are various types of POAs, including:
  1. Non-Durable Power of Attorney
    This type of POA is used for a certain period and typically for a specific transaction where you grant them the authority to act on your behalf. After the completion of the transaction, the non-durable POA ceases.

  2. Durable Power of Attorney
    The durable POA is a bit more binding than the non-durable POA. It might be used for allowing the agent to manage the principal’s affairs if they were to become unable to do so themselves. It doesn’t have a set period, and it becomes effective right away once the principal becomes incapacitated. It does expire in the event of the principal’s death, however.

  3. Medical Power of Attorney
    The medical POA grants the agent authority to take absolute control over the principal’s medical decisions if they cannot do so themselves or if they become incapacitated. This typically becomes effective upon the presiding doctor’s consent and allows the agent the authority to make all medical decisions for the principal.

  4. Limited or Special Power of Attorney
    This type of POA is used temporarily for one-time banking or financial transactions or selling a certain property. It is most frequently used when the principal cannot complete the transaction because of illness or prior commitments and wants to appoint the agent to act on their behalf.

  5. Springing Power of Attorney
    The springing POA becomes effective when a certain event occurs, such as your incapacitation. The springing POA must be extremely carefully crafted for avoiding any issues in identifying exactly when the triggering event occurred.

Takeaway

Suppose you are incapacitated or take care of a person who has no power of attorney chosen to handle things. In that case, your family will potentially be forced into time-consuming and costly delays. A power of attorney can be reassuring as a way to protect your real estate and financial interests, medical needs, health, and maybe even the manner of your death.

Creating a Power of Attorney

View Resource Creating a Power of Attorney
Spoofing is where an unknown person disguises communications as a trusted and known source. It is a form of cyberattack that criminals employ to meet specific malicious ends.

What Is Spoofing?

When it comes to cybersecurity, spoofing is where something or someone pretends to be something else in order to: A spoofing attack comes in various forms, mainly: So, how do cybercriminals fool you? They often simply invoke the name of large, trusted companies to get people to take some type of action or give up information. For instance, a spoofed email from Amazon or PayPal may inquire about a purchase you never made. Then, after raising concerns about your account, you may click on the link they include in the email. After you click on the malicious link, you are sent to a fake login page with a spoofed URL and a familiar logo, where you are prompted to provide your username and password. They may also use a malware download in an attempt to harvest your information.

Different Types of Spoofing Attacks

There are numerous types of spoofing attacks, including:
  1. ARP Spoofing. ARP spoofing is a common type of man-in-the-middle attack. It allows the attacker to intercept communications between network devices. Cybercriminals execute it by overloading a local area network with false ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) packets to allow them to tamper with the regular traffic routing process. Traffic is then redirected and read at the attacker’s computer before reaching its intended location. The attacker might also distort the data prior to forwarding it the actual recipient or they may stop all network communication.

  2. Spoofing. To perform an IP spoofing attack, the cybercriminal sends falsified source address Internet Protocol packets in order to obscure the packet sender’s actual online identity and thereby impersonates a different computer. IP spoofing is frequently used for setting denial of service (DDoS) attacks in motion.

  3. Website Spoofing. Con artists might try to dupe a target company’s staff into clicking into a “carbon copy” of a website they regularly visit and use for their work. Sadly, black hats (i.e. hackers looking to compromise systems, steal data, or take down networks) are rapidly becoming proficient at mimicking the legitimate website:
    • Branding

    • Layout

    • Sign-in forms

  4. GPS Spoofing. With people relying increasingly on geolocation services for avoiding traffic jams or reaching their destination, cybercriminals might attempt to manipulate the GPS receiver of a target device into signaling incorrect whereabouts.

How Can I Protect Myself Against Spoofing Attacks

Some ways of protecting yourself against a spoofing attack are:
  1. Be Observant. One way to prevent spoofing is to be observant. When you are alert, you can more easily spot any substantial spoofing attempts. Keep an eye out for various types of email message errors. Also, look for unusual sentence structures or inconsistent grammar. Typically, professional business entities don’t make trivial correspondence mistakes.

  2. Don’t Download Unsolicited Attachments or Click on Unfamiliar Links. If you doubt the sender, you could send a separate email to the sender’s actual email address, looking for confirmation.

  3. Check Out the Address of the Sender. One form of spoofing involves the sender’s address being tampered with by making slight changes to the letters’ positions in the address. By looking carefully, you can see if you’re dealing with a false address.

  4. Look Out for Phone Spoofing. Spoofing can occur on the phone as well. Install software on your phone that traces out the right caller ID. Or, you could check search engines to see if the number is linked with spam. You could also hang the phone up and call back the correct number.

Takeaway

In many ways, spoofing is worse than phishing since spoofing could be an attempt to steal data. Spoofing tricks the person into believing they are doing something right, but it is actually the opposite. The person will part with the data unwittingly, thereby causing harm to the company and its safety.

What is a Spoofing Attack?

View Resource What is a Spoofing Attack?
In the military, you can use available resources to help prepare for your future. As far as saving money, you have various tools to help you build and secure your financial future. And, the more you save, the more prepared you will be for unexpected events or opportunities that might come along. You might wish to purchase a new vehicle, help your kids pay for college, or contribute to a retirement fund. You can master these skills with tools and resources for saving and budgeting.

What Are the Basics?

There are some financial basics you need to know about:
  1. Saving and Budgeting
    You might be shocked at how small everyday costs add up. Go over your monthly cash flow to see how much you have coming in and how much goes out. What does the payment look like for your home? How much are you spending on your vehicle loan, entertainment costs, or household bills?
    There are various free downloadable apps to help you keep track of your expenses. You will also find software programs that can help, as well.

  2. Borrowing
    Being able to manage your debt is a critical part of your financial health. Having too much debt can negatively impact your financial position and credit score. A higher score could make it harder for you to obtain future loans.
    There are smart strategies available to help you recognize things like:
    • Bad debt vs good debt

    • Decreasing your credit card dependency

    • Paying down your bills

    • Taking control of your personal finances

  3. Blended Retirement Essentials
    Around 85% of all reserve and active-duty service members, under the Blended Retirement System by the military, will receive a retirement benefit, regardless if they are not eligible for full retirement. This is a huge difference from the number of service members who are saving for retirement today. You will be helping your future self out if you start saving today.

  4. Protecting Your Finances
    Many individuals fall victim to financial scams or identity theft every year which costs them time, money and aggravation. You do not want to join them. Learn different ways of protecting your military, personal and financial data and reducing your risk of becoming swindled while you are trying to build your financial security, which can slow you down.

What Options Are Available?

A primary resource for active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve service members and their families is Military OneSource. It is a U.S. Department of Defense program that provides free support and resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Some available options include:
  1. Installation Financial Readiness Management Program
    The U.S. Department of Defense offers a network of support for the military community, including MilitaryINSTALLATIONS, one of many free resources from Military OneSource. These include:
    • One-on-one counseling

    • Seminars

    • Classes

    • Moving assistance
    They also provide additional information to educate service members about consumer rights and help them become financially stable.

  2. Family Life and Military Counseling Program
    This program provides counseling to help families manage finances, reach long-term goals like buying a home, get an education, plan for retirement, and resolve financial problems.

  3. Financial Counseling
    The Department of Defense provides numerous financial counseling options you and your family can use to plan and control your financial future.
    This resource helps service members learn personal finance basics, such as managing a checking account, paying down debt, creating a family budget, and selecting good investments. You can also read about military pay and compensation benefits, consumer rights, and military savings programs.

Benefits of Financial Counseling for Service Members

As a service member, you can gain access to financial counseling through MilitaryINSTALLATIONS programs for free. Counselors recognize and understand the financial challenges you have to deal with as a service member. The available resources could help you plan and manage your fiscal future. Obtaining financial counseling could help you by:

Additional Tools That Can Help

Service members have access to several resources for managing expenses and saving money. Learn about ways of saving and protecting your family’s financial health through these programs:
  1. Benefits.gov
    Visit Benefits.gov to find information on a large range of benefits you have available to you if you are an active-duty military or veteran. It is a resource available to all service members and their families. It provides information on:
    • Interest benefits

    • Interest rate reductions

    • Medical benefits

    • Educational benefits

    • And more

  2. Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
    The SCRA offers service members with a large range of benefits and rights, from eviction protection to interest rate reductions.

  3. Tax Preparation and Consultations
    Speak to a Military OneSource tax consultant by calling 800-342-9647 or visit their website for free tax consultations and tax preparation resources.

Takeaway

Having financial security may be simpler than you might think, particularly with the resources and tools available to you as a service member. Using them can help you create a successful financial plan for each phase of your life.

Financial Basics for Service Members

View Resource Financial Basics for Service Members