Financial Capability Month highlights the importance of obtaining financial education and utilizing resources that help build a secure financial future.
“In our increasingly complex world, financial literacy is more than just a helpful skill; it is an essential set of knowledge that empowers individuals to make informed decisions about their finances. This crucial understanding not only enables us to navigate the intricacies of budgeting, investing, and saving but also plays a significant role in securing our overall financial well-being,” said Kathryn Seymour-Suffern, Personal Financial Manager, National Capital Region.
Listed below are some Coast Guard’s financial readiness resources available to you.
- Personal Financial Managers (PFM) provide financial counseling, education and training, and outreach/information for each district. Your local PFM can be found on this contact your PFM list.
- A huge part of organizing your finances throughout April includes visiting the Coast Guard Online World of Learning: Log in to the site (uscg.mil). It offers 12 financial readiness courses that explain various financial topics organized by typical life events that tend to impact you financially. They average about 45-minutes to complete for each one. In addition to the LMS course, you can also access the Coast Guard’s Financial Touchpoint Curriculum on the Coast Guard Personal Financial Management Program - DoD FINRED Learning Resource Library - APAN Community website.
- Coast Guard leaders can access the Military Leaders Economic Security Toolkit, which provides resources to support the economic security of service members.
- Spouses, who are so essential to a Coast Guard family’s financial wellbeing, can access a financial literacy website created to specifically address the unique needs of Coast Guard spouses. Visit www.milspousemoneymission.org for this specialized content.
- CGSUPRT offers unlimited 30-minute money coaching sessions, online resources, and financial classes. There are two webinars currently scheduled for April: Newsletter Link: CG SUPRT April Webinars
- Lastly, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance offers financial assistance—through grants and scholarships—in areas such as housing, transportation, family, and education.
The importance of financial literacy is summarized by Base Kodiak’s Personal Financial Manager Rebecca J. Ligtenberg who says, “The best part of increasing one’s financial literacy and money management skills is that it is a benefit for a lifetime, not just the time spent working for the Coast Guard. Smart decisions made today can have positive impacts decades into the future.”
For additional information and resources for the Personal Financial Management Program, please visit their website.
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