Some in the military appear to be financially defenseless when it comes to anything from finding a loan to coping with a financial emergency.
In a survey of service members conducted on behalf of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling 77 percent of the respondents said they were having financial woes of some type, while 55 percent feel they are unprepared for retirement.
Of those who had taken out loans, 11 percent had to resort to military relief to get the money; 31 percent of service members also feel they don't have enough money to cover an emergency or an unexpected expense. Such desperation can lead to soldiers and sailors being taken advantage of or scammed outright.
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As a result, the Federal Trade Commission has teamed up with more than 30 public- and private-sector organizations for the second annual Military Consumer Protection Day this Wednesday — defending the defenders, as it were, from fiscal dangers. In recognition of the occasion, and among other activities, the FTC is hosting a town hall/Twitter chat at 2 p.m. EST on that day.
The conversation will include such topics as identity theft and issues surrounding credit — often a sore spot for military members. Service members can submit questions using the hashtag #MCPD2014.
In addition, the NFCC has joined with Wells Fargo in its Sharpen Your Financial Focus initiative to encourage service members to sign up for financial education. NFCC offers Hands On Banking for military classes at more than 600 locations throughout the country.
Classes provide enlightenment on such topics as spending, saving, home-buying, permanent change of station and deployment and planning for career transition and for retirement.
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