New campaign to help base employees with finances Published Feb. 18, 2008 By Corey Dahl 21st Space Wing Public Affairs PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Drowning in debt? Confused about investing? Interested in saving more of that paycheck? A new program on Peterson could help. Beginning this month, the Military Saves campaign is aimed at helping base personnel and their families get their finances in order. The program, which was launched military wide last year but is just now making its way to Peterson, is a mix of online help and personal support. Participants can sign up with the campaign at www.MilitarySaves.org to receive regular e-mails full of financial management tips, advice and online tools. On base, the Airman and Family Readiness Center's staff will begin hosting regular financial education classes as well as unit briefings on personal finance. Unit campaign representatives will encourage employees to sign a "Saver's Pledge," promising to save money, reduce debt and build wealth. Jeanette Rainey, who is organizing the AFRC campaign, said Military Saves is aimed at changing people's overspending habits. "It used to be, years ago, people saved for large purchases," she said. "Now, our society doesn't do that. They just give us the credit up front, so we're living on all this debt. This is a social marketing campaign to try to change that, to encourage people to save their money, to have a nest egg for emergencies and for the future." For servicemembers in particular, having a financial cushion is essential for ensuring a safe, worry-free deployment, Ms. Rainey said. Family members who are left at home might need extra funds to pay for additional childcare while one parent is away, or emergencies might spring up while a spouse is abroad. "Different things can come up when you're deployed," she said. "You need to make sure your family can still pay the bills." Ms. Rainey stressed the program isn't just for servicemembers, though. Civilians, retirees, contractors and dependents are welcome to take part, she said, and the lessons are applicable to any pay grade, rank or age. "A lot of people tend to think this is geared toward young folks, young Airmen just starting out," she said. "But it's really for everyone. It doesn't matter what your rank or your pay grade is; everyone can use financial advice." In honor of Military Saves Week, which runs from Feb. 24 to March 1, the AFRC hosts a brown bag "Lunch and Learn" series of classes. The classes run from 11:30 to 12:15 in Building 350, room 1016. There is no cost to attend, but reservations are required. Call 556-6141 to save a seat. Feb. 25 - Basic Budgeting. The class will talk about setting financial goals and starting a budget and savings plan. Feb. 26 - Easy Ways to Save and Invest. The class will look at saving and investment plans for now, 10 years from now and at retirement. Feb. 27 - Converting Debt to Wealth. The class will cover credit and debt management, showing students how to pay off their debt in less time. Feb. 28 - Building and Maintaining Good Credit. The class will teach how to read and understand a credit report and show students how to build and maintain a good credit history.