Military Client Resources/Handouts

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Preparation Checklist

Meeting Agenda

Resources/Handouts

Banking on Change. A handout offering tips and suggestions on preparing for anticipated relocations for military personnel.

Manage Your Money, Manage Your Life! A presentation intended as basic information to help clients get control of their finances. This PowerPoint presents general information on saving, retirement planning, emergency funds, large purchases, budgeting, credit, and insurance.

Understanding How a Pro Bono Financial Planner Can Help. An exercise that shows the various ways a financial planner can help a client.

Moving Issues

Calculating the Amount for a Moving Fund. A worksheet for calculating how much to save for a moving fund. This worksheet is best used along with the Banking on Change handout.

Filing for Unemployment as a Nonmilitary Working Spouse. A handout on how a working spouse can find information on unemployment compensation.

Keeping Track of Paperwork While on the Move. A checklist of paperwork—such as military orders, dental and health-care records, and financial records—you should take with you when you move.

Moving Pets in the Military. A discussion of the costs and health-care issues involved with moving family pets while in the military.

Moving Your Car. A handout regarding how to move a car and handle the title, license, and insurance during the move—including an overseas move.

Qualifying for WIC. A handout describing the benefits of the Women, Infants, and Children program and how to continue them after a move.

Budgeting

Adding a Car to Your Life. A handout detailing the total costs of owning a vehicle.

Estimating Expenses Before the First Paycheck. A worksheet to help unemployed military spouses plan household expenses until they receive their first paycheck.

Making a Spending Plan. An exercise clients can use to create a simple budget.

Making Plans to Pay Bills. A worksheet for tracking bill-payment negotiations.

Plugging Spending Leaks. An exercise demonstrating how "little" choices can add up to significant dollar amounts over time.

Reducing Household Expenses. An exercise clients can use to see the potential savings possible by reducing ordinary and routine household expenses.

Separating Needs from Wants. An exercise that demonstrates how perceptions of needs and wants affect client spending choices.

Shopping Smart. A handout of tips on how to save money while shopping in general, plus tips on saving money on food, transportation, entertainment, clothing, appliances, and more.

Taking a Look at Wants: Asking the Big Questions. An exercise challenging clients to examine why an item or service belongs on their "Wants" list.

Tracking Household Expenses: Week by Week. A handout clients can use to track weekly expenses.

Using a Bill-Payment Calendar. A handout showing how to use a calendar for a simple bill-payment reminder system.

Saving

Reviewing the Thrift Savings Plan. A handout describing a retirement savings plan for servicemembers.

Saving for Emergencies. A worksheet clients can use to determine how much to save for an emergency fund.

Saving Simply. A handout of simple tips on saving money to put in a savings account.

Seeing How Savings Grow. A handout showing the growth of various monthly savings amounts over time.

Using the Rule of 72. A handout showing how the Rule of 72 works in investing.

Avoiding Scams and Predatory Lenders

Avoiding Loan Rip-Offs. A handout describing techniques used by predatory lenders to take advantage of financially vulnerable individuals and families.

Avoiding Money Traps. A handout describing payday loans, rent-to-own stores, and other sources of high-cost short-term loans.

Getting Organized

Getting Your Life Organized. A handout of tips for organizing a home, clothes, paperwork, etc.

Setting SMART Financial Goals. An exercise clients can use to establish SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Trackable).

Using Credit

Comparing Credit Cards. A worksheet allowing side-by-side comparisons of different creditors.

Locating Nonprofit Credit Counseling Information. A blank worksheet to list names and phone numbers of credit counseling agencies. The planner should collect local agency information prior to meeting with the client.

Managing Credit and Debt. A handout explaining how to build good credit.

Taking Control of Credit Cards. A handout describing the wise use of credit cards.

Using a Debt Recovery Worksheet. A worksheet showing clients how to prioritize a debt-repayment plan.

Estate Planning

Choosing a Special Power of Attorney for Military Personnel. A handout describing the unique advantages of a special power of attorney for military personnel.

Facing Insurance and Estate Issues in the Military. A handout describing life insurance benefits available to servicemembers and other basic estate planning issues.

Finding Financial and Legal Papers. A worksheet listing typical financial records and where they are.

Planning Your Estate. A handout describing basic estate planning documents.

Special Issues Related to Active Deployment/Reservists

Calculating the Amount for a Reserve Fund. A worksheet that helps you calculate how much money to keep in your reserve fund.

Getting the Call to Active Duty. A document describing many unique financial issues faced by members of the National Guard and Reserve.

Reviewing the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act. A handout describing several unique financial benefits available to active-duty military personnel.