Mission

Moneywise in the Military – Live – Free National Events

"I thought the seminar was very, very informative. I learned a lot about credit scores, bankruptcies, the right time to buy a house and the time to invest. I thought it was extremely informative and I would recommend it to my friends."

These all-day events bring Kelvin Boston, nationally known speaker, financial expert, host of the award-winning PBS series Moneywise and the official DOD Financial Readiness Campaign media partner directly to military installations throughout the country. Since being selected as the DOD media partner in 2002, Mr. Boston has spoken extensively at base-hosted events. This new partnership with PBS and the DOD allows for an even greater opportunity to reach military personnel and their families both on-base and living throughout the surrounding community. Public television stations have a long-established commitment to local, community-based outreach and education. They make the perfect local media partner to get the word out and build useful and lasting bridges with members of their viewing audience in military families.

This initiative consists of a series of Moneywise Financial Readiness Days to be held on military bases across the country. These events are promoted in the community and are co-presented by the local PBS station, base commanders, the Department of Defense (authorized by a DOD MOU), and the Moneywise financial literacy team. Each day-long event is tailored to the concerns and needs of military families, with particular attention to spouses who are often the family’s money manager. The programs are open to the region-wide uniformed personnel in each market. The events’ primary audiences are enlistees through junior officers, their families and other base staff working directly with the military.

The Need

Dr. William L. Anthes, president of the National Endowment for Financial Education recently noted: “Research continually shows that most Americans lack basic financial knowledge and skills. This financial ‘illiteracy’ is evidenced by dysfunctional behaviors that thwart long-term financial planning, and lifestyles that reflect a spending vs. saving mentality, debilitating debt levels, and stress reactions that negatively affect family relationships, worker productivity, societal relationships and the larger community.”

For our nation’s men and women in uniform, the need for financial education is acute. Millions of military personnel and their dependents are stationed on or near military bases throughout the country. For these servicemen and women, accessing financial advice can be a challenge
due to the time demands of duty on base, overseas deployments and/or frequent transfers and reassignments. In recognition of this growing challenge, the Department of Defense has launched the Financial Readiness Campaign under the direction of Colonel Marcus Beauregard
(US Army/Ret). The objectives of the campaign are to help military families increase savings, reduce reliance on unsecured debt, and build awareness of predatory lending practices.

According to research conducted by the DOD, the primary concerns of military families are the same as most young singles and families. They include:

• Affordable housing and home ownership
• Money and credit management
• Savings and investment
• Protection from predatory and fraudulent practices
• Long-term health care
• Income tax preparation

PBS, as a membership organization made up of community-based broadcasters, is uniquely positioned to play a positive, ongoing role in providing information that helps military families achieve their financial goals.