New Year resolutions: financial peace

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Samantha S. Crane
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  With a New Year comes new resolutions, many involving money. To help people stick to these personal promises, the Airman and Family Readiness Center offers dozens of resources including classes and counseling.

"Ignorance costs money," said Susan Rueger, AFRC accredited financial counselor. "People don't realize how much money they spend. If they could see how they were spending their money, they would take different approach and avoid risks. The more knowledge you have, the better decisions you make."

Classes, which could cost anywhere from $50 to $1,500 elsewhere, include:

Improving Your Credit Score: Managing credit is more important and complicated than ever. With good credit, people can get a bigger house, better car, lower credit card rate and less-costly insurance. Learn how to establish credit, improve credit and get out of credit debt. The next class is Feb. 18 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Personal Finance Refresher: Hone your money skills. Review and revise a spending plan, keep track of financial records, prepare for a big-ticket purchase, improve credit or develop a plan to get out of debt. The next class is Feb. 25 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Saving and Investing: Start planning for the future with the money made today. It's never too early or too late to start saving or investing and the longer money is working, the greater the return. Learn about the various types of savings and investment option and how to work them into the financial future. The next class is March 24 through 26 from 8 to 11 a.m.

Common Cents Money Management: Learn to put the financial house in order, find hidden spending, keep more of what is made and other skills to help achieve financial independence."The next class is April 22 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Credit When Credit is Due: This six-week course helps individuals gain a basic understanding of money issues and their responsibilities revolving around the world of credit. Individuals who successfully complete the course will become better risks in the eyes of lenders and should be better prepared to handle their finance in the future. The next class run from April 30 to June 4 from 5 to 7 p.m.

TSP Workshop: Thrift Saving Plans can be a great option for civil service and military members looking to put money aside for retirement. Learn about the various funds and how to estimate what to put away for the future. The next class is June 3 from 1 to 4 p.m.

"Anytime you have a major finance decision, refresh your knowledge first before committing," said Mrs. Rueger. "Review all the fundamentals so you know what you can afford and what information you need to make an informed decision. The financial rules are always changing."

Classes, focused on hands-on education and containing little to no PowerPoint, are based on the students' own finances.

"This allows them to see how much debt they can afford," said Mrs. Rueger. "By running their own numbers they have a better understanding of what is happening and how to make changes that will work for them."

New this year, the AFRC will partner with the Better Business Bureau to teach about scams, how to recognize them and how to avoid them.

In addition to classes, the AFRC also offers one-on-one counseling for budget planning and financial issues with their two in-house accredited financial counselors Mrs. Rueger and Jack Wyngaard. Before becoming accredited, the counselors took part in a rigorous education process. To stay accredited, they must continually take part in annual education requirements.

The AFRC is open to active duty members, Guard and Reserve members when on active duty, retired military personnel, Department of Defense civilians and eligible family members. For more information or to sign up for a class, call the AFRC at 828-2458.