Managing Your Money
Managing Your Money
You’ve earned your paycheck and the Office of Financial Readiness can show you ways to make the most of it. Learn to manage your money and create a spending plan that lets you pay your living expenses today while saving for tomorrow. You can even find tips and ideas for setting aside money in an emergency fund or vacation account.
Credit Fundamentals
It’s time for a credit checkup! How you manage your money can affect all areas of your life. Learn how to own your finances and make credit work for you. You also have accredited personal financial managers and counselors at your fingertips. Set up a no-cost appointment at your nearest Military and Family Support Center to review your finances.
Exploring the Buy Now/Pay Later Option
Buy now/pay later is a financing option that’s been growing in popularity. This infographic explains what to know before considering it.
Operation: Monitor Your Credit
Guard your financial reputation. Learn about the importance of credit monitoring, how to do it and resources that can help, all in this article.
Spot the Warning Signs of Identity Theft
Service members are often the target of scammers. Read this article and learn how to better pinpoint signs of identity theft and protect your digital information.
- Financial Fundamentals: Establishing and Improving Your Credit History Building a good credit history is important. Find out how your credit score and history impact your long-term financial health.
- Financial Fundamentals: Managing and Monitoring Credit Having good credit gives you choices. Learn how to increase your credit score by managing and monitoring your credit.
- Freeze Your Credit Information: Keep Unwanted Visitors out in the Cold Learn how to take advantage of useful tools, like credit freezing, that can help prevent fraud and safeguard your credit.
- Guard What’s Yours: Monitor Your Credit Take advantage of freebies. As a service member you can monitor your credit score at no cost to you!
- Understand the Ins and Outs of Credit Stay on top of your credit — help prevent fraud or identity theft by understanding your credit score and managing your credit report.
- What To Do If Identity Theft Happens to You Identity theft can happen to anyone, but there are steps you can take to reduce your risk. Learn about how to protect yourself and your family in this article.
- Your Credit Score Matters: Find Out Why You probably know there are benefits to having a high credit score, but do you know how to get there? Learn how to begin improving your score today.
Digital Assets
Thinking about dealing in digital assets? Learn what they are, determine if purchasing them is right for you and know the tax implications of some common transactions.
Curious About Cryptocurrency?
Curious about cryptocurrency? Here’s a primer to help you get started.
Tax Implications of Digital Assets
As with almost all financial transactions, there are tax implications — and digital assets are no different. Know what your tax obligations are with this helpful fact sheet.
Military OneSource Cryptocurrency Podcast
Curious about cryptocurrency? In this podcast, Dan Rutherford of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission describes cryptocurrency, how it works and the pitfalls to watch out for.
Major Purchases
You picked out what you want, saved up a deposit and now you’re ready to make a major purchase … right? Before signing on the dotted line, use these resources to help you feel more confident in your decision. You can also make an appointment with a personal financial manager or counselor at your nearest installation for additional support.
Home Buying Basics
Should you rent or buy your next home? Follow several military families and a single service member during their home buying journeys in this seven-part video series.
Make Major Purchases With Care and Confidence
Don’t rush a major purchase. Take time to plan, compare options, and research products and suppliers in order to make the best choice for you.
Car Buying Basics
Get the tips and insights you need to navigate the car buying process — all in this accessible and entertaining six-part video series.
- Car Buying 101: 5 Steps to Vehicle Financing Ready to buy a car? Make sure you check off these five steps to vehicle financing before you sign on the dotted line.
- Car Buying 101: How To Negotiate Your Total Car Payment Instead of negotiating your ideal monthly car payment, use these tips to focus negotiations on the full picture of your investment.
- Car Buying 101: How To Win the Negotiation Game Don’t get caught off guard by sales tactics when buying a car. Here’s how you can gain the upper hand and win the negotiation game.
- Car Buying 101: New vs. Used Buying a car is a big decision — and choosing between new or pre-owned is the first step. Here’s a breakdown of what you should consider.
- Car Buying 101: What You Need To Know About Dealer Add-Ons Don’t get caught off guard by unexpected dealer add-ons. Here’s what you need to know about your options before you commit to a car purchase.
- Car Buying 101: When Your Trade-In Has Negative Equity Should you buy a new car when your current car has negative equity? The answer is probably not — and here’s why.
- Know the True Cost of Your Loan Before you take out a loan for a major purchase or other expense, make sure you understand how the terms will affect your total cost. See the breakdown in this infographic.
Pay and Savings
Make your money work for you! Stretch your paycheck to cover your bills and expenses and still have money left for your savings and retirement accounts. Use these resources and ideas to get started and make an appointment with an accredited personal financial manager or counselor at your installation Military and Family Support Center for no-cost, personal support.
Easy Tips to Save on Energy
Don’t let energy costs burn a hole in your pocket! Learn how to save money by staying energy-efficient.
Use This Comprehensive Checklist to Prepare for a Prosperous New Year
December and January are the perfect time to check items off your financial to-do list and set financial goals for the new year.
Your Leave and Earnings Statement: Understanding Your Pay
The first step to taking control of your finances is understanding your income. Start here with a breakdown of the different types of military pay.
- Achieve Goals and Peace of Mind Through Financial Planning Want to achieve your goals and gain peace of mind? Use the information and resources you'll find here to make it happen with wise financial planning.
- A Tale of Two Choices: Beware of Lifestyle Inflation It can be easy to spend more as you earn more, which is known as lifestyle inflation. Learn how one service member confronted it in this infographic.
- Budgeting in Uncertain Times When unexpected circumstances lead to financial instability, use these tips to assess your spending plan and manage your new financial situation.
- Emergency Funds: How Much Is Enough? We’ve all been there: Our car breaks down. Our pet gets sick. Our teeth need work. That’s why we all need an emergency fund. This video explains how to decide the amount.
- Financial Well-Being: How To Assess, Improve and Maintain Yours Do you know what it means to have financial well-being? Learn more about assessing and improving your financial well-being in this article.
- How To Avoid — or Break — the Debt Trap Cycle Getting into a debt trap can feel endless. In this article, you’ll learn steps you can take to break the cycle and improve the health of your finances.
- It's Time to Schedule a Checkup — For Your Finances It's time to check on your vitals — your financial vitals! Tune in to this video to find out how checkups can help you achieve and sustain your goals.
- Know the Importance of Financial Well-Being Learning how to manage your finances is a lifelong skill. This article explores why financial well-being matters for service members and families.
- Let's Get Financially Fit Get pumped about your personal finances! Check out this infographic for five introductory steps (and a few exercise puns) to help you build financial fitness.
- Planning Ahead for Your Next Raise Making more money can lead to more spending. This infographic can help you learn strategies to help manage lifestyle inflation with your next pay raise.
- Spending Plan Worksheet Count on a bright financial future! Use our Spending Plan Worksheet to take charge of your spending by tracking, budgeting and planning ahead.
- The Impact of Inflation on Financial Decisions Do you know how inflation affects your investments and assets? This article explores the impact of inflation on the long-term value of your money.
- What To Know About Lending Apps Modern lending apps may seem like an attractive quick fix to financial problems, but they aren’t without risks. This article explores important considerations.
- What’s Your Spending Personality? Achieving financial health means taking an honest look at spending. Discover five spending personalities and actions to improve money management habits in this article.
- Why Understanding Different Types of Military Pay Is Crucial for Your Finances Your military paycheck includes different types of pay. Knowing what you rate and understanding each type helps ensure you’re paid what you earned.
Tax Information
Taxes play a big role in personal finances. Withholding choices impact take-home pay, and owing money or receiving a refund at tax time can have a major impact on household spending plans. Use these resources to maximize your benefits and protect against an unexpected tax bill or penalty. No-cost, trusted support is also available at your nearest Military and Family Support Center.
8 Tips To Maximize Your Savings During Tax Season
This tax season don’t leave money on the table. This infographic outlines credits and deductions you may be entitled to and offers no-cost tax filing resources.
Financial Planning for Transition: The Tax Implications of Retirement
As you plan for your retirement, don’t let a change in your taxes leave you with a surprise bill. This article shows you how to plan ahead to avoid the unexpected.
Avoid These Common Tax Mistakes
This article shows you how to avoid common tax mistakes, correct any oversights and errors and access resources to use now and in the future.
- Don’t Wait: Plan Now to Reap Tax Benefits Later Reviewing your tax strategies now, before the current year ends, could save you money and help you earn additional tax credits. This article offers some tips.
- Operation Tax Planning: Civilian Career As you begin searching for a post-military career, consider how civil tax implications may impact your take-home pay. This article can help you crunch the numbers.
- Talking to Service Members About Filing Taxes Filing taxes while in the military can get complicated. Use this leader card to discuss the benefits and resources available to your service members to help them navigate the process.
- Tax Advice for First-Time Filers Filing taxes for the first time is a major milestone for any young service member. Read the tips in this article to help you get started.
- Tax Planning and the Gig Economy Looking to make extra income? The gig economy could be a possibility, but there are tax implications for service members and their spouses. Find out more.
- Why Is Money Missing From My Paycheck? Introducing Your Teen to Taxes Your teenager received his or her first paycheck. Here are a few tips for you, their parent, to introduce a new worker to paying and understanding taxes.
Additional Information
Don’t just assume that last year’s plan is still the best approach. Use these resources to help you budget and discover new and better ways to save. Don’t hesitate to check in with a personal financial manager or counselor to make sure you’re still making the best choices for your goals.
Financial Well-Being Assessment
When is the last time you checked on your financial health? Use the assessment and resources on this page to evaluate your current situation and take control of your financial well-being.
Kids Answer Financial Questions
As a parent you know the importance of financial literacy. Find out why it’s important to teach your kids about money and how to manage it.
Managing Your Money Additional Resources
Get back to the basics of money management with these resources that will help you secure your spending plan and feel confident in your finances.
