Read each statement and select your response. Your results and helpful resources will display after you’ve answered all twelve questions. This assessment does not collect personally identifiable information, or PII.
To see the most relevant resources, select your branch of service:
I paid for necessities like housing, food and clothing over the past 12 months without difficulty.
My consumer debt balances (credit cards, vehicle loans, payday loans, buy now/pay later, rent-to-own, etc.), compared to this time last year, are:
I paid all my bills on time in the past 12 months.
I maintained at least $1,500 in my savings to pay for emergencies (car or home repair, emergency travel, etc.) in the past 12 months.
I created a plan to handle significant future expenses and life events (car or home repair, travel, family expenses, etc.).
I provided my spouse/partner or someone I trust with the information, resources and access to manage my finances if needed, due to a deployment or other circumstances.
I had money left over each of the past 12 months to buy things I wanted beyond necessities.
I saved and/or invested money each month in the past 12 months.
I reviewed my credit score and credit report in the past 12 months.
I use resources and tools like spending plans, account statements, online calculators or mobile apps to track progress toward my financial goals.
Going forward, I will contribute the following percentage of my income to the Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP, or a similar retirement plan.
I follow a plan (self-created, online or with a financial professional) to prepare for my overall future financial well-being.
Schedule a Financial Well-Being Checkup!
Did you score well on the Financial Well-Being Assessment? Do you have some opportunities to improve?
Either way, know that you don’t have to go it alone. Personal financial managers and counselors who
understand military life are available for no-cost help at your local Military and Family Support Center.
Scroll down to see your section scores and recommended resources. Note: If you scored below 3 on any question, consider making an appointment with your nearest personal financial manager or counselor. You can also download a PDF of all the resources by clicking the button below.
Download PDFFor a 508-compliant version of these resources, please download the printable version of the assessment, then view pages three and four of the document.
Visit the Financial Well-Being Assessment Resources page to access the full list, as well as service-specific resources.
How well you manage your day-to-day and month-to-month finances
Managing your finances so that you can pay for necessities like food and clothing, make debt
payments and pay other monthly bills helps to ensure your financial security. Learn more about
these topics using the following resources:
Assistance and Support:
download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/Economic-Security/FoodSecurityResources-SupportPrograms.pdf
Helpful Tips:
finred.usalearning.gov/Money/BudgetingUncertainTimes
Improving Credit:
finred.usalearning.gov/Money/CreditHistory
Credit Videos:
finred.usalearning.gov/Consumer-Protections/ConsumerCredit
Avoid the Debt Trap Cycle:
finred.usalearning.gov/Money/DebtTraps
Spending Plan Worksheet:
finred.usalearning.gov/assets/downloads/FINRED-Spendingplan-TK.pdf
Create Your Spending Plan:
finred.usalearning.gov/MilitaryJourneyTouchpoints/video/Creating-a-Spending-Plan
Army Emergency Relief (AER):
armyemergencyrelief.org
Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS):
nmcrs.org
Air Force Aid Society (AFAS):
afas.org
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA):
cgmahq.org
Your capacity to absorb a financial shock
Your ability to pay for a financial emergency without going into debt is important for
your future financial security, health and family. Learn more about these topics using
the following resources:
Create an Emergency Fund:
finred.usalearning.gov/Blog/EmergencyFund
Prepare for Future Expenses:
consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/how-save-emergencies-and-future
Prepare Your Finances for a Deployment:
finred.usalearning.gov/MilitaryJourneyTouchpoints/video/Deployment-and-Your-Finances
Your freedom to make financial choices without regret
Financial freedom is easier to achieve when you monitor your credit and create some
breathing room in your spending plan to save, invest and be able to purchase items
beyond necessities. Learn more about these topics using the following resources:
Credit History:
finred.usalearning.gov/Money/CreditHistory
Credit Scores:
consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-get-and-keep-a-good-credit-score-en-318/
Savings and Investing Strategies:
finred.usalearning.gov/Saving/InvestmentOps
Major Purchases:
finred.usalearning.gov/Money/MajPurchase-Sign
True Loan Cost:
finred.usalearning.gov/assets/downloads/FINRED-TrueLoanCost-I.pdf
Car Buying Basics:
finred.usalearning.gov/Money/CarBuyingBasics
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development:
hud.gov/counseling
Your efforts toward future financial success
Future financial success is easier to achieve when you follow a plan and implement
healthy financial habits like saving and investing. Take your plan to the next level with
the help of these resources:
Smart Money Tips:
playmoneysmart.fdic.gov/tools/105
Thrift Savings Plan:
tsp.gov/how-to-invest/
FINRED:
finred.usalearning.gov/Saving/InvestingMicrolearning
Legal Assistance Locator:
legalassistance.law.af.mil
Learn About POAs:
finred.usalearning.gov/Planning/POAMilitary
Trust Basics:
finred.usalearning.gov/Planning/ConsiderTrusts