Blog

For Gabriella Barthlow, 2015 is a year of firsts. Although she has worked as an AFC® professional for more than 7 years, this year she started a new role as a Financial Coach for the CFPB Financial Coaching project, became a member of AFCPE® and is planning her first trip to the...

July 29, 2015

It's been nearly two years since the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ruled that same-sex couples legally married in states that recognize their marriages, should be treated as married for federal tax purposes. Subsequently, the ruling applies regardless of whether the couple lives in...

July 13, 2015

Recently in a personal finance class, some of the students asked me how much they should be spending in the different budget categories, such as housing, groceries, and so on. I’ve always seen these categories as somewhat flexible, with the amount you spend on one thing versus another being entirely...

July 08, 2015

As financial counselors, coaches and educators, it is important to recognize and understand various systems of saving and investing that culturally diverse populations and the underbanked might use.  The use of money pools might not be the first choice that a financial professional might recommend to a client, but if...

July 02, 2015

Be prepared. When most people hear these two words, they think of the Boy Scouts of America. I want to share with you why all military spouses need to be prepared as well. I was a military spouse for three months shy of 20 years when my 1SG (First Sergeant)...

June 15, 2015

Part 3: MONEY, DEBT, AND THE LAW 101 Read Part 1: A Snapshot View of Consumer Debt Read Part 2: Can They Take My Money? Anyone can be sued by a debt collector. Debt collectors don’t only sue deadbeats. They are paid to follow the money. Sometimes they get it right, and...

June 11, 2015

Part 2: MONEY, DEBT, AND THE LAW 101Read Part 1: A Snapshot View of Consumer DebtLast week we looked at some of the factors that are driving the growth in the debt collection industry and the aggressive nature of that industry, particularly in respect to third-party debt-buyers and consumer debt. Consumer...

June 04, 2015

AFCPE® is proud to partner with the Better Business’ Bureau Institute, Moneythink, IDEO.org and CauseLabs to launch a financial capability tool designed specifically for transitioning servicemembers, veterans and their families to help them navigate their finances during the transition from active duty to civilian life. MobileMis$$ion, an innovative and FREE app,...

June 03, 2015

Let’s talk about a guy named Lawrence. Lawrence served our country in the military. Lawrence is guaranteed a home loan through the VA as a benefit for his service, after he, of course, meets certain minimum qualifications. Lawrence almost didn’t get to close a deal due to a Realtor® who was...

June 02, 2015

Part 1: MONEY, DEBT, AND THE LAW 101According to the Federal Reserve, credit card debt reached $884.8 billion this month, and student loan debt topped out at $1.8 trillion. The average household carries $15,609 in credit card debt, while the average student loan debt is $32,956. At the same time that...

May 28, 2015

MFLN Personal Finance Webinars Founded in 2012, Military Families Learning Network (MFLN) Personal Finance aims to build the financial management capability and educational background of Personal Financial Management (PFM) Program Managers. PFMs are employed by the military to provide educational and counseling to active duty military, their family members, and retirees. Many...

May 27, 2015

In honor of 2015 Military Spouse Appreciation Day, AFCPE is proud to honor the incredible work of the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellows. Since the program's inception in 2006, military spouses have provided hundreds of thousands of hours of financial counseling and education to our military service members, military families and veterans....

May 08, 2015