Military Saves Week: Build Wealth…Not Debt

  • Published
  • By Capt. Brian Sydnor
  • 22nd Medical Support Squadron
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  With Military Saves week kicking off Feb. 24 through March 2, many people may be wondering exactly what this is. Military Saves is a social marketing campaign to persuade, motivate, and encourage military families to save money every month, and to convince leaders and organizations to be aggressive in promoting automatic savings. The campaign is a growing network of organizations and individuals committed to helping and supporting military members and their loved ones build personal savings arsenals to provide for their immediate and long term financial needs. 

Military Saves was developed and tested by its non-profit sponsor, Consumer Federation of America and the military services from 2003 to 2006 and launched throughout the Department of Defense on Feb. 25, 2007. It is part of two larger campaigns -- the DoD Financial Readiness Campaign, and the national America Saves campaign. While it is an ongoing campaign, the entire military community comes together to focus on financial readiness during Military Saves Week, the last Sunday in February to the first Sunday in March. 

This will be the second year that McConnell has promoted this campaign, and there are several interesting classes throughout the week being taught by local professionals. The classes will be held at the Airman and Family Readiness Center for 30-40 minutes, and the schedule is as follows: 

- Monday, Feb. 25, Credit Report Review at 11a.m.
- Tuesday, Feb. 26, Car Buying at 11 a.m.
- Wednesday, Feb. 27, Predatory Lending at 11a.m.
- Thursday, Feb. 28, Car Buying at 11 a.m.
- Friday, March 1, Mortgages and Home Owning at 9 a.m. 

In addition to these classes available to the McConnell community, there may be some classes and activities at the group level. There will also be tables set up at the Community Center with representatives from local banking institutions to provide information about several topics. Please take advantage of all of these resources, and make the pledge to "Build Wealth, Not Debt." For more information, visit www.militarysaves.org, or contact 1st Lt. Timothy Plante at 759-6029 or by email at timothy.plante@mcconnell.af.mil.