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11/6/2009
Lowe’s, Home Depot offer vets discounts
Home improvement retailers Lowe’s and Home Depot are offering a 10 percent discount to active-duty, National Guard and reserve members, retirees, veterans and their immediate family members in honor of Veterans Day. The Home Depot is offering the discount Nov. 5-11. Lowe’s Companies will offer the discount from Nov. 8-15.
11/5/2009
National parks free for everyone Nov. 11
Anyone visiting national parks, refuges and other public recreation areas on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, will pay no entrance fees, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today. Those areas include any public recreation lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.
11/2/2009
President Proclaims Military Family Month
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2009 – President Barack Obama pledged his support of military members and their families and said Americans have a “solemn obligation” to preserve their well-being in his proclamation declaring November as Military Family Month.
10/29/2009
Consumer Alert
E-mail Claiming to Be From the FDIC – October 26, 2009
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received numerous reports of a fraudulent e-mail that has the appearance of being sent from the FDIC. The subject line of the e-mail states: “check your Bank Deposit Insurance Coverage.”...This e-mail and associated Web site are fraudulent. Recipients should consider the intent of this e-mail as an attempt to collect personal or confidential information, some of which may be used to gain unauthorized access to on-line banking services or to conduct identity theft.
10/22/2009
No fees on new commissary gift certificates
Just in time for the holidays, commissary officials have launched a new gift certificate program that will be administered internally, eliminating the need to charge customers extra for the certificates. Officials had searched for an alternative after the previous gift certificate program abruptly ended when the company CertifiChecks Inc. went out of business Feb. 26, leaving customers holding worthless gift certificates.
10/2/2009
Tricare hospitalization fees go up Oct. 1
Fees for hospitalization under the military’s Tricare health plan are increasing on Thursday, the start of the new fiscal year, Tricare Management Activity officials announced Wednesday
10/2/2009
Homeowner assistance program now under way
A program to help military homeowners caught in the downturn of the housing market started processing applications Wednesday, sources said, with the publication of the implementing rules in the Federal Register.About 4,300 homeowners have applied for assistance under the expanded Homeowners Assistance Program, which was signed into law Feb. 17 with $555 million in funding. Eligible are people on permanent change-of-station orders, wounded warriors, surviving spouses and those affected by base realignment and closure actions.
10/2/2009
Emergency GI Bill payments: How to get yours
The Veterans Affairs Department has come up with a simplified system to provide emergency payments for students waiting for their Post-9/11 GI Bill claims to be processed. Beginning Friday, students who need the promised $3,000 payments right away can receive an on-the-spot check by visiting one of the VA’s 57 regional offices with a copy of their class schedule and photo identification in hand.
9/29/2009
Secretary Shinseki Orders Emergency Checks to Students Awaiting Education Benefits
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has authorized checks for up to $3,000 to be given to students who have applied for educational benefits and who have not yet received their government payment. The checks will be distributed to eligible students at VA regional benefits offices across the country starting Oct. 2, 2009.
9/29/2009
Justice Department Announces Settlement of Its First Landlord-Tenant Case Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
The Justice Department today announced that it had reached a settlement with a Virginia landlord to resolve allegations that she violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). The lawsuit alleged that the landlord failed to return prepaid rent and security deposits to a tenant who had terminated her lease early in order to comply with military orders to relocate from to Georgia.
9/16/2009
VA officials warn of telephone scam
Officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs are warning people not to give credit card numbers over the phone to callers who claim to be updating VA prescription information.
9/8/2009
YOUNG ADULTS GET THE 411 OF PERSONAL FINANCE IN PBS’ YOUR LIFE, YOUR MONEY
Real-Life Money Management Special Hosted by Donald Faison [Scrubs, Clueless] and Featuring Hip Hop Entrepreneur Russell Simmons Premieres Wednesday, September 9 at 9 PM, ET/PT
The groundbreaking new program YOUR LIFE, YOUR MONEY empowers young adults to get their financial lives on track – even if they barely have finances at all... This engaging one-hour special provides vital, relatable information on everything from banking and credit, to investments, budgeting, insurance and self-employment.
9/8/2009
GI Bill housing checks flow, with some delays
Facing a rush of last-minute claims, the Department of Veterans Affairs has cut housing checks to tens of thousands of veterans returning to college under the newly expanded GI Bill but officials acknowledge several thousand may get their money later than expected.
9/7/2009
Your Commissary is Offering the World's Largest Case Lot Sale!
Commissary customers can save 30 percent or more on their purchases every day, but in September they can save even more by shopping at a worldwide case lot sale in their community.
8/28/2009
New Rule Prohibiting Unwanted "Robocalls" to Take Effect on September 1
Telemarketers Must Obtain Prior Written Approval from Consumers Who Want to Receive Such Calls
Beginning September 1, 2009, prerecorded commercial telemarketing calls to consumers – commonly known as robocalls – will be prohibited, unless the telemarketer has obtained permission in writing from consumers who want to receive such calls, the Federal Trade Commission announced today.
8/7/2009
Obama signs 'cash-for-clunkers' extension into law
It's official: Car shoppers are getting more time to trade in their clunkers for cash. President Barack Obama signed into law Friday morning an extension of the stimulus program that proved so popular it ran out of money.The Senate voted Thursday to triple the "cash-for-clunkers" fund to $3 billion and extend the program to Labor Day, assuming the new money lasts that long. The law gives owners $3,500 to $4,500 for trading in old cars that use a lot of gas for newer, more efficient vehicles.
8/3/2009
Be on the Alert for Bogus ‘Cash for Clunkers’ Offers
Scam artists are trying to profit from the federal government’s new program that helps consumers buy or lease a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle. According to a new consumer alert from the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, people should be on the lookout for so-called “cash for clunker” Web sites that ask for personal information – including name, address, and Social Security number – that they claim is necessary to “register” for the program. The scam artists behind these sites are phishing for personal information that can be used to commit identity theft and other frauds.
7/09/2009
Operation Homefront is proud to announce Operation Homefront’s Military Spouse Scholarship Program. Applications are due July 15th, 2009.
The scholarship award is offered to spouses of uniformed service members to attend a four-year college or university, graduate school, accredited trade school, certificate program, vocational school or community college. Learn more and view the application here
7/1/2009
MAID BRIGADE VETERANS FRANCHISE GIVEAWAY
At Maid Brigade we know that military veterans make excellent franchisees – in fact, over 10% of Maid Brigade owners are veterans... That’s why Maid Brigade wants to reward as many as 100 qualified veterans who have what it takes to own a business. The Gold Award is a Maid Brigade Select Market Franchise valued at $45,000... The contest starts on Independence Day and ends on Veterans Day, so enter now for your opportunity to own an award-winning Maid Brigade Franchise!
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Links to Resources
Kiplinger-BBB Personal Finance Guide for Military Families- This guide contains practical, easy-to-understand information about being financially prepared for deployment, buying a home, minimizing taxes, holding down insurance costs and avoiding financial schemes that too often target military families.
Armed Forces Legal Assistance(AFLA) web site is a joint initiative of the Armed Forces legal assistance offices that aims to provide general legal information to the military community to enhance its readiness. The information provided through this Web site is for educational and general information purposes only. It is not legal advice.
Coast Guard Office of Work-Life
The Coast Guard's Work-Life Program is managed by the Office of Work-Life, a Headquarters program manager staff within the Health and Safety Directorate. This staff is responsible for establishing, developing and promulgating Work-Life policy and interpreting program standards for Coast Guard-wide implementation. The overall objective is to support the well-being of active duty, reserve and civilian employees and family members.
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