Life after the military can be overwhelming. Many veterans are thrust into the role of job-seeker and must quickly adjust to the financial implications of civilian life.
“People transitioning from the military are going from an income and a benefits package they can count on into the unknown,†says Esther Maddux, who teaches military personal finance at Kansas State University.
Many soldiers return home after putting their lives on the line only to have difficulty finding gainful employment. Of the 22 million veterans in the United States, 69% consider finding employment to be their biggest challenge in transitioning to life as a civilian, according to a study by Prudential and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. But thanks to an assortment of financial education programs and free resources, veterans don’t have to take such a challenging journey alone.
One person who benefited from a veteran’s financial education program is Shauna Jones. Jones left the Air Force in November 2003 after more than six years of service because she was pregnant. She decided to go to school for social work to help better transition to civilian life. With tuition and housing paid for through student loans and the GI Bill, a program that provides veterans with financial support for education, the former staff sergeant who had worked as part of the Air Force’s law enforcement security forces, earned her associate degree at Weatherford College, her bachelor’s at Texas Wesleyan University, and her master’s at the University of Texas at Arlington. But when the single mother earned her final diploma in 2011, she discovered what many veterans learn: It can be difficult to find a civilian job.
“I was really excited and thought I would get a job fast,†she says. “But I couldn’t find a job for six months.†Having little in savings, Jones received child support but it wasn’t enough to take care of her basic expenses, so she sometimes used credit cards as well as food banks, housing assistance, and food stamps to tide her over.
While financial uncertainty is always worrisome, it can be even more traumatic for someone accustomed to the structured environment of the armed forces. “When you’re in the military, you’re used to being told what to do,†Jones says. “As a civilian, you’re left to fend for yourself.†She turned to VeteransPlus, a Friendswood, Texas-based nonprofit that provides financial counseling to veterans.
Jones found help by way of a financial adviser who reviewed her budget and showed her where she could make changes. The adviser also taught her how to negotiate with her creditors. For example, she made arrangements to defer a car payment to the end of the term of her $18,000 car loan. Finally, the adviser put Jones in touch with organizations in the community that offered emergency financial assistance to veterans who encountered budget shortfalls.
Those actions helped Jones cobble together enough money until she landed a job at a local mission. Today the 37-year-old works as a social worker and she and her 9-year-old son, Zyan, no longer struggle financially. While she knows she would have eventually found her way, she credits VeteransPlus with helping her establish her new life faster.
Understanding the problem
After 20 years of military service, veterans are eligible for a pension that is a portion of their active duty compensation. For example, someone who served for 20 years would qualify for roughly half their active duty pay. However, unless you have plenty of assets, living on half your income can be difficult, and those who leave the military before 20 years won’t even have that. As a result, many veterans seek employment.
Veterans also face other financial concerns. A survey of military financial capability by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy found that more than 25% of servicemen and servicewomen have accrued more than $10,000 in credit card debt, and only 50% have an emergency fund.
No one wants to be in debt, but financial hardship can have even more far-reaching consequences for veterans. Many have been granted security clearance, a designation that allows them access to classified information and eligibility for certain high-level jobs. However, financial problems can cause your security clearance to be denied or revoked.
“Over half of the security clearances that are lost in the military are due to financial issues,†says John E. Pickens III, executive director of VeteransPlus and Yellow Ribbon Registry Network.
Complicating the problem is the nature of military service itself. If you’re on a military base or you’ve been deployed overseas, many of your financial needs are taken care of, such as food, housing, and even physical security, says Mechel Glass, vice president of community outreach for CredAbility, a credit counseling organization that offers a financial liter
acy program for veterans. Since the basics are covered, the money you spend tends to be on those things that you want rather than those things that you need. But when you leave the military, you’ve got to find a place to live and a job. Even small things like a gym membership to stay in shape or a security alarm for your home can be a new expense. “Veterans have to figure out that they can’t spend like they used to,†says Glass, a veteran who developed a financial literacy curriculum for other veterans.During the six to 12 months it can take to find employment, veterans who don’t have much in savings can easily find themselves in financial straits. “Those that we see that are at the highest risk for homelessness are 12 months away from discharge,†says Pickens.
Get help early and often
While financial literacy programs can help you get through a financial jam, it’s better to avoid a financial crisis. If you’re planning to leave the military, start creating a financial plan as far out as two years in advance, says Glass. Ask yourself such questions as ‘What do I want to do? Will I need more education? Am I going to use the GI Bill? Will it be enough to pay for the degree that I want?’ Even if you qualify for certain benefits such as disability, it can take six to eight months for the benefits to be set up, Glass says, “so what are you going to do during that transition period?â€
Despite the challenges veterans face, studies show that once they get on their feet, veterans may have a leg up on their civilian counterparts. According to the FINRA study, members of the military are more likely than civilians to keep up with their monthly expenses, and they’re more likely to have engaged in retirement planning. “Military folks are trained to be self-sufficient,†says Pickens. “They’re trained to be problem solvers and once they have the financial literacy, we find that they can formulate a plan and meet an objective.â€
Knowing Where to Get Help
IN PERSON
Achieving the Dream Financial Literacy Program
Los Angeles
310-233-4046
Veteran’s Financial Education Network
Nationwide
800-798-3814
Veterans Outreach Center Inc.
Rochester, NY
866-906-VETS (8307)
VeteransPlus
Nationwide
888-395-6632
Veterans for Diversity Inc.
Milwaukee, WI
ONLINE
FINRA Investor Education Foundation’s
Military Financial Education Project
202-728-6970