Unbiased Financial Education 'Critical' for Military Resiliency Training, Says Keynoter at 'Making $ense of Finance' Conference

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Financial and investing challenges facing members of the military, their families, and veterans were the subject of a free "Making $ense of Finance" conference on Saturday at Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Military Finance Alliance.

"The men and women in uniform, along with their families, face many challenges that are often more difficult during deployments and immediately after returning. The information provided today is a critical supplement to military resiliency training," Brigadier General (Ret) John DiNapoli, president of Spencer Ryan, LLC and keynote speaker, said. "These topics, presented by unbiased sources, help to reduce short term financial stress and assist military families in building long term financial well-being."

Attendees at the conference were provided with tools and information on the following subjects:

• How service members can make informed decisions when it comes to saving and investing
• Review of the new Thrift Savings Plan retirement system for members of the military
• Detecting and avoiding military focused financial scams
• Challenges of household budgeting for families while a service member is deployed
• How service members can learn to build and manage their credit

"The better informed the men and women who serve our country and Pennsylvania are about their finances and investing in their futures, the easier it becomes for them to protect and grow their money," said Secretary of Banking and Securities Robin L. Wiessmann. "Whether deployed or at home, service members and their families face unique financial circumstances or may be specifically targeted by scam artists with clever come-ons. The tools they leave with today can help secure their financial futures."

Working with Kiplinger's Personal Finance, the Department of Banking and Securities has made available free the "Financial Field Manual: A Personal Finance Guide for Military Families," which provides information and insight into these challenges. This publication can be found online at: http://bit.ly/2y45rmV

"Making $ense of Finance" was made possible through the Pennsylvania Military Finance Alliance, a cooperative effort of the PA Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the PA Department of Banking and Securities, the PA Office of Attorney General, PA Military OneSource, Better Business Bureau, Liberty USO, Army Community Service, PA National Guard, and Advantage Credit Counseling Services.

Members of the public with questions or complaints about financial products and services can call 1-800-PA-BANKS (or 1-800-600-0007). To learn more about financial and investing matters, visit PA Investor Education on Facebook and @PAFinancialReg on Twitter.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Ed Novak, Department of Banking and Securities, 717-783-4721
Joan Nissley, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, 717-861-8720

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities; Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs