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Starting today, the FINRA Investor Education Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship is accepting applications for its 2019 class of financial FINRA Fellows — a unique program designed to increase the financial capability of U.S. service members and their families.
The national program offers military spouses the opportunity to earn a career-enhancing credential — the AFC®(Accredited Financial Counselor®) — while providing financial counseling and education to the military community.
Applications must be received no later than midnight, EDT, April 19, 2019. Prospective candidates can apply online at http://www.militaryspouseafcpe.org/application.
The program is open to current or surviving spouses of active duty or retired Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard or Reserve service members, as well as spouses of members of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps.
The Fellowship is provided by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation in partnership with the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® (AFCPE®), which administers the certification, along with Blue Star Families and the National Military Family Association (NMFA). The FINRA Foundation covers the costs associated with the program’s self-study course and exam.
“Since its inception, the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship program has championed a unique, hands-on approach to supporting military service members and their families by providing unbiased financial information and personalized counseling services,” said Gerri Walsh, President of the FINRA Foundation. “Equipped with the AFC® certification, FINRA Fellows empower military families to more confidently manage their financial lives and plan for their financial futures.”
The FINRA Foundation has provided more than 1,530 military spouses the opportunity to earn the AFC®certification. In turn, FINRA Fellows serve the military community of which they are a part. FINRA Fellows pursuing their certification provided financial counseling and education to more than 24,100 service members or their spouses in 2018 alone, and have dedicated more than 475,000 hours helping military families reach their financial goals since the program’s launch in 2006.
Upon completion of the AFC® certification, FINRA Fellows continue to support the military community as financial counselors at family readiness and support centers, credit counseling and tax centers, financial aid offices, and credit unions throughout the U.S. and abroad.
“The AFC® certification sets the standard for the field of financial counseling and education. Military spouses who go through the certification program gain both the education and experience needed to help military families successfully navigate financial challenges and opportunities,” said Rebecca Wiggins, AFCPE Executive Director. “Upon completion of the program, FINRA Fellows have a portable, career-enhancing credential and an expanded professional network to support them throughout their career.”
“Military families face unique financial burdens, and no one knows those challenges like military spouses,” said National Military Family Association Executive Director Joyce Raezer. “Thanks to the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship program, military spouses are able to serve as financial educators in their community and help other military families meet their financial goals. At the same time, these military spouses are able to build a flexible career that adds to their own family’s financial security.”
Full biographies of selected accredited spouse fellows are available at www.SaveAndInvest.org/Military.
