4 Reasons to Jump on the Military Saves Bandwagon

We at HHN love the opportunity to help our Heroes when they come home, but from time-to-time, we like to pass on useful articles that will help all the Hero families out there.


By Joseph Montanaro, USAA Certified Financial Planner® Practitioner

The 2011 Military Saves Campaign kicks off with Military Saves Week Feb. 20-27. Normally, I'm not big on keeping up with the Joneses or jumping on bandwagons, but in this case it's a no-brainer. Here's why:

You won't miss it and even a little adds up. The Thrift Savings Plan is a great way to systematically set aside money for retirement. Just start with 1 percent of your pay and bump it up with every pay raise and promotion and you're on the way to what could be hundreds of thousands of reasons to save. Are you in the savings game? If not, visit your personnel office and sign up now. If you are, visit myPay and kick off Military Saves Week by increasing your contribution.

Stress relief. If you've ever lived with a big "debt cloud" hanging over your head, you would know what I mean by stress. Can you wipe out this problem overnight? Probably not, however having a plan to get your financial house in order - one that doesn't involve burying your head in the sand - will start to give you control and allow you to shed the stress.

Curve balls. Even $25 per paycheck going into your new savings account will begin to prepare you for Murphy's arrival on your doorstep. And if you're fortunate enough to avoid life's surprises for a bit, you'll have a full-blown emergency fund.

To live your dreams. Whether it's a family vacation or that new set of wheels, most dreams come with a price tag - sometimes, a hefty price tag. Visualize that dream as you set up your new savings program.

The first step is the hardest. Visit www.militarysaves.org and take The Saver Pledge: "I will help myself by saving money, reducing debt, and building wealth over time. I will help my family and my country by encouraging other Americans to Build Wealth, Not Debt."
Now that's a bandwagon worth riding on!