139th Airlift Wing News

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 55

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 19:46:26 GMT

I hope you will make specific, measureable and realistic changes in January to get yourself back on track. Let me help you in any of the following areas (not all-inclusive!): Credit card pay-off plan Income tax planning Spending plan foundation (or adjustment!) Retirement planning-now and in the future

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 54

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 20:10:40 GMT

As you plan for the future, our free "Money Ready" guide is designed with a simple objective: to introduce you to the basics of personal finance so that you can begin building a solid financial foundation and improve your financial readiness. The National Defense Authorization Act in 2016 created the Blended Retirement System, or BRS. Service members covered under the BRS may be eligible to receive a one-time, midcareer bonus payment in exchange for an agreement to perform additional obligated service.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 52

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 14:52:00 GMT

This month I wanted to remind everyone of the incredible amount of information at Military One Source, specialized to help those in the military. Additionally, I thought it would be helpful to provide some financial information for those with children as it’s never too soon (or late!) to learn about money.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 51

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 19:13:17 GMT

A spending plan gives you control. Your plan will clearly show how much money you have coming in, what you’re spending it on and where you can make trade-offs to come up with extra cash.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 48

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 19:47:00 GMT

By the time you get this issue, your 2020 taxes are most likely filed, Economic Impact Payments have been received, it appears the pandemic is receding somewhat and the economy is starting to recover. This month’s Tidbit focuses on the need to have a written spending plan to help you maximize your income by identifying where and how you have expenses.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 47

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 19:53:34 GMT

This month’s Tidbit will follow-up on last month’s focus on income tax filing. Many of you could have experienced notable changes in income, deductions, etc., so please note the tax filing items I suggest.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 46

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 16:05:16 GMT

This month’s Tidbit will follow up on last month’s focus on income tax filing. Many of you could have experienced notable changes in income, deductions, etc., so please note the tax filing items I suggest.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 45

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 17:58:54 GMT

Filing your taxes just may be a little more challenging this year due to COVID-related Executive Orders and other adjustments. Tax season can be a dreaded time of year for many people, but the Defense Department's Military OneSource offers the MilTax program to ease filing stress for service members and their families

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 41

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 20:22:00 GMT

AnnualCreditReport.com is the official site to get your free annual credit reports. This right is guaranteed by Federal law. You can verify this is the official site by visiting the CFPB's website. A credit score is usually a three-digit number that lenders use to help them decide whether you get a mortgage, a credit card or some other line of credit, and the interest rate you are charged for this credit.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 40

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 15:24:19 GMT

Happy New Year, and good riddance, 2020! Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Christmas as we look forward to getting ahead of this pandemic and returning to “normalcy” (whatever that will look like!).

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 39

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 17:44:57 GMT

There won’t be a briefing on Thursday this week but wanted to send out an important reminder or two. I will still hold my Tuesday drop-in sessions. Please note the websites below to get useful information related to end of the year concerns. Have a very merry Christmas and be vigilant with any family or group gatherings.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 38

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Once you have made the commitment to start a savings plan, and you have decided into which banking institution to place your money, the crucial question you may ask yourself is, “Where am I going to find extra money to put away?”

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - #37

Randy Gerard — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 19:10:03 GMT

Whether you are ready for it or not, the holidays are upon us! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and everyone in your family is healthy and safe. The holidays are certainly a special time for family and friends but prepare yourself with the following financial security tips for this time of year.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - #36

Randy Gerard — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 21:26:00 GMT

This will be an abbreviated Tidbit in view of Thanksgiving coming this Thursday so there will also not be any briefing this week.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 33

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 17:54:50 GMT

The most wonderful time of the year is upon us, bringing thoughts of family, friends and cherished traditions. That means different things to different people. Our traditions may differ, but they tend to run deep, tapping into childhood memories and strong emotions.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 32

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 15:22:43 GMT

Money as You Grow Bookshelf is a reading program that helps you weave money skills into the time you may already spend reading to your kids at home, in a way they’ll understand.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 31

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 14:31:55 GMT

Military OneSource provides free, online resources to service members and their families via the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Digital Library. You’ll find eBooks and audiobooks on virtually every topic, as well as databases and reference books that can help you learn a new skill, keep kids engaged and serve as a homework source, or prepare you to land your next job

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 30

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 19:27:00 GMT

The IRS encourages everyone to use the Tax Withholding Estimator to perform a “paycheck checkup.” This will help you make sure you have the right amount of tax withheld from your paycheck.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 29

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 14:20:25 GMT

During these times of COVID-19, accessing your credit is important. That's why Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are now offering free weekly online reports through April 2021.

Coping with Financial Issues of COVID-19 - Part 28

Randy Gerard, Personal Financial Counselor — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 17:54:21 GMT

In support of National Small Business Week – September 22 to 24 – the Internal Revenue Service is emphasizing the many IRS online resources available to help small business owners and self-employed individuals handle the tax aspects of their business.