Personal Financial Management Program (PFMP)

The Personal Financial Management Program (PFMP) is offered through Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS), Marine & Family Programs, Personal and Professional Development branch. Our goal is to increase financial literacy; promote personal and family financial responsibility; support mission readiness for our commands; and educate our Marines, Sailors and their dependents on how to achieve financial success. The PFM Program offers classes monthly to promote financial education, conducts one-on-one counseling, offers unit financial briefs and classes to promote financial readiness, and provides information and referral to help get you started on your path to financial freedom.

Please call 808-257-7783/1232 to register for a workshop below.

Car Buying Strategies
What you should know before purchasing a car such as knowing what you can afford, planning for the various expenditures of a car, and learning to get the best deal on the purchase, such as knowing the difference between Invoice, MSRP, and Adjusted Market Value.

Command Financial Specialist Forum
Quarterly forum in accordance with MCO 1700.37. Command Financial Specialists meet and share ideas about their respective programs. Guest speakers provide up-to-date information on financial issues. We discuss trends, what we have seen during the quarter, and decide if we need to train throughout all commands on these current issues. Senior Leadership invited/encouraged to attend.

Command Financial Specialist Training (CFST)
5-Day Course offered to Marine/Navy command-sponsored service members who will be assigned this collateral duty. In accordance with MCO 1700.37, members attending class must be E6 and above with a minimum of one year left on their PRD. To register, call 257-7783/1232.

Command Financial Specialist (CFS) Refresher Training
This one-day training is required every three years for trained Command Financial Specialists to review and sharpen skills learned in the CFS training which include the financial planning worksheet, solution-focused financial counseling, and developing your CFS program. Learn new presentation skills and techniques as well as discuss current financial topics. Open to all trained Command Financial Specialists.

Corporal for Financial Fitness Workshop
The Corporal for Financial Fitness (CFF) will be a trained Corporal who will provide peer-to-peer influence.  As a CFF, you will support the installation PFMP staff and CFS by performing outreach to target Marines in the ranks of E1-E4 to increase the awareness of the authorized services and programs available to young Marines and why financial fitness is part of mission readiness.  If you are interested in becoming a CFF, please contact your Command Financial Specialist (CFS) or PFMP for a list of qualifications.  Also, to become a CFF, you must be designated in writing by your Commanding Officer.  Class size is limited to 25 participants; reservations are required due to limited seating.

Financial Planning for Retirement
This financial class will focus on the long term planning for retirement, how to calculate what you will need to live that life of financial freedom at retirement age. Start planning now so you can retire without the worries.

Home Buying
Great opportunity to gain a strong foundation for home purchase decisions. Workshop focuses on the intricacies of VA home loans, details of the VA purchase process, other mortgage options, what to do before investing in a home and details of the purchase process.

Lifecycle Financial Class
Required for Marines during the Marine for Life cycle. Financial Action Points: first duty station, TSP, continuation pay, marriage, divorce, promotion, birth of first child, pre/post deployment. This class will satisfy the requirement when codes are received to complete financial education.

Managing Money and Credit
Learn the basic skills and techniques for managing your money and budgeting; gain an awareness of credit cards and loans, the ins and outs of credit reports and credit scores and learn how to plan savings goals to secure your financial future.

Million Dollar Marine/Spouse
This two-day class is designed to provide the “complete financial picture”. Attendees will learn about the importance of a spending plan, budgeting techniques, credit management, savings and investment options, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), insurance, pay and allowances, consumer rip-offs/awareness tips, how to obtain a loan, credit scores, credit reports, and new/used car purchasing techniques.

Raising Financially Fit Kids (Class for Parents)
This workshop for parents will cover some of the ideas concerning money management and your child, throughout the different stages of their life. To give an allowance or not. When and how to begin regular savings, chores, debit cards for kids, etc.

Saving/Investment/TSP
Learn the basic skills and techniques of managing and budgeting your money, where to begin, and how to shop for investments. Teaches the difference in Stocks, Bonds, Roth and Traditional IRAs, CDs, and Money Market Accounts. Class will also cover the Thrift Savings Plan, which funds are available, how to complete an interfund transfer, what the returns have been historically for the TSP funds to include the risks associated with each of the funds, designation of beneficiary, etc. Gain the knowledge about where and what your money is invested in, and then sit back and watch your money grow.

Personal Readiness Seminar
1st Thursday of every month (Klipper Ballroom)
Registration Required. This class will ensure Marines receive basic personal financial education within 90 days of arrival at their first permanent duty station. Topics include introduction to Personal & Professional Development, income overview (MyPay & LES), savings and investing, living expenses (wants vs. needs), legal rights and consumer awareness, and SMART goals. Sailors are welcome to attend.

Preparing for the Holidays Financially
Learn how to develop a holiday spending plan with a gift list and an overall survival plan that will assist you in enjoying a less stressful holiday season.

Military Saves Week
Military Saves Week is an annual opportunity for installations and organizations to promote good savings behavior and a chance for service members and their families to assess their own saving status. The Personal Financial Management Program and the Education Center presents: Military Saves Week – Set a Goal. Make a Plan. Save Automatically.

Talking Money with Your Honey
Financial class for couples, offered in the evenings. Class will discuss the differences in thinking about money situations, exercises for couples to see if you really know what your spouse’s spending habits are. Attendees will work with their spouse to come up with short and long-term goals, planning out a budget together, and coming up with savings and investment goals. Registration is required.

Individual counseling and financial education is FREE to active duty, family members, reserve personnel and retirees. Counseling sessions are strictly CONFIDENTIAL. For financial counseling appointments, please bring the following printed out:

  • LES
  • Paystub for spouse
  • Bank statement/Credit statement from previous month printed out (ex. Appt in February, print out the full month of January)
  • Debt owed- must include: minimum payment due, grand totaled owed, APR/interest rate (if we don’t have this information we’ll be limited in creating a repayment plan)
  • All bills for the household

Preparing your financial documents ahead of time will help ensure that we have enough time to complete a budget aimed towards accomplishing your financial goals.

 

Units – Want your Marines and Sailors to be financially savvy? Contact the Personal Financial Management Program to schedule tailored financial presentations to meet the needs of your unit.

To encourage individual participation, as well as spouse attendance, financial workshops are scheduled monthly at the Education Center, Building 220. For more information or to schedule individual or unit training, call the PFMP office at (808) 257-7783/1232.

The USMC-MCCS.ORG website below provides a great number of websites which address several personal financial management areas. You are encouraged to first visit the USMC-MCCS.ORG website then use the supplemental websites listed below. The websites below supplement those found on the USMC-MCCS.ORG website and provide more specific information specifically focused on personal financial matters while stationed in Hawaii.

Overview of Personal Financial Management

Military Pay & Benefits

  • mypay.dfas.mil – Access LES, make allotment/TSP/withholding changes

Banking

Business Planning

Career Planning

Consumer Protection

Credit Reports/Credit Scores

Credit Reports

Housing

Home Buying

Landlord – Tenant & Roommate

Identity Theft

Insurance

  • www.naic.org – National Association of Insurance Commissioners

Legal Assistance

Nutrition Programs

Saving & Investing

Taxes

 

Emergency Financial Assistance
Navy Marine Corps Relief Society
Kaneohe Bay, Building 4016
Marine Corps Base Hawaii 96863
Phone: 808-257-1972
Monday–Friday: 0800–1530
www.nmcrs.org

Emergency Communications/ 
After Hours Access to Emergency Financial Assistance 
American Red Cross
Kaneohe Bay, Building 216
Marine Corps Base Hawaii 96863
Phone: 808-257-8848
Monday–Friday: 0800–1600
After hours 1-877-272-7337
www.redcross.org

 

 

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