If your debts are so bad the stress of it is making you physically ill, you’re not alone. And if the weight of it all is stressing you mentally, you’re not alone there either. The past several years, with the economy and Covid and everything else, have made many of us wonder if there’s hope.
But yes … there is hope. The Department of Veterans Affairs has created the National Veterans Financial Resource Center (FINVET).
The purpose of FINVET is to help veterans learn to manage finances and handle the mental uncertainty of debt — and lower the risk of suicide, which can come with the stresses of finances.
The website (www.mirecc.va.gov/visn19/finvet) has tools, videos, calculators and resources for five different money-related issues: paying for essentials, saving money, increasing your income, managing debt and protecting your money.
Depending on your situation, one of those might be more important than the other right now, but they all have value.
Protecting your money can be a big one, with scammers on the line each time you answer the phone. Dozens of scams are identified, from payday lending to identity theft and scams aimed directly at veterans. Get familiar with all that the page has to offer so you’re not caught unaware.
Managing debt sometimes takes more than just additional income. Often it requires good information with advice and tools or learning ways to improve your credit score so you qualify for lower interest rates on big purchases like vehicles.
Paying for essentials can be a serious problem as well. Check the website for the many sources of help, ranging from emergency food assistance, to the national hunger hotline, to housing counselors.
The whole FINVET website is very well done, with mountains of good information no matter your financial situation, everything in one place. Bookmark the page so you can find your way back as time goes on and your situation changes.
And don’t give up. Sometimes all you need to fix a financial situation is information and a bit of support.
FROM KING FEATURES WEEKLY SERVICE, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803
By Freddy Groves
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(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
