Blog
Money, Addictions & Assessments
The most common reason for large credit card debt, unpaid bills, and lack of savings is the result of overspending, or not living within our means. While this is common knowledge in our society, why is it still such a struggle for so many Americans today? Why are we still...
June 01, 2016
Read More >AFCPE Membership Spotlight: Jen Hemphill, AFC®
Jen Hemphill is a mom, wife, mentor, money coach and entrepreneur. She is passionate about teaching busy, go-getter women how to effectively use their money as a tool to live their best life. This passion was evident even before she became a FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellow in 2008, but...
May 25, 2016
Read More >Daily Due Diligence (D3)
Author’s note: While recently counseling a soldier I discovered the conversation of investing was completely overridden by an ignorance of the “basics” – monthly budget adherence and awareness of where their money was really going. Hence the back to the basics discussion of daily (okay, weekly or monthly) due diligence was...
May 04, 2016
Read More >Financial Literacy Day on Capitol Hill 2016
Another Financial Literacy Month is in the books. It is great to see the buzz and number of events nationwide increase every year. I had the pleasure again this year to represent AFCPE® at Financial Literacy Day on the Hill at the Hart Senate Office Building. The event began with the Jump$tart...
May 02, 2016
Read More >AFCPE® MEMBERSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Mia Russell, AFC®
Mia B RussellEach month we spotlight an AFCPE® member who is making great strides in our field. This month, get to know AFCPE member, Mia Russell. Tell us a little bit about your background and what led you down the path to become a financial counselor & educator? My first position,...
April 28, 2016
Read More >Financial Stress: Encouraging Students to Seek Help
According to the 2014 National Student Financial Wellness Study, a staggering 70% of college students are stressed about finances. This statistic is concerning on many levels. Research shows that financial stress is a strong factor in academic failure, can lead to health issues and is associated with negative financial behaviors.With more college campuses developing financial...
April 25, 2016
Read More >Understanding Saving Behavior
The study of human behavior is fascinating. Why do two people in seemingly identical situations often make such different choices? What differentiates successful savers from those who are not? Furthermore, what can financial planners, counselors, and educators do to encourage savings behaviors and better support clients in their efforts to put...
April 18, 2016
Read More >The Health-Wealth Connection
Financial fitness. Financial health. These terms are widespread in personal finance conversation, publication and even in financial practice promotion. As consumers, we understand the terms health and fitness. We know that eating well and exercising are important steps to physical well-being, just as we know that effective spending and saving...
April 11, 2016
Read More >A Financial Literacy Month Challenge: Don’t Forget to Eat Your Vegetables!
Attendees of last year’s symposium, left feeling inspired. Inspired to build upon the professional relationships they made. Inspired to put acquired knowledge into immediate action. Inspired to share new ideas with professional friends, clients and colleagues. But perhaps one of the most unexpected results from the event, was a new...
April 06, 2016
Read More >A Military Spouse Perspective: Pursuing a Career as a Financial Counselor
My early financial education was given to me by my parents, sort of unintentionally and mostly from observation. As I grew up and became an adult, I learned some better financial practices from friends and associates. I also started reading books that taught about financial topics.My husband and I started...
March 22, 2016
Read More >Why Financial Fitness Coaching? In A Word: Empowerment.
Sometimes a legitimate quest for information can lead down unexpected paths. When AFCPE® first announced the Financial Fitness Coach certification in partnership with Sage Financial Solutions, I was curious. I didn’t know what the certification entailed, why I would need it, or even why AFCPE had decided to offer Financial Fitness Coach training....
March 09, 2016
Read More >The Fiduciary Rule: Already the Standard
Over the past ten years, there has been increasing focus placed on financial capability to address the increasing personal debt levels and the overall financial well-being of Americans. It is more important than ever that consumers understand their options, the financial services profession, and who is best equipped to serve...
March 03, 2016
Read More >