CFO Atwater Offers Tips To Build Wealth, Not Debt

By  //  February 26, 2015

Atwater Speaks With Service Members During Military Saves Week

ABOVE VIDEO: Florida CFO Jeff Atwater spoke with active service and veterans of the U.S. Military about the financial challenges they face. 


Jeff Atwater
Jeff Atwater

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — As your Chief Financial Officer, one of my primary goals is to ensure that all Floridians have the information they need to make smart financial choices.

Just as every individual is unique, each person has a differing set of financial circumstances, goals and challenges that make saving unique. As Florida is home to more than 65,000 active duty service members and an additional 1.5 million veterans, I feel it especially important to provide information and clarity on the specific saving challenges faced by military families. This week is Florida Saves and Military Saves Week, and in support of these dedicated men and women, I’d like to share with you the programs and resources available to all of Florida’s military families through our Department.

Financial FrontlinesLaunched in 2013, Financial Frontlines is an online initiative that provides information and resources to help Florida’s military families reduce debt and fight back against financial fraud. Financial security for all is based on proper planning that begins with the creation of a savings plan that includes specific goals, along with a realistic budget. On top of these basic skills, Financial Frontlines helps individuals navigate military-specific resources, like the Service members Civil Relief Act and the Military Lending Act, both of which provide resources and protections tailored to the lives of service members and their families.

atwater-header-580We also took time recently to visit with several service members, both active duty and retired, and talked with them about their experiences navigating the financial challenges of being in the military. We’ve put together their thoughts in a short video that I hope you will enjoy. I encourage Florida’s military families to review these testimonials and to begin implementing savings and budgeting strategies that work best for their needs.

No matter what stage of life, we should all have a plan in place to save and work toward our financial goals. For useful tips, please visit our Your Money Matters webpage at www.myfloridacfo.com/ymm.