THE REALITY OF DEBT

As a military or a military family member, your financial situation differs significantly from the average American's. The purpose of this section is to help teach you techniques through multiple modules that will help you leverage your unique circumstances to pay off debt and eventually build wealth. Before we get to that, we will set some expectations:

1. Paying off any home while serving on Active Duty presents notable challenges due to frequent relocations and the typical mortgage terms of 15 or 30 years. With an average of five moves over a 20-year career, homeownership often means carrying a mortgage throughout most of your military service. Although it involves debt, this mortgage is deemed acceptable and is a crucial tool for building equity over time.

2. Opening credit cards and taking out personal loans can harm your financial well-being. It can lead to high-interest debt, increased financial obligations, and potential difficulty in making timely payments. It will also stress you out. We have all heard the saying, "The house always wins." The reward points credit cards offer and access to lounges in airports are funded by the interest payments people make to credit card companies. 

3. No matter the debt or income level, there is always a path forward. Operation Financial Forward is dedicated to assisting those who serve our country. As a service member, you have likely encountered tasks that initially seemed impossible but were overcome through teamwork and careful planning. Your financial journey is no different, and our team of coaches is here to support and guide you every step of the way.