Your Cell Phone Options if You're Military, Moved or Deployed

Cell phones are a great thing, unless you aren't in a place where you can use he., which happens to military personnel. What if you are deployed, or moved to a station where you can"t get reception?

The law has an answer for that. According to Military Wallet., the law allows active military personnel to cancel telephone contacts when moved to a place where reception is no longer possible, or deployed overseas. Also, check your phone contract and see if you are allowed to go into vacation mode if deployed, and under what circumstances.

Free Legal Assistance for Active Military

We've done a post on free legal help for veterans.  But there's help for active military, too.  I ran across something from the Ohio Attorney General's office describing assistance that they will perform for members of the military and their families.  This includes help in drafting wills and power of attorney forms, as well as enforcing a military member's rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.  That's the federal law that provides protection for military personnel from a number of some civil obligations like taxes and some debts while in the service.  To contact the Ohio Attorney General's office, call (800) 282-0515.

For those in other places, Military.com has gathered up a list of other places where service members can find free legal help for these and other issues, like taxes and consumer issues. People eligible for these services include military dependents and reservists.

Tuition Assistance for Active Military--State and Federal Levels

Much is written about veterans and their educational benefits, but there's financial aid for active military members, too.  The website MilitaryTA (tuition assistance) pulls several things together: eligibility, how to apply, and amount of aid for the army, navy, air force, marines, and coast guard.

There are also links with information on tuition and financial aid for active members of the military in each state--like many types of assistance, there are programs on the state as well as the federal level.  There are also some state programs for veterans, spouses, and the children of veterans, and these are linked, too.  Every state is different, so check them out.  Some of the benefits may be listed at state veteran's offices, or they may be listed in state offices of higher education.  Try them both as well as Military TA.

Pro Bono Financial Planning--How to Find It

Last week we talked about financial coaching that you may be able to get for free--working one on one with someone till you reach your financial goals.  There may also be free financial planning, especially if you are in certain groups.

The Foundation For Financial Planning gives grants to groups--as well as some local chapters of the Financial Planning Association--to work with underserved groups that may be in real need of financial planning.  For instance, some groups target military personnel for free financial planning, like the Massachusetts chapter.   Some other groups, like the Dana Farber Institute, provide pro bono financial planning for cancer patients.  How can you find a local group that might work with you?  Here's a list of grantees of the Foundation for Financial Planning.  They may currently have programs. You may also check with your local chapter for the Financial Planning Association to see if they have a pro bono program. 

More Sources of Emergency Financial Help for Military and Veterans

We've had a posting about emergency assistance for veterans (mostly from state and county sources) before, but have since unearthed some private, nonprofit sources, too.

The Armed Forces Foundation provides emergency funding and bereavement funding for active military and veterans' families. with things like rent, car payments, child care and other basic needs.   If you need to contact them asap, there's a toll-free number for the American Red Cross Emergency Armed Forces Foundation: 877-272-7337.  They also have a page full of other links to organizations that help members of the military and veterans. 

For active duty and veteran members of the Navy and Marines, the the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society helps them and their eligible family members.  This includes indigent mothers and widows of deceased service members (if they have limited resources) over 65, and the ex-spouses of navy and marine members, who were married to them at least 20 years while they were in active service.

The Air Force Aid Society offers emergency assistance to active and retired members of the Air Force and their families, as well as  eligible members of the Air Force National Guard and the Air Force Reserve.  See their website for more information.

Free Credit Scores for You--IF You're Active Military

We've discussed the whole issue of free credit reports (which you can demand, once a year, from each of the credit reporting companies, via www.annualcreditreport.com), and credit scores (which you can only get for free if you subscribe to a service from the credit reporting agencies, which will not be free).  But if you are an active member of the military or the spouse of an active military member, you can indeed get a free credit score without subscribing to anything. 

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation is offering free FICO credit scores to active military, but you have to go through military financial educators and counselors your nearest Personal Financial Management Program (PFMP) Office which is usually part of the Airman & Family Readiness Center, Army Community Service, Fleet and Family Support Center, Marine Corps Community Services or their equivalents. 

The only thing is, you can't get Experian's score this way, because they don't have a contract with the FIEF, and you can get a credit score from TransUnion (the "default mode"), or Equifax, but not both.  'Tis a puzzlement, but you can read all about it, and more, at the FAQ page.

Get Your Culture Vulture On--Free Museum Passes

I realize that not many are lucky enough to have a wonderful museum like the Toledo Museum of Art free to them every day (except for special exhibits).  So we in Toledo like to bask/brag a bit.  In fact TMA is also letting active military personnel and their immediate families in free for one special exhibit, the Egypt Experience till September 4th. 

But lots of free opportunities await you at museums around the country.  On September 24, 2011, the Smithonian Museum in Washington, which is always free, sponsors a free museum day at various locations around the country.  Send them an application for a free ticket for two, and the holder can get in for free.

But many other museums have "free days" too.  The website Free Museum Day lists the free days for museums in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and San Diego.  They also list museums in those cities that are free all the time.

For military personnel and their families, museums in the Blue Star initiative (of which there are over 1500 in the U.S. and territories) are given free admission (up to five family members) between Memorial Day and Labor Day. 

Finally, holders of a Bank of America credit card are given free admission to over 150 museums around the country on certain days each month.  See the website for days in your area musuems.