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Financial Counseling Available for Veterans, Military Members and Families

May 28th, 2021

Financial Counseling Available for Veterans, Military Members and Families

Current and former members of the military and their families face unique circumstances, and TopLine and LSS Financial Counseling is here to meet those needs. One of the services LSS offers is CORE (Counseling and Case Management, Outreach, Referral and Education). This is a great service for veterans, active military and their families.

Challenges Facing Military Members and Families

Active duty personnel, veterans and their families can encounter a host of issues related to military service, including:

  • Deployment, redeployment and moves to different military stations
  • Reintegration with family and life after a tour of duty
  • Money management
  • Caregiving for loved ones injured during their service
  • Navigating the system of veterans’ benefits and services

Military deployment can make service members and families more vulnerable to predatory lending and economic uncertainty. U.S. Department of Defense studies have shown a concentration of payday lending stores near military bases. In addition, moving from one military station to another can result in the loss of a spouse’s job, a decrease in the spouse’s income, changes in the cost of living or a delay in securing permanent housing.

Support for Veterans and Their Families

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota’s (LSS) services for military members and their families include CORE, a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA). CORE offers caregiver support & respite, casework, housing assistance, mental health counseling and financial counseling to qualifying veterans and their families.

LSS Financial Counseling, a service of LSS, is part of the CORE team, providing trusted, compassionate and nonjudgmental support to veterans and their families wanting to gain control over their finances. As CORE team members, we work with veterans to meet the requirements for financial assistance from agencies like the MDVA. This includes reviewing the veteran’s finances, creating a budget, and making recommendations to help them stabilize their finances. We also equip veterans with the skills and tools to achieve financial goals, such as manage credit card and student loan debt, improve credit and prepare for homeownership.

LSS supports military members and their families who do not meet CORE requirements. Visit LSS’s website for a complete list of financial wellness services.

If you are a veteran and you and your family would like to gain more control over your finances, call LSS’s CORE service at 844-577-2673. If you are an active servicemember or family member, call toll-free 888-577-2227.

Being a TopLine member gives you and your family access to up to six (6) free private and confidential financial education counseling sessions annually with a certified consumer credit counselor from LSS Financial Counseling. Sessions are available by phone, in-person or online. Contact LSS today for your free financial education session at 1-800-528-2926 or visit LSS online and mention you are a TopLine member.