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JANUARY FAMILY FOCUS 2017
Disclaimer: The information that appears in these page(s) or attached are intended to inform service members, veterans, retires, survivors and their families of special offers provided and are not intended to constitute an endorsement by the South Dakota Army and Air National Guard, the United States Army, the United States Air Force, or the Department of Defense. It is strictly intended to be used for informational purposes only.
JANUARY Family Focus
Issue Date
THE FOCUS IS FOR SERVICE MEMBERS & FAMILIES, VETERANS, RETIREES & SURVIVORS
Adapted From The Alternative Daily
With each passing year, full of hope and ambition, we make our New Year’s resolutions. Let’s examine the pros and the cons of making resolutions.
The Pros. Allow you to reflect. Once you begin to think about the areas in your life you’d like to improve, you force yourself to reflect on not only your past, but your present and future. What has been working in your favor and what has brought you down? In order to set achievable goals, you need to have a better sense of where you’ve been, as well as the direction you’d like to take moving forward. Supports positive change. Resolutions tend to be goals that improve your life — saving for a down payment, losing 20 pounds, and eliminating fast food are just a few examples. When you recognize areas that you’d like to change, you can become empowered to take action. You do have a lot of control over your life, and a resolution
can be the first proactive step towards a more stable, healthy, and fulfilling life. Promote positive self-reflection. As you reflect, you’ll also acknowledge some of your most recent accomplishments. When immersed in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we often forget to reflect on our achievements. Have you already lost weight? Congratulate yourself and continue to push forward. As you continue to reach your goals, you’ll boost your self-esteem and confidence.
Cons. It can be an uphill battle. It’s great to be optimistic, feeling as though you can conquer anything. When the New Year comes around, we all tend to feel that extra bit of fire in our hearts and minds. We feel like this is our year and that nothing can stop us, so why do so few succeed? Resolutions are often unrealistic. People aim to break habits overnight, which they have developed over the course of multiple years.
Lose sight of the required steps. When making a resolution, which is usually an area of our life that we have not yet addressed, we often focus solely on the end result. If you have not yet achieved this specific goal, there must be a reason why. Once again, let’s focus on weight loss. If you have beenthe same weight for five years, how do you plan on succeeding this year? Increases self-criticism. When resolutions aren’t achieved, we often punish ourselves. Whether you feel guilty or ashamed, these thought processes are damaging to your overall mental health. When we set the bar high, it often backfires and promotes self-criticism.
At the end of the day, you are in control of your own life. The choices you make and the changes that follow are influenced by your own personal actions. If there is a part of your life that you feel could be improved upon, start working on it. Take the steps today, to better your future tomorrow.
Pros and Cons of Making Resolutions
The Mission of Service Member & Family Support is to enhance and empower the lives of our customers with consistently exceptional service & support.
Service Member and Family Support
Phone: 1-800-658-3930
JANUARY FAMILY FOCUS | 2017 2
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it now provides eligibility determinations for interment in a VA national cemetery prior to the time of need.
Through the Pre-Need Determination of Eligibility Program, upon request, individuals can learn if they are eligible for burial or memorialization in a VA national cemetery. Secretary of Veterans Affairs McDonald said, "This new program reaffirms our commitment to providing a lifetime of benefits and services for veterans and their families." Now veterans and their families can plan for their burial needs which will alleviate some of the burden later.
Click here for additional information
Interested individuals may submit VA Form 40-10007 and supporting documentation, such as a DD Form 214, to the VA National Cemetery Scheduling Office by fax at 1-855-840-8299; or email to [email protected] or mail: National Cemetery Scheduling Office, P.O. Box 510543, St. Louis, MO 63151
VA Cemeteries Offering Pre-Enrollment for
Eligible Veterans
Tickets can be picked up at the front gate the day/night of event. If you would like to provide a picture for the digital display please email the picture (JPEG recommended) to [email protected] NLT 25 January 2017.
JANUARY FAMILY FOCUS | 2017 3
Yellow Ribbon Program
The DoD Yellow Ribbon Program prepares service members and their families for mobilization, sustain families during mobilization and reintegrate Soldiers with their families, communities and employers upon post-deployment.
The program provides information, services, referrals, and proactive outreach programs to Soldiers and their families through all phases of the deployment cycle.
The program uses best practices from the military services, and combining those to form a joint program that service members and their families can rely on for assistance and support regardless of services or location.
In addition to helping service members and families understand their benefits and entitlements as they transition in and out of active-duty status, the program links people to services such as referrals and counseling through Military OneSource, Veterans Affairs, Vet Center, Military Family Life Consultants, TRICARE and local programs.
Strong Bonds
Strong Bonds is conducted in an offsite retreat format in order to maximize the training effect. The retreat or “get away” provides a fun, safe, and secure environment in which to address the impact of relocations, deployments, and military lifestyle stressors
14-15 January 2017 – Sioux Falls 7 Habits of Families or 7 Habits of Singles
25-26 February 2017 – Deadwood Ski Weekend for Singles
18-19 March 2017 – Sioux Falls Active Military Families
For additional Information contact Chaplain (COL) Wilson at 605-737-6009 or [email protected]
SPOTLIGHTS
Family Movie NightSee page 8
New Retirement System
Information See page 11
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) Information on page 15
Your “Easy Button” for Assistance page 17
Monthly Focus
JANUARY FAMILY FOCUS | 2017 4
As we head into the New Year, we also head straight into tax season. Unless you are a tax expert, you are probably dreading this time of the year. Here are a couple of resources available to our NG Families.
Military OneSource: http://www.military.com/money/personal-finance/taxes/do-your-taxes-for-free.html
CONUS VITA Centers: http://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-and-legal/taxes?content_id=289972
Filing an extension: http://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-and-legal/taxes?content_id=281425
IRS Free File for under $64,000: https://www.irs.gov/uac/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free
Cash-Constrained Families Will Have To Wait For EITC and Child Credit Refunds: http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/cash-constrained-families-will-have-wait-eitc-and-child-credit-refunds
Finally, Personal Financial Counselors (PFCs) can assist with basic tax questions. See pages 12-14 for additional advice from Andre Milteer, AFC, Personal Financial Counselor
Financial Peace University classes in Sioux Falls and Rapid City
Have you heard of Dave Ramsey? Do you want to be debt free in 2017? Then this is for you!
From January 10 through 7 March you can get your finances in order.
DATE SUBJECT
17 JAN Relating With Money
24 JAN Cash Flow Planning
31 JAN Dumping Debt
07 FEB Credit Sharks In Suits
14 FEB Buyer Beware
21 FEB Clause & Effect
28 FEB From Fruition to Tuition
07 MAR Real Estate and Mortgages
The following optional online classes are also available:
• That’s Not Good Enough!/Working inYour Strengths/Of Mice And Mutual Funds
• Military Bonus Lesson
• Military Edition of The Dave RamseyShow on FOX Business Network
Interested? Please direct questions to CH (COL) Lynn Wilson at:
605.737.6009/605.431.5182 or [email protected]
Military Funeral
Honors Course
A 40 hour Military Funeral Honors
Course is scheduled for 19 – 24
February 2017 at the Fort Meade,
South Dakota RTI. This course will
cover phase I and II of the national
standards for performing and
honoring deceased Veterans. This
course is hands on, as well as some
classroom study. This class is for all
Soldiers who have never attended
any formal instruction. All Soldier’s
participating in funeral honors must
attend the entire 40 hour course.
Soldiers must be in the grades of E8
& below, have letter of
recommendation from their unit’s
First Sergeant or Commander that
includes comments on passing APFT
within 12 months, meet the
standards of AR 600-9, and have no
adverse personnel actions. Duty
uniform will be ACU however
Soldiers must bring a complete and
proper fitting Army Service Uniform
(ASU). Class size is limited to 18.
Questions regarding the Military
Funeral Honors Course may be
addressed to MSG Mary Mallow at
605-737-6945 or
2017 Tax Season Resources
JANUARY FAMILY FOCUS | 2017 5
Q. My coworker enrolled in a debt
relief program where the company
was supposed to negotiate her
debt down to 50%. But she said
none of her payments are going to
her creditors, and now she’s being
sued. Is this service legal? What
can my co-worker do now?
A. Yes, this kind of debt relief
service is completely legal. What
you described is known as debt
settlement. In this kind of
agreement, a company promises to
reduce your debt by 50% by
offering your creditors
settlements. Unfortunately, many
consumers don’t understand how
the process works.
When you sign up for a debt
settlement service, you send
monthly payments to the debt
settlement company, but they do
not forward your payments to your
creditors. Instead, they hold your
money in an account until you have
enough money to offer a single
creditor a settlement.
Depending on the size of your
debts, it can take months for just
one creditor to be offered a
settlement.
Because your creditors are not
being paid monthly, you go further
delinquent. And because they are
not receiving payments, your
creditors will charge you late fees
and interest, consequently raising
your balance. In the meantime,
your credit report is negatively
impacted when you do not make
monthly payments.
Once you have enough money to
make a settlement, the debt
settlement company pays the
creditor. Even after a creditor gets
paid, however, you will still suffer
the ripple effects of debt
settlement. You will already have
paid a fee for the debt settlement
company to pay your creditor, but
then the IRS will tax you on the
amount of forgiven debt. The
payment will show up on your
credit report as a settlement,
which negatively influences your
credit score. And to make matters
worse, those creditors that have
not received any payments may
opt to sue you since you have not
paid them.
The Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau (CFPB) releases a monthly
snapshot detailing consumer
complaints that pertain to financial
services. The November 2016
report revealed that debt
settlement received more
complaints than any “other
financial services”, including check
cashing, credit repair and money
orders. In fact, problems with debt
settlement companies made up
50% of the complaints submitted
to the CFPB.
I would suggest that your friend
review her debt settlement
paperwork so that she can find out
how much of her money can be
refunded to her. If she cannot find
her paperwork, she should call the
debt settlement company and ask
them to send or email her a copy.
She needs to find the cancellation
clause in the paperwork and follow
it.
If your friend still needs legitimate
debt help (and she probably will
after using a debt settlement
service,) she should contact a non-
profit accredited credit counseling
agency.
How Do Debt Relief Programs Work by Bonnie Spain, Consumer Credit Counseling Services of the Black Hills
JANUARY FAMILY FOCUS | 2017 16
JANUARY FAMILY FOCUS 2017
Disclaimer: The information that appears in these page(s) or attached are intended to inform service members, veterans, retires, survivors and their families of special offers provided and are not intended to constitute an endorsement by the South Dakota Army and Air National Guard, the United States Army, the United States Air Force, or the Department of Defense. It is strictly intended to be used for informational purposes only.
T
JANUARY Family Focus
Service Member and Family Support South Dakota National Guard
2823 W. Main St, Rapid City SD 57702
1-800-658-3930
We also recommend that you like and follow us on Facebook as we continuously update new and exciting information. Have suggestions of things you would like to see in a future issue of the focus? Please contact us!
SD National Guard Family Assistance Center
The SD National Guard Family Assistance Center
provides families, service members, community
members and employers a focal point of information.
This holds especially true for geographically dispersed
families who are unable to access services at a local
base, installation, or fort. In other words, Family
Assistance personnel are the "Easy Button" for
assistance and referral for families.
We provide our service members and families with a
direct contact for questions, benefit information,
resources and tools to be a self-reliant and strong
military family!
Our offices are located in Rapid City, Sioux Falls,
Watertown, Brookings and Mitchell.
We can be reached 24/7 at 1-800-658-3930
