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August 2012, VOL II, Issue 18    
In This Month's Issue

The Military and Money App for Military Families

 

Don't Let Election Scammers Count on Your Support This Election Season  

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SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
    

 

BBB Military Line greatly appreciates support from The McGraw-Hill Companies, without whom, our efforts on behalf of military consumers would not be possible.

Army Sgt. Matthew Howard crawls over sand under ropes at the Warrior Training Center's obstacle course during the Best Warrior Competition on Fort Benning, Ga., Aug. 1, 2012. Howard, the National Guard Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, is assigned to the Arkansas National Guard. U.S. Army photo by Taffy Steinborne-Keller.

 SCAM ALERTS!  

 

Defending Your Cash: Loan Modification Fraud Targets Military 

J.J. Montanaro, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner with USAA, says military culture requires service members to keep their finances sound. If a mortgage becomes difficult to pay, military homeowners may be more susceptible to scammers promising to fix it all quickly. 

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Don't Let Election Scammers Count on Your Support This Election Season 

Scammers are already gearing up for this year's Presidential election, from robocalls offering a "free cruise" for taking a political survey, to promises that President Obama will pay your utility bill. Better Business Bureau is advising voters to be on the lookout for the growing number of scams that are likely to continue leading up to the Presidential election. secondanchor 

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Warning About Potential VRAP Scam  

A veteran has reported receiving a call from someone named "James" who congratulated him on his VRAP approval. He advised him that he knew the exact amount he was approved for and that the $8500 would be directly deposited into his account within 45 minutes of him giving his banking account number and routing number and paying $205 for the service fee. 

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    MILITARY CONSUMER 
ISSUES & INITIATIVES
 
The Military and Money App for Military Families
The U.S. economy NEW YORK and ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), in partnership with Better Business Bureau (BBB), today launched a free mobile app designed to help America's military families make better personal decisions to ensure their financial independence.
   

Reverse Boot Camp to Prep Troops to Leave Military

WASHINGTON -- Troops leaving the military will go through a five- to seven-day reverse boot camp covering job skills, personal finances and veterans benefits under a new initiative to be announced by President Barack Obama on Monday.
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Redesigned Transition Assistance Program Announced 

WASHINGTON, Jul 23, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Today President Obama announced the launch of the redesigned Transition Assistance Program developed by an interagency team from the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Labor, Education, and Homeland Security as well as the Office of Personnel and Management and the Small Business Administration. 

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The 1,800 Home-based Jobs Created for Veterans, Military Families  

The U.S. economy is still not producing enough jobs for the 8.2 percent of individuals that are still without any kind of employment including veteran and military families and there doesn't seem to be any relief in sight soon.     

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Military Families Rein In Spending on Summer Vacations   

FORT WORTH, Texas - Again this summer the economy is impacting the rest and relaxation plans of military families, with nearly half of active-duty homes cutting back on vacation spending.    

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Senate Report Slams Major For-Profit Schools 

A Senate committee released a blistering 5,194-page report on Monday detailing its findings from a two-year investigation of the for-profit education industry, including its use and abuse of Post-9/11 GI Bill and military tuition assistance funding.  

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Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta administers the oath of office to newly commissioned Marine Corps 2nd lieutenants at the Marine Corps Officer Candidates School Commissioning ceremony at the Marine Corps Museum in Triangle, Va., Aug. 10, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo.

 
As a partner in the Joining Forces Initiative and DOD Financial Readiness Campaign, BBB Military Line brings BBB consumer education and services to military personnel (including Reservists and National Guard), retirees, DoD civilians, and their families.