You probably have an idea of what you want your future to look like. Maybe your vision includes buying a house or sending your kids to college, or maybe you just want to be able to retire comfortably.
Whatever your financial goals are, make a commitment to yourself to take smalls steps now to ensure your future success. To get started, here are some resources to help you and your family develop a strategy for saving for the future you envision:
- Use these financial calculators to answer your home financing questions.
- 529 College Savings Plans allow you to save money, pre-tax towards education.
- OPM Academic Partners provide education discounts for federal employees, spouses, and dependents at various universities throughout the country.
- The Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) offers eligible employees confidential, no-interest loans to help bridge financial gaps in the event of a financial hardship.
- Federal employees are entitled to Flexible Spending Accounts for healthcare and dependent care to assist with medical expenses and childcare costs.
- FEMA and Operation Hope developed the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) to help individuals and families organize critical financial, medical, and household information.
- Ready.gov provides a resource center focused on providing information on financial preparedness, including information for your children.
- The TSP is a tax-deferred retirement savings and investment plan offered to federal employees.
- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provides resources to help you understand how to manage your money, including a tool to help you understand your financial well-being.
DHS cares about your financial health and has resources in place to help. Your Component Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide financial and legal consultation services or refer you to a screened financial counselor who, in a no-cost initial telephonic financial consultation, can provide you help in making your family budget.
Contact your Component EAP or reach out to the DHS Worklife Specialists at worklife@hq.dhs.gov for more information on programs that can help you plan for tomorrow while saving for today.