Veteran’s Resource Center to host financial assistance event
Kaitlyn Jorgensen
Staff Writer
The Veteran’s Resource Center will be hosting an event entitled “Planning for your Future? The Time to Act is Now” on Thursday in the Centennial Student Union room 203.
The financial planning event will serve food, and the floor will be opened up for questions until 1 p.m. The guest speaker for the event is Jack Culbertson, a former MNSU student and a current financial planner with Northwestern Mutual. He is also a United States Marine Corps veteran.
The event is being organized by volunteers Isaac Cammack, a veteran of the U.S. Army, and Jade Hengel, a current member of the Army National Guard. While Culbertson has expertise in military benefits, the event is free, and open to anyone interested including civilian students and community members.
The event will discuss budget building, savings plans including the thrift savings plans and allotments offered to military personnel and veterans, and making the most of one’s veteran’s benefits.
“It’s never too late to start planning for your future,” Cammack said. “A lot of students are oblivious to things that will help them be financially stable in the future. The majority of people when they get old say they wish they could go back and invest more, especially with big life events like kids, mortgages, etc.”
The secret to saving is by starting a little bit at a time Cammack advised. “That $50 you spend on drinks Friday night would be better put in a savings account where it can add up over time and help you become financially stable,” Cammack said.
Veteran’s benefits can be confusing applying for and sorting through all the paperwork. “The hardest part for me was not knowing who to talk to around campus,” Cammack said. “Culbertson is great at his job as a financial advisor and he can help you find the right people to talk to. He is great at helping veterans, enlisted, or ROTC students find resources and set them up for success.”
Another key part of the presentation will feature managing money and setting a monthly budget. “College students in general have a hard time managing money, because no one is telling them what to do anymore,” Hengel said. “This is especially true for military students who are fresh out of basic training or veterans coming off of active duty. You go from having strict discipline to being able to do whatever you want, and it’s easy to spend money without having a plan in place.”
RSVP is not required but highly encouraged. One may RSVP to the event on the Veteran’s Resource Facebook page or by emailing Cammack at isaac.cammack@mnsu.edu.