PERSONAL FINANCIAL COUNSELING

Commander’s Quick Reference

“Always Ready, Always There!”

PFC Services

 Personal budget/financial planning

 Money management techniques

 Credit counseling

 Debt repayment options

 Retirement and Estate Planning

 Saving and Investing

 Tax planning

 Student loan/tuition assistance 

 Consumer Awareness

 Financial planning for deployment

 Youth Financial Education

Blended Retirement System (BRS) 

 Opt-In Course Training

PFCs CANNOT

 Offer personal services

 Give specific investment advice

 Endorse products or companies 

 Keep written records

Personal Financial Counseling is 

free confidential, short-term 

counseling designed to identify 

immediate and long-range 

measures to increase income, 

reduce household expenditures, 

and avoid additional financial 

burdens. Clients have access to 

free FICO credit scores and personalized credit report reviews. 

Units can request training on financial topics with approved materials. 

Personal Financial Counselors (PFCs) are available worldwide for active 

duty and reserve components. 

FLEXIBLE DELIVERY

OUT-OF-SCOPE SERVICES

Face-to-Face

Financial Briefings

Resource Table

Personal financial counseling is not intended to address issues requiring 

long-term counseling; referrals to outside resources will be made. 

Counseling sessions are confidential; however, counselors are 

mandated reporters of situations that include harm to self or others, 

domestic violence, child abuse or neglect, violence against any person, 

and any present or future illegal activity.

PFCs provide services at: Drill and Strong Bond weekends, Yellow 

Ribbon events, FRG meetings, unit locations, and community agencies 

frequented by families. All PFCs are tasked to educate and counsel all 

Service members and families in the geographic area regardless of 

service component.
“Always Ready, Always There!”

Highlights

Deploy to CONUS and OCONUS 

locations to meet on-demand, surge, 

and rotational requirements. 

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

PFC QUALIFICATIONS

OTHER RESOURCES

Current as of March 2017

All Personal Financial Counselors hold a minimum of a bachelor’s 

degree coupled with 2+ years of experience in financial counseling or 

education and possess a national certification as an Accredited 

Financial Counselor (AFC), Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or 

Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC).

Personal Financial Manager www.militaryinstallations.dod.mil 

Military OneSource www.militaryonesource.mil 

Army Emergency Relief www.aerhq.org

Navy –Marine Corps Relief Society www.nmcrs.org

Air Force Aid Society www.afas.org

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau www.consumerfinance.gov

Thrift Savings Plan www.tsp.gov

Military Saves www.militarysaves.org

Consumer Federation of America www.consumerfed.org

FINRA Investor Education Foundation www.finrafoundation.org

National Military Family Association www.nmfa.org

Council of Better Business Bureaus www.bbb.org/us/Military

Jump$tart Coalition for Financial Literacy www.jumpstart.org 

National Endowment for Fin. Education www.nefe.org

Defense Credit Union Council www.dcuc.org

USAA Educational Foundation www.usaaef.org

Securities and Exchange Commission www.sec.gov

InCharge Institute of America www.incharge.org

National Foundation for Credit Counseling www.nfcc.org

All active-duty, National Guard and reserve service members (regardless

of activation status), their immediate family members, and survivors are

eligible.

For unit events, go to:

https://supportrequest.militaryonesource.mil

*Blended Retirement System Opt-In 

mandatory training

*Financial briefings on various topics 

(ex. Thrift Savings Plan, deployment 

savings, investing)

*Face-to-Face financial counseling

*Resource Table

PFC Requests