In recognition of April as Military Saves Month, at the end of last week, state Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis called on Florida’s active military members and veterans to pay off debt and prepare for the future by creating an achievable savings plan.
Military Saves Month is a month-long national effort to encourage the military community to strengthen their financial well-being.
“Florida’s veterans, active-duty military members, reservists and their families sacrifice so much in service to our country. To ensure Florida remains one of the most military and veteran-friendly states in the nation, I’m committed to providing resources to help secure a bright financial future for these heroes that call Florida home. As with any financial plan, making saving a priority is always a must. During Military Saves Month, I encourage service members to create a savings plan to help better prepare for retirement and cut down debt,” Patronis said on Friday.
Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs Deputy Executive Director and retired Marine Corps Major General James S. “Hammer” Hartsell also weighed in.
“We salute CFO Jimmy Patronis for his steadfast support of our military and veterans’ community, especially when it comes to building a strong financial future. His comprehensive Financial Frontlines initiative is one that we’ve historically championed when engaging with Florida’s 1.5 million veterans and their families,” Hartsell said.
Patronis has been focused on providing information and tools to help military members build a strong financial foundation and protect against fraud and debt. The CFO’s Financial Frontlines initiative provides information to help families fight against financial frauds and debt with the use of an in-depth Resource Guide. In addition, the Department of Financial Services also offers Serve Save Succeed, a financial literacy resource and online forum for current and former military service members and their families on finance-related topics.
Last year, Patronis also advocated for the passage of the Florida Veterans Protection Act, which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2020.The legislation helps protect veterans by adding the victimization of 10 or more veterans as an aggravated white-collar crime.
