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BBB Military Line to Bring Financial Literacy and
Marketplace Support to Military Families


The BBB Military Line, a financial literacy and consumer protection initiative for military families, gained a new sustaining partner with the announcement that the FINRA Investor Education Foundation will provide additional resources to this important program. USAA Federal Savings Bank has also made a significant commitment to BBB Military Line. These two leading organizations join BBB and McGraw-Hill whose efforts to reach more than 40,000 military families through a full complement of online and onsite financial resources including webinars, mobile applications, workshops and promotions were included in the First Lady and Dr. Biden's Joining Forces Initiative.

"By supporting BBB Military Line, the FINRA Foundation and USAA Federal Savings Bank are providing resources directly addressing financial literacy and consumer problems that can overwhelm and distract our service members and their families," said Stephen A. Cox, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. "BBB Military Line has been working with military families for over seven years and with the support of the FINRA Foundation and USAA Federal Savings Bank, more resources will be available to expand this important mission."

"The FINRA Foundation is proud to partner with BBB Military Line to help protect military families from scams that target the military community. BBB Military Line reaches military service members and their families throughout the United States and will provide the military with the tools and information they need to avoid fraud and make smart financial decisions," said Gerri Walsh, Acting President of the FINRA Foundation.

"We believe the men and women who protect our freedoms deserve financial tools and education, which is why we provided a contribution to the BBB Military Line," said David Bohne, President, USAA Federal Savings Bank. "We share a common goal and know that financial readiness equals mission readiness."

According to information released earlier this year, consumers filed l.l million complaints against North American businesses in 2010, reflecting a 10% increase over the previous year. Consumers also turned to the BBB more then 87 million times for help researching businesses, a 37% increase over the previous year. "We are delighted that consumers are increasingly relying on the BBB for resolving disputes with businesses and are honored to partner with the Military Line to expand upon the sort of assistance we can offer our military personnel," said Chris Coleman, President and CEO of the BBB serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities, and Siouxland Region.

Locally, our Community Relations Representative in the Quad Cities area, Patt Englander has been coordinating with Jon Cook of the Rock Island Arsenal and members of his staff exploring opportunities for the BBB to work with them to help military families. In Des Moines, Chris Coleman, President and Madeline Storey, Vice President of our BBB recently met with Karen Schechinger, of Army One Source to establish lines of communication and further promote the program. "While we have a long-standing reputation for complaint handling, we have multiple programs that serve businesses and the communities we live in," continued Coleman.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Military Line program, established in 2004 and in partnership with the DOD Financial Readiness Campaign, brings financial workshops tailored to the military for adults and teens; participates in community fairs, conferences, and military installation events; and provides consumer protection information and services — all through the efforts of local BBB offices throughout the US. Our program empowers our military communities and builds bridges between civilian and military cultures through face to face interaction and cooperation. Our online presence provides financial literacy and military consumer information, along with consumer threat alerts that specifically target the military population. Please visit www.bbb.org/military or email Rod Davis, rdavis@council.bbb.org for more information or contact us at 1-800-222-1600 if your company is interested in supporting this initiative.