Frequent relocations can make it tough for career-minded military spouses to find dependable, meaningful employment, but military spouse employment programs have enjoyed dramatic improvements in recent years, according to the Spring 2008 issue of Military Money® magazine.In an article entitled “Spouse Employment: Success Can Be Yours,” author Jessica Perdew says the military community is “enjoying an unprecedented focus on military families and their needs” and discusses how federal and private-sector initiatives can boost a spouse’s ability to start and maintain a career while married to a servicemember.The cover feature highlights some of the new U.S. government programs specifically targeted to job-seeking military spouses:

• The most exciting recent development is the Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative, a U.S. Department of Defense partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor designed to expand employment opportunities for spouses of junior enlisted members and junior officers and to educate employers on the value of hiring military spouses.
• Milspouse.org, a Department of Defense web site, offers a starting-off point where spouses can search by military installation to find the nearest Department of Labor One-Stop Career Center, childcare resources, local educational opportunities, local job boards and job market information, and search and interview strategies.
• The military spouse preference program was developed by the Department of Defense to provide priority in the federal hiring process for military spouses who must relocate due to the servicemember’s permanent change of station (PCS) orders.

The article also reminds readers not to overlook local community resources, noting that many companies have partnered with the Department of Defense to develop military-friendly employment programs and that local governments and school systems welcome military spouse job applicants.Military Money is a personal finance and lifestyle magazine geared towards families of military service members. Published by InCharge® Education Foundation, Inc., it is distributed four times per year, free of charge, through many U.S.-based military bases, commissaries and family centers, as well as inside the European-based Stars & Stripes newspaper. The magazine addresses such personal finance issues as money management, home and family life for military families, career advice, deployment and relocation and transitioning to the civilian world.Among the other important topics featured in the Spring 2008 issue of Military Money:

• How U.S. military members deployed to a designated combat zone can earn a guaranteed 10 percent return on up to $10,000 in savings;
• Not banking online? Military families not using “the financial institution of the future” may be throwing time and money out the window;
• One military family’s path to debt-free living – tip: it helps to make wise use of a re-enlistment bonus;
• How military families stateside are using their personal experiences and compassion to help service members in ways large and small.

The publication of Military Money is made possible through the generous financial support of a number of prominent public- and private-sector organizations including the FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) Investor Education Foundation, which leads a multi-faceted education campaign for U.S. military members and their families.FINRA is partnering with the National Military Family Association (NMFA) and the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE) to offer the Military Spouse Fellowship Program, which will provide military spouses an opportunity to learn the skills necessary to earn the accredited financial counselor credential for working in financial counseling nationwide on or off military installations. Applications for the 2008 program will be accepted through the NMFA Web site (www.nmfa.org) from March 31 to April 30.First launched in 2003, Military Money magazine is part of the Department of Defense’s “Financial Readiness Campaign,” and distributed with the support of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. The Web site, www.militarymoney.com, complements the magazine with additional content, calculators, surveys and other interactive tools.For more information on corporate, government and nonprofit sponsorships, please contact Ed Koziol, Manager of Publication Partnerships for InCharge Education Foundation, at 407-532-5616.Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, InCharge® Institute of America, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with affiliates specializing in personal finance education and credit counseling. InCharge® Education Foundation, Inc., publishes Military Money® magazine and offers financial literacy education to clients and the general public. InCharge® Debt Solutions provides professional credit counseling and financial education services to consumers and is a member of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA). Consumers can access InCharge Debt Solutions credit counseling services for free by calling 1-888-360-9694 or online at www.incharge.org.