Save cash, spend time with new counselor

Her job is helping others manage pennies to make change in their lives.

Jacqueline Walker is the new counselor at the Personal Financial Management Program, offering free help to get bank accounts in order. Those with Marine Corps Base Hawaii access can schedule an appointment with Walker to develop a budget and plan to reach a financial goal.  Walker aids clients by drawing on her previous banking skills, her degree in accounting and experience as a Marine spouse for more than a dozen years.

“Looking back to when I was a younger spouse, there are so many resources available now that weren’t then,” said Walker, a native of San Antonio.

Walker stresses people in any financial situation can meet with her, whether they are in heavy debt or saving up for their future. She can pull up free credit reports and other resources to help people make monetary plans adjusted for their lifestyle.

One of the first steps Walker takes with clients is guiding them to decide on goals for the long and short term. In addition to planning ahead, she suggests people take the time to evaluate their current spending and its overall impact on financial health.

“With the holidays coming up, it’s important to start figuring out expenses now,” Walker said. “During the holidays, people go away on vacation, travel and send gifts home. I talk with a lot of families, and I ask why they buy expensive gifts but still ask their families for loans.”

Since she’s started working at MCB Hawaii, Walker has met with several base organizations to further develop opportunities for service members and their families. She works closely with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society to refer clients for their services and spent one of her initial days on the job speaking with NMCRS staff.

“Having Jacqueline as a counselor broadens accessible resources on the base,” said Cheryl Milca, director of the Kaneohe Bay branch of NMCRS. “It’s important to have both NMCRS and her office available. Finance is a big issue in military and can affect your career. If you’re not making it work, your financial debts can affect your security clearance.”

Walker said she also plans to host specialized financial workshops in 2014 and build unit-level support for financial counseling.

Currently, she’s developing classes about financial management for service members transitioning out of the Marine Corps. She has been organizing the classes so content is easy to understand and working with Jayme Alexander, the personal and professional development instructor for Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

Alexander said she appreciates how Walker makes financial advice relatable and can speak easily to adults and children about good money management. Alexander has also noticed how Walker neutrally handles sensitive monetary issues.

“She’s living the Marine Corps life in a Marine Corps household,” she said. “She knows how the financial situation is different now than what we’ve been accustomed to in the past. Marines might not be getting the (deployment income) they were before.”

For all of her clients, Walker said it’s important to use the free resources available to the MCB Hawaii community. Her office is just one of several base organizations where service members and their families can find needed support.

After several months of not having a PFMP counselor at MCB Hawaii, more and more people are seeking Walker out for help.

More than 20 clients have met with her and took her words to the bank, in her first three weeks as the new counselor.