Congress in now considering ways to educate Americans to manage their budgets, credit cards and debt so that the mistakes that led to this current recession don't happen again.
The military has already instituted training programs that could serve as models for the general public.
Military financial counselors say that the new programs are slowly changing the culture of debt in the armed forces -- debt that had previously prevented personnel from obtaining crucial security clearances.
Consumer advocates like Martin Eakes believe that Congress should look to the military's program as an example of how to protect all Americans from crippling personal debt problems.
"If it's right to protect our military service members," Eakes says, "why is it not also right to protect our teachers, our policemen, our firemen, our other first-responders, and really the other citizens of America?"
This video report looks at what the U.S. Congress can learn from the way that the armed forces solved their pervasive debt problems.
Quotes
"When I first got a credit card, I thought it was free money. I just blew the money, as if it wasn't mine, electronic devices, stereo system, clothes." - Airman Ashlyn Tracy, U.S. Air Force
"What we are trying to avoid is mission failure, really. So, if a service member is concentrating on maybe that financial situation back home that's not so great, rather than focusing on the mission, then there is potential for -- for not executing the mission successfully." - David Julian, Department of Defense
"If it's right to protect our military service members, why is it not also right to protect our teachers, our policemen, our firemen, our other first-responders, and really the other citizens of America?" Martin Eakes, consumer advocate
Warm Up Questions
1. What is debt?
2. How do credit cards work? Do you have a credit card?
Discussion Questions
1. Why is debt such a problem in the United States? How do people get into problems with credit cards?
2. What are some of the issues that can arise when somebody has a large amount of debt? What might they be unable to do?
3. Why do you think that Congress has approved these measures for the military and has yet to impose them on the rest of the country?
Additional Resources
Read the transcript of this report
