Employees

• Every day, an employee leaves their job for another. Oftentimes, the more is due to their heavy burden of debt and desire to have a better lifestyle.
• The reality is one out of every four employees is financially distressed.
• Employees spend 3 hours a week on the phone on the job to deal with their failing finances.
• Large numbers of loans against company retirement plans (401k, TSP, 503b, etc.) – the equivalent of a 40 percent loan. Employees work longer because they are not retirement ready.
• 58% of Americans have withdrawn or borrowed from their retirement savings plans according to BankRate.com
• It has been proven that personnel readiness, productivity, performance, creativity, and leadership skills are compromised when the employee is financially distressed.
• According to all research and statistics on personal financial wellness training, it is estimated that the return on investment exceeds a 3 to 1 margin. For example, if a company spends $5,000 on a financial wellness program, then it will gain $15,000 in increased performance and productivity.
• In a fiercely competitive global market, spending is not only essential but equally justified by the ROI.

Federal Employees

For Federal employees with a security clearance, financial considerations are fundamental to employee readiness, mission readiness, and ultimately mission success. Adjudicative guidelines are established for all who require access to classified information— C2.2.1.12. Appendix 8 Guideline F: Financial Considerations, which include excessive indebtedness, recurring financial difficulties, or unexplained affluence.

• Conditions that could raise a security concern and may be disqualifying include delinquent debt; a history of not meeting financial obligations; deceptive or illegal financial practices such as embezzlement, employee theft, check fraud, income tax evasion, expense account fraud, filing
  deceptive loan statements, and other intentional financial breaches of trust; inability or unwillingness to satisfy debts; unexplained affluence; financial problems that are linked to gambling, drug abuse, alcoholism, or other issues of security concern.
• As stated in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the DoD provides personal financial management to service members and their families. Also stated in the MOU, “Personal financial management is also seen as an integral part of personal readiness to accomplish the DoD mission.”
• There is little doubt that for Federal employees, the number one destroyer of a security clearance is financial problems due to excessive debt levels. Reasons range from financial irresponsibility, lack of planning and knowledge, and events such as medical emergencies, furloughs, and economic downturns.
• Regardless of the reason, it leaves our country’s leaders in the perilous spot of making personnel decisions that impact mission readiness and the security of our country.
• A sampling of Defense Office of Hearing and Appeals (DOHA) security clearance hearings showed that about 50 percent of clearance denials involved “Financial Considerations.” This was two times greater than the next most frequently listed issue for clearance denial which was Foreign Influence. – William H. Henderson, President of Federal Clearance Assistance Service.

Students

It’s well documented that only 45% of freshman students graduate leaving 55% of students to suspend college with debt tied to student loans, credit cards, and vehicles. Reasons for premature exits include debt, family issues, unexpected medical problems, lack of funding, lack of support, cost of college, need to join the work force, and financial distress.

• 20.3% of student loans are delinquent (PewTrusts) significantly impacting default rates
• Forbes reported that student loan debt has reached $1.8 trillion.
• 72% of students experience financial stress from the fear of money management after college reporting from a national student financial wellness study.
• More educational institutions and employers understand the correlation between personal success and the professional success of their students and future employees. New employees simply can’t function professionally at the levels necessary to maximize company performance if they are unprepared to manage their finances early in their career.
• Therefore, exposing students to financial wellness programs pre-employment, sets them up for financial success and confidence, especially in the critical areas of retirement account contributions, retirement plan loan reductions, absenteeism due to second jobs, identity theft protection, estate planning, and other financial strategies. In addition, they are more apt to not chase the dollars once presented with a career opportunity that will allow them to meet their financial goals.