Empowerment Through Finance: The 2025 Military Spouse Fellows Program Announced

Empowerment Through Finance: 2025 Military Spouse Fellows

On October 8, 2025, the FINRA Investor Education Foundation (FINRA Foundation) and the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® (AFCPE®) unveiled the latest cohort of the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship. This year, 30 dedicated military spouses will begin their journey to gain the Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®) designation, fostering rewarding careers in financial counseling.

This Fellowship program, in operation since 2006, has equipped over 700 military spouses with significant training aimed at enhancing their financial skills. Their participation not only strengthens their own career prospects but also fortifies financial literacy within the military community.

Heather Walrath, an honored AFC and previous Fellowship recipient, shares her experience, “The AFC credential has been vital for empowering military families. Many professionals operate without appropriate training, and having the AFC shows my commitment to continuous learning tailored to better support their unique needs. It’s a highly recognized credential within the Department of Defense community.”

As these military spouses become proficient in financial counseling, they help uplift entire families across military installations. Gerri Walsh, President of the FINRA Foundation, notes, “Our Military Spouse Fellows highlight the transformative effects of tailored financial education on military families.” The program’s insights, now in its 20th year, solidify the notion that skilled spouses create a ripple effect—benefiting both their career trajectories and the financial well-being of military families.

Rachael DeLeon, Executive Director of AFCPE, reinforces this sentiment by acknowledging the growth of the Fellowship program: “Our current class joins a passionate and supportive community dedicated to enhancing the financial well-being of both military service members and their families. To date, over 280,000 individuals have benefitted from the support provided by FINRA Fellows.”

The Fellowship program is open to qualified spouses of active-duty or retired members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Coast Guard, and Army or Air National Guard or reserve component service members, alongside spouses from the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Interested individuals can find more details and sign up for program updates at afcpe.org/certification/finra-foundation-fellowship.

Commitment to Financial Education

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation aims to support innovative research and educational projects that enable Americans to make informed financial decisions throughout their lives. Since its inception in 2006, the Foundation has provided complimentary, impartial financial education resources and training for service members, their spouses, and financial educators stationed on bases. This commitment is reinforced by a Statement of Support with the Department of Defense, supporting financial readiness for military families.

The Role of AFCPE®

The Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® (AFCPE®) plays a crucial role in certifying and training financial professionals who help individuals achieve their life goals, irrespective of their financial backgrounds. The Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®) designation is accredited by The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and is acknowledged by the Department of Defense and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

For more information on the initiatives supported by the FINRA Foundation and AFCPE, interested individuals can visit their respective websites—finrafoundation.org and afcpe.org.

The FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship continues to be an invaluable resource in promoting financial literacy and stability within military families, fostering a better future through robust financial counseling training.