Financial Assistance

Financial guidance is provided by an accredited financial counselor under the Personal Financial Management Program on base. These financial educators provide one-on-one financial counseling to individuals and married couples who want to improve their money management skills and control their household finances.

Appointments

Appointments to meet with the financial counselor can be made by contacting the Fleet and Family Support Center at 850-235-5611 or by asking for a referral appointment by the member's command financial specialist. Some common areas of assistance for financial education include: creating an effective financial plan for a household, credit and debt management, retirement planning, savings and investments, insurance and risk management, car- and home-buying strategies, military pay and allowances, consumer advocacy topics related to predatory lending or scam prevention and many other financial topics.

Financial training and workshops on subjects like those mentioned above are held each month for all hands at the FFSC training room or at another training facility on base. The dates for these presentations are listed in the FFSC’s monthly newsletter and on the local FFSC Facebook page. To inquire about a particular training and/or to reserve a seat, call 850-235-5611. In addition to these training offerings, commands may request that specialized financial presentations be provided for their personnel.

Panama City metropolitan area is a tourist area that has what is considered a high cost of living. Government industry, manufacturing, commercial fishing and services make up the local economy.

The average cost of renting an apartment or home in the area varies upon your location with the average two- or three-bedroom rental being between $1300-$2000 per month. The median sell price for homes in Bay County is $352,900.  However, there are multiple factors that impact the housing price so check with the NSA Panama City Housing Office for up to date housing costs.

The state of Florida's minimum car insurance coverage requirements are $10,000 property damage liability, $10,000 personal injury protection and no greater than a $2,000 deductible. Florida is considered a no-fault state; therefore, it requires PIP coverage.

Should you encounter a situation where you need emergency financial assistance while in transit and you are near a military installation, contact the servicing relief agency (for example, Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, Air Force Aid and others).

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society’s education program offers interest-free loans and scholarships for Navy and Marine Corps families pursue their academic goals.  

To obtain application materials or additional information on these programs and other NMCRS education programs, call 703-696-4960, go to https://www.nmcrs.org/pages/education-loans-and-scholarships.