First Command Reports: Career Military Confident Congress Will Avoid Government Shutdown

The First Command Financial Behaviors Index® reveals majority of
middle-class military families are confident that Congress will avoid a
government shutdown in April 2017

FORT WORTH, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–America’s career military families are growing increasingly optimistic
that lawmakers will skirt a possible government shutdown in the spring,
even as their feelings of anxiety linger.

The latest results of the First Command Financial Behaviors Index®
reveal that 85 percent of middle-class military families (commissioned
officers and senior NCOs in pay grades E-5 and above with household
incomes of at least $50,000) are confident that Congress will be able to
take appropriate action to avoid a repeat of the 2013 government
shutdown. That’s up from just 38 percent in August, when media reports
were full of news about a then-looming shutdown.

This growing confidence aligns with the recent vote by lawmakers to pass
a continuing resolution that funds the government through April 2017,
giving Congress and the White House an opportunity to set policy agendas
for a full budget.

The same upward trend is evident in the general population, where 58
percent of respondents say they expect Congress to take action to avoid
a shutdown. That’s up from 36 percent in August.

Notably, anxiety over the possibility of a shutdown remains strong among
military respondents. Seventy-one percent of military families say they
feel anxious about the possibility of another shutdown. That compares to
46 percent of the general population. Both are statistically unchanged
from August.

“Feelings of anxiety in military families come at a time when many of
our men and women in uniform are worried about how cuts to defense
spending and military pay and benefits may affect their family
finances,” said Scott Spiker, CEO of First Command Financial Services,
Inc. “Concerns are particularly strong on sequestration, with three out
of four military families feeling anxious and anticipating being
financially impacted by the cuts. We expect high levels of worry over
budget cuts and doubts about the effectiveness of lawmakers to continue
in the months ahead.”

About the First Command Financial Behaviors Index®

Compiled by Sentient Decision Science, Inc., the First Command Financial
Behaviors Index® assesses trends among the American public’s
financial behaviors, attitudes and intentions through a monthly survey
of approximately 530 U.S. consumers aged 25 to 70 with annual household
incomes of at least $50,000. Results are reported quarterly. The margin
of error is +/- 4.3 percent with a 95 percent level of confidence. http://www.firstcommand.com/fbi/

About Sentient Decision Science, Inc.

Sentient Decision Science was commissioned by First Command to compile
the Financial Behaviors Index®. SDS is a behavioral science and
consumer psychology consulting firm with special vertical expertise
within the financial services industry. SDS specializes in advanced
research methods and statistical analysis of behavioral and attitudinal
data.

About First Command

First Command Financial Services and its subsidiaries, including First
Command Advisory Services, First Command Bank and First Command
Financial Planning, assist American families in their efforts to build
wealth, reduce debt and pursue their lifetime financial goals and
dreams—focusing on consumer behavior as the first and most powerful
determinant of results. Through knowledgeable advice and coaching of the
financial behaviors conducive to success, First Command Financial
Advisors have built trustworthy, lasting relationships with hundreds of
thousands of client families since 1958.

First Command Financial Services, Inc., is the parent of First
Command Financial Planning, Inc. (Member SIPC,
FINRA),
First Command Advisory Services, Inc., First Command Insurance Services,
Inc. and First Command Bank. Financial planning services and investment
products, including securities, are offered by First Command Financial
Planning, Inc. , a broker-dealer. Financial planning and investment
advisory services are offered by First Command Advisory Services, Inc.,
an investment adviser. Insurance products and services are offered
by First Command Insurance Services, Inc., in all states except Montana,
where as required by law, insurance products and services are offered by
First Command Financial Services, Inc. (a separate Montana domestic
corporation). Banking products and services are offered by First Command
Bank. In certain states, as required by law, First Command Insurance
Services, Inc. does business as a separate domestic corporation.
Securities products are not FDIC insured, have no bank guarantee and may
lose value. A financial plan, by itself, cannot assure that retirement
or other financial goals will be met. First Command Financial Services,
Inc. and its related entities are not affiliated with, authorized to
sell or represent on behalf of or otherwise endorsed by any federal
employee benefits programs referenced, by the U.S. government, or the
U.S. armed forces.

Contacts

First Command Financial Services, Inc.
Mark Leach, 817-569-2419
Media
Relations
msleach@firstcommand.com