The FINRA Investor Education Foundation (FINRA Foundation) and the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® (AFCPE®) are excited to announce the selection of the 2026 cohort of the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship. This year, 30 military spouses will take steps toward achieving their Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®) designation, setting the groundwork for meaningful careers in financial counseling.

Since 2006, the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship has offered more than 1,835 military spouses the opportunity to obtain their AFC® certification while building a thriving global network of financially confident and empowered military families. To date, FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellows have provided financial counseling and education to more than 289,700 service members and their families worldwide. By equipping military spouses with the expertise required for flexible, rewarding careers in financial counseling, the fellowship strengthens financial security and enhances overall readiness across military communities.

“The FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship has filled a critical need—equipping military spouses with portable, rewarding careers in financial counseling while delivering expert financial education and guidance to hundreds of thousands of service members and their families around the world,” said Christine Kieffer, President of the FINRA Foundation. “Military families face real and distinct financial challenges. From frequent moves and deployments to the underemployment that too often follows, our military spouse fellows understand those challenges firsthand and are uniquely positioned to strengthen financial readiness and resilience across military communities.”

“For 20 years, the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship has opened doors for military spouses to build portable, purpose-driven careers while strengthening the financial well-being of the communities they know best,” said Rachael DeLeon, Executive Director of AFCPE®. “We are proud to welcome the 2026 class of fellows into an incredible community of AFC® professionals who are creating lasting impact for military service members and their families—at home, across the country, and around the world.”

The FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship is open to qualifying spouses of active-duty or retired Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Coast Guard, and Army or Air National Guard or reserve component service members, as well as spouses of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration professionals.

For more information and to sign up for program updates, visit https://www.afcpe.org/education/finra-foundation-fellowship/.

About the FINRA Investor Education Foundation

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation supports innovative research and educational projects that empower Americans with the knowledge, skills and tools to make sound financial decisions throughout their lives. For more information about FINRA Foundation research and education initiatives, visit www.finrafoundation.org.

About FINRA

FINRA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to investor protection and market integrity. FINRA regulates one critical part of the securities industry—member brokerage firms doing business in the U.S. FINRA, overseen by the SEC, writes rules, examines for and enforces compliance with FINRA rules and federal securities laws, registers broker-dealer personnel and offers them education and training, and informs the investing public. In addition, FINRA provides surveillance and other regulatory services for equities and options markets, as well as trade reporting and other industry utilities. FINRA also administers a dispute resolution forum for investors and brokerage firms and their registered employees. For more information, visit www.finra.org.

About AFCPE®

The Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® (AFCPE®) educates and equips financial professionals to serve their communities with a vision of financial well-being for all. The Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®) credential is accredited by The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), and nationally recognized by the Department of Defense and the CFPB. Please visit www.afcpe.org.

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