Our country has done amazing things in the past when we all came together. But we have not been “together” for a long time. In fact, I doubt we have ever been so apart. It’s time to change all that.

If you are opposed to this war, you should be free to peaceably debate your views with those who support it. However, being “for” or “against” this war and saying you “support the troops” at the same time is not good enough. What does that mean - “I support the troops.” It’s a very convenient phrase but it has come to mean very little for both sides of the debate. In the preceding post entitled Financial Casualties of War, I tried to throw some light on the financial aspect of the War on Terror and the lives that are being affected. But it’s just not good enough to be aware of a problem - we need to do something to help out. It doesn’t matter how big or small the gesture, it just needs to happen.

For my part, I have decided, for an indefinite period, to offer free subscriptions to HEDGEfolios for anyone in the American armed forces - all you need is a military email address in your registration. Right now, I have no idea how much of an impact this offer will have so I will periodically assess my ability to keep this entirely free. If I do have to charge later, it will be a nominal fee to cover the cost and any excess profit will be donated to military-related charities. Just take a few minutes to register for the normal 30-day free trial and I will take care of the rest on my end. If you are in the military, please forward a link to this post to others who might be interested.

That’s the best I can do. What about you? If you are a CPA, how tough would it be to provide tax preparation for a few military families? If you are a financial planner, could you spare a few hours a week to advise some people that really need your help? How about extending more of a discount on insurance products? Every aspect of their financial lives is fair game from banking to brokerage and I will be pushing this idea as hard as I can with firms that I’d like to see contribute.

Regardless of your ability to provide financial services, there is something you can do to help out. If you truly support our troops, what can you DO?