As veterans plan to separate from active duty, financial assistance and tips to help them when they are first starting out can help them successfully integrate back into society. Tips for vets just starting out include:

Shoring up a credit score is a great first step to building up a credit rating when a vet is separating from active duty. Vets can order their credit report to look for any problems or issues that went unchecked while they served their country. Any errors or issues found should be discussed with the reporting company as soon as possible.

A low interest credit card or a balance transfer credit card can help build a credit rating when a vet is separating from active duty. These cards charge low interest rates for several months or one year and often offer low life-of-balance interest rates, too.

There are a number of services offered free of charge to vets who are just starting out. Pre-separation counseling is available to service personnel for one year before separation from active duty. The sessions include information about financial assistance and training and education to help vets who are just starting out to get a job. For more information, contact your local Veterans Administration. 

The American Express Simply Cash small business credit card was created to exceed the needs of business owners. The Amex credit card has a generous rewards program and the rewards are promptly credited to your statements each month. The lowdown on the Simply Cash credit card:

The Amex credit card has a zero percent annual percentage rate (APR) for the first 12 months. After the first year, the regular APR for the small business credit card is an extremely competitive 8.25%.

The rewards are endless with this Amex credit card. You’ll earn 1% cash back on almost all of your purchases. You’ll get 5% cash back every time you use the small business credit card to purchase office supplies, wireless services and gas. Best of all, the cash back rewards you earn with the Simply Cash credit card have no cap, so you can keep earning all year long.

You can compare small business credit cards online. Read consumer reviews of MasterCard, Visa and Amex credit cards before you decide which business credit card is right for your needs. Then, review the most popular small business credit cards to find the best card for you.

Money saving tricks help you get your finances on the right track when you are first starting out. Some tips to help you get ahead and to find some extra spending money this year:

Write a check to yourself to save money when you are starting out. Withdrawing money from your checking account to increase your savings is a great way to save or to have extra spending money when you’re finally ready to make a big purchase.

A number of banks offer a “round-up” on ATM charges to help you save money when you’re starting out. Anytime you use your bank card to make a purchase, the bank “rounds up” the change to the nearest dollar, posting the difference to your savings account. The extra spending money can come in handy for holiday and birthday gifts at the end of the year.

You can also move some or all of your debt to a zero percent interest credit card or a balance transfer credit card to save money. You can apply for cards online and often receive approval in under a minute. It’s not a hassle to transfer balances when you do it all at once- in fact, you can start the balance transfer process when you apply for a credit card online. 

Recently in the Finance Headlines we explored the best paying jobs for college students. If you’re planning to go for a high salary career, there are some different things you can do now to prepare for post-graduation:

• Interning at a business that’s related to the industry where you’d like to work can be a great way for a student to prepare for the job market after college. Look for intern positions that promise to provide experience in the skills you need to develop, so you don’t just end up behind a desk all summer.
• Volunteering for a nonprofit organization can be a wonderful way for college students to get on the job experience and to prepare for a high salary career. Most nonprofits have needs for volunteers who can do marketing, public relations, website development, sales and more.
• Getting a job that provides you with work-related experience can help you get a high salary career after college. Even if the position is with a different industry or has a different focus than what you really want, the experience can still help you prepare for post-graduation. Companies look for new hires with solid educations, but showing that you can get the work done can give you a real edge over the competition.

In addition to the all of your hard work interning, working or volunteering, remember to stay on top of your credit report when you start scoping high salary careers. A student credit card can help you improve your credit score and make sure that you’re eligible for the job you want after college graduation. 

This month, we’re doing a blog check-up to find out what you’d like to see on the Starting Out blog. We’ve covered a wide range of topics pertaining to graduating students, young families and people who are well, just starting out. Some of our more popular blog posts have included:

Compare credit cards to find the right card for your unique needs. We have an easy to use online tool that allows you to review different types of credit cards. In addition, the website allows you to read customer reviews of credit cards to help you compare. This, coupled with our new credit card pros and cons area of the site can make selecting a really good credit card a lot easier.

Saving money on gas and improving fuel efficiency and getting rid of your landline are just a couple of the ways we’ve discussed surviving the recession with aplomb.

Planning to have kids and planning for college are evergreen favorites that many people can relate to, and in addition to dedicated blog posts on these topics, they’ve popped up as side notes in other discussions, too.

Tips to make you more profitable in the workplace, job prospects for college grads and starting a business while still in college have all been popular topics on the Starting Out blog.

Let us know what topics you’d like to read about by commenting below.