When Suzanne Toole entered our Fresh Start 2025 contest, she shared a deeply personal goal: organizing her financial affairs while facing a recent stage 4 cancer diagnosis. As a 60-year-old Army Veteran who served both in the Reserves and on active duty for over two decades, Suzanne shows the determination that defines our military community. Her mission is to share her hard-earned Veteran financial tips so her challenges can have a positive impact on others.
Her contest entry moved our panel of military spouse judges, not just because of her challenging circumstances, but because of her focus on creating a positive legacy for her adult children and using her remaining time purposefully. Today, as our first-place winner, Suzanne’s story offers powerful insights for fellow service members, Veterans, and military families navigating their own financial journeys.
A Military Career Built on Service and Sacrifice
Suzanne’s military journey began right out of high school when she joined the Army Reserves, training during summers while building her civilian life. After a nine-year break to raise her two children, she rejoined her unit in April 2001 — just months before 9/11 changed everything.
“The technology had advanced, but the leadership seemed so young!” she recalls of her return to service. What followed were twelve more years of service, including unexpected overseas deployments that tested her family relationships but deepened her pride in her brothers and sisters in arms.
Her service took a toll — both physically and personally. A torn Achilles tendon and broken shoulder led to her assignment to a Wounded Warrior unit, where she discovered her initial breast cancer diagnosis in 2012. Despite these challenges, Suzanne remained proud of her service and grateful for the care she received through military and VA systems.
1st Place Winner Contest Entry
Our Fresh Start 2025 contest invited Edge members to share their financial goals for the year and explain how The Edge‘s military-specific tools and resources could help them achieve those objectives. We received over 50 submissions from service members, Veterans, and military spouses, with stories ranging from debt payoff plans to homebuying goals to retirement preparation.
Suzanne’s entry stood out for its honesty and determination. “I look forward to allowing this program to encourage and guide me as I work through arrangements,” she wrote, explaining how facing her cancer recurrence had motivated her to organize her financial affairs and educate her children about the assets she’d worked so hard to build. She particularly appreciated The Edge’s accessibility, noting that “your at-home, self-paced program is something I can control by doing any time of day or night. Thank you.”
Practical Veteran Financial Tips
Suzanne’s approach to financial planning reflects the methodical, mission-focused mindset of her military service. Her advice to fellow service members is refreshingly straightforward:
Start with the Foundation:
“You should be able to list your assets and liabilities RIGHT NOW on a sheet of paper or simple spreadsheet,” she emphasizes. This simple exercise provides clarity about your current financial position and serves as the starting point for any planning.
Understand Your Money Personality:
Suzanne stresses the importance of recognizing how your upbringing and personal experiences shape your relationship with money. The Edge’s Money Personality quiz provides this exact insight through a quick assessment that gives users personalized feedback on how and why they view money. The platform then suggests tailored resources to speak directly to each money personality type. This feature has become one of The Edge’s most appreciated tools, with members consistently reporting eye-opening insights about their financial wellness patterns and behaviors.
Leverage Military Benefits:
As someone who’s navigated VA loans, insurance options, and various military discounts, Suzanne encourages fellow Veterans to research and utilize the full range of benefits they’ve earned through service.
Maintain Organization:
Keep important documents and financial information organized so you understand your situation and can easily share it with family members or advisors when needed.
See more military-specific financial resources from GoVA.
The Edge: A Financial Resource That Truly Makes a Difference
Suzanne’s experience with The Edge highlights why military-specific financial education matters and demonstrates the real impact these digital resources are having across military communities. She appreciates how the platform simplifies complex financial concepts, making them accessible to service members regardless of their background knowledge. The military teaches service members where to find source documents and regulations, and Suzanne found that The Edge applies this same principle to financial education.
The platform’s impact extends beyond individual users like Suzanne. Military families nationwide are discovering how targeted financial education can break down barriers that have traditionally made financial planning feel overwhelming or inaccessible. By addressing the unique challenges of military life — from frequent moves to deployment complications to navigating military-specific benefits — The Edge is filling a critical gap in financial services for our military community.
Perhaps most importantly for someone managing a serious health condition, The Edge’s 24/7 accessibility provides peace of mind. This flexibility proves invaluable during medical treatments, deployments, or other challenging periods when traditional financial counseling might be unavailable.
Suzanne credits The Edge with helping her navigate the often overwhelming world of military benefits and financial planning. She found the platform particularly valuable for understanding new financial terms and exploring options at her own pace, without the pressure of time-sensitive appointments or complicated paperwork processes. Her experience reflects feedback from military families across all service branches who are finding confidence and empowerment through these accessible digital tools.
A Prize with Purpose
As our first-place winner, Suzanne received $500 — money she plans to use for something deeply meaningful. Living with mobility challenges that limit her driving to about an hour at a time, she’s planning a carefully coordinated trip to visit her adult children, whom she hasn’t seen since last year.
The prize money will cover hotel stays during her multi-day journey, providing not just financial relief but peace of mind. “This $500 has been a ray of sunshine this week,” she shared, describing how the unexpected gift enables her to focus on what matters most — spending quality time with family and creating lasting memories.
Your Fresh Start Awaits
Suzanne’s story demonstrates that financial empowerment is possible at any stage of life, even during the most challenging circumstances. Her journey from active duty service member to Veteran to someone facing a serious health diagnosis shows how military-specific financial knowledge and resources can provide stability and options when life takes unexpected turns.
Whether you’re just starting your military career, planning for retirement, or navigating a major life transition, The Edge offers the tools and education you need to take control of your financial future. Our platform provides hundreds of free resources specifically designed for the unique needs of service members, Veterans, and military families.
Ready to start your own fresh financial journey? Join The Edge today and discover how military-focused financial education can help you achieve your goals, just as it’s helping Suzanne navigate hers with confidence and purpose.
