NAPLES, Italy – Does the global financial meltdown make your mattress seem like an attractive savings vehicle?

If so, you might want to attend one of the financial seminars to be held at several military installations in southern Europe.

Financial journalist Kelvin Boston, host of the PBS series "Moneywise," has tailored a seminar to the needs of military personnel.

The presentation, titled "Moneywise In The Military," focuses on financial education for servicemembers.

Boston will discuss personal finance and decreasing debt and building personal wealth.

The program includes a presentation by financial coach Peter Bielagus, who talks about strategies for money management.

These seminars couldn’t be more timely, says Ryan Ritter, the personal financial education specialist with Fleet and Family Support Center, Naples.

"All servicemembers have been affected by the extreme turmoil of the financial and housing markets in ways not seen in decades," Ritter said.

"Tremendous opportunities and pitfalls now exist and nearly everyone has questions about how to secure their financial futures."

The seminars provide insights specific to the needs of servicemembers and their families, Ritter said.

The "Moneywise In The Military" seminars began in 2006, when Boston gave the presentation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

They are part of an overall Department of Defense effort to make financial readiness a "core requirement" for national defense, officials said.

"Financial fitness is critical to being mission ready," said David DuBois, Deputy Manager, Fleet and Family Support Programs for Commander, Navy Installations Command, in a press release announcing the program.

Seminars are scheduled to start in Souda Bay in Crete, on Oct. 20, and then go to Rota, Spain and Vicenza, Naples and Sigonella in Italy.

Command financial specialists have information on dates and times.