Moshe Milevsky's book "Are You a Stock or a Bond?" suggests that military on active duty can invest much more aggressively than many civilians. Milevsky's concept of "human capital" grew out of his studies of investment and retirement plans. He noted that every worker has the lifetime potential to earn different amounts of money, with varying … [Read more...] about Tailor Your Investments to Your Military Pay and Your Pension
Archives for 2010
Military Members & Real Estate: Should You Rent, Buy, or Live on Base?
Everyone in the service knows a military real-estate mogul. They're shipmates or other veterans who always seem to be looking at real estate, working on their home, and maybe even renting out a house as landlord or investing in commercial property. They may not care about the cars they drive or the best restaurants, but their eyes light up when … [Read more...] about Military Members & Real Estate: Should You Rent, Buy, or Live on Base?
Where to put your savings while you’re in the military
Now that your budget has money to save, where should you put it? There are two basic concepts that should guide all of your investment decisions: minimize taxes and minimize expenses. There are hundreds of different investing techniques and asset classes, and thousands of different types of investments, but study after study has shown that these … [Read more...] about Where to put your savings while you’re in the military
Simple Ways to Start Saving for Retirement
Short post today, folks. It's a straightforward topic and you're probably busy getting ready for the holidays! Before we start, here's another reminder about getting on the road to financial independence: are you tracking your spending yet? If you've been doing that for a few months, then have you put together a budget? Next let's talk about … [Read more...] about Simple Ways to Start Saving for Retirement
Frugal Living is Not Deprivation – How Living on Less Can Result in a Richer Life
The military teaches everyone how to live an extraordinarily frugal lifestyle. No matter what reputation your service has, at some point you've lived in a very small room with a narrow bed and little storage. Maybe you did without a room or even a bathroom for quite a while, let alone a bed, and all your possessions had to be carried on your back … [Read more...] about Frugal Living is Not Deprivation – How Living on Less Can Result in a Richer Life
The Easiest Path to Financial Independence – Start Saving Early
Military compensation and the lifestyle One of Early-Retirement.org's more prolific posters, SamClem, has a very insightful comment on the military's care and feeding of its members: "The military has a highly paternalistic compensation and social structure. The medical needs of you and your family are tended to. Have another kid? We'll give … [Read more...] about The Easiest Path to Financial Independence – Start Saving Early
Retiring without a Military Pension – How to Create Your Own Retirement Plan
By now you've noticed a trend in the chapters from the "simplest" type of military early retirement (staying on active duty for at least 20 years) to the most difficult (separating as soon as your obligation ends). Financially, the best early retirement choice is staying on active duty until eligible to retire. But active duty is certainly not … [Read more...] about Retiring without a Military Pension – How to Create Your Own Retirement Plan
Retiring on Multiple Streams of Income
This topic isn't tied to "The Military Guide" chapter on the Reserve/National Guard, but those military retirees frequently confront a retirement consisting of multiple sources of income. Veterans who retire from active duty will go straight to a pension, but Reservists/NG have to find some other source of cash flow between the time they apply for … [Read more...] about Retiring on Multiple Streams of Income
Where Do You Live After You Leave the Military?
I try to plan these posts a week or so in advance, and I've been following "The Military Guide" table of contents. (Of course there are detailed discussions and analyses in the book which are too long & complex for this blog-- you'll only be able to read those if you get the book!) Occasionally I'll change the plan for a special reason, and … [Read more...] about Where Do You Live After You Leave the Military?
Reserves and National Guard: Tricare Reserve Select and Tricare Retired Reserve health insurance
TRICARE health insurance is one of the military's best benefits for active-duty servicemembers and their families. Depending on the duty location and the specific plan, a family's out-of-pocket expenses are among the world's lowest costs for healthcare systems. What about the Reserves and National Guard? Well, not so fast. For decades, … [Read more...] about Reserves and National Guard: Tricare Reserve Select and Tricare Retired Reserve health insurance
