New retirees have the time to sort out their options and settle into their new lifestyle, but they're still learning how they want to spend that time. It can take a few months to feel their way into a new routine with new activities. However, many charities and non-profit organizations have become experts at ...
"Retiree guilt"?!? I don't remember that subject being raised at any of the transition seminars. However, the early-retirement discussion boards are full of this unexpected speed bump. It can be an especially surprising source of stress in families. It's the retiree's equivalent of survivor guilt. Instead ...
That homily makes a great e-mail signature or bumper sticker, but it also carries a warning to a particular segment of veterans. The military excels at giving its members a ready-made identity: you're not an individual, you're part of a team. You take responsibility and behave at a higher ...
"The Military Guide" is full of advice and stories from dozens of servicemembers and veterans who hope that you'll benefit from sharing their experience. I don't tell their stories in the blog (you'll have to read the book!) but I'll post the stories that didn't make the manuscript. As you read this next ...
Retirement is a great opportunity to make new lifestyle choices, but proceed with caution. Most people are comfortable with the habits they've developed over the years, and upheaval for its own sake can be more disruptive than beneficial. Family and friends may also be slow to embrace major changes, especially if ...
So, what happens after you declare yourself retired? Maybe you finished 20 years of active duty in a blaze of glory with a farewell dinner, a retirement ceremony with full honors, and dozens of family and relatives. Perhaps you did the same in the Reserves/National Guard along with friends from the civilian office. Or ...
A friend's e-mail inspired this post. They asked: "How did you get started?" "What software/host do you use?" "Is there an understandable how-to out there for the non-technical?" I've only been blogging for 18 weeks and the blog is slowly gaining traction. You readers are contributing 50-60 views per day, and the ...
Let's take a break. The last couple weeks of posts have covered some pretty heavy topics, with some pretty intricate HTML formatting, and maybe it's time for a little levity around here. To many submariners, "levity" means "potty jokes". In fact, about the only unclassified sea stories we're allowed to tell are the ...
This essay caps off the book's first seven chapters of ways to leverage your military career & benefits for financial independence and retirement. I wrote it after an exchange with Tomcat98 at Early-Retirement.org. We realized how often the daily grind of work gets in the way of planning, let alone recognizing ...
We're military veterans, not financial advisors. We're trying to share what we've learned and to pay it forward – but you have to make your own decisions.
What worked for us will probably work for you, but unfortunately, we can’t guarantee it. Let us know if something’s not working for you, and we’ll try to figure out a better way... Continue Reading...
Doug Nordman