(Note: At the end of this post I've linked every major article on this blog with information about the Reserves and Guard: serving, benefits, separating, and retiring. Some of the reader questions may apply to only a few servicemembers or retirees, but I've included all of them. Please let me know if you have ...
I occasionally get a question that I can't answer on my own, and this one is of general interest to many of us. Can you help this military retiree with an instruction reference or a website? Here's their question: I retired from the Army and Army Reserve after a total of 29 years. Six of those years were active ...
During my active-duty days, we used to have a frequent conversation around Hale Nords: "So what's your pay going to be now?" "Well, let's see. I'm on the promotion message, I just got a longevity raise, I'm getting submarine pay, I'm eligible for sea pay again, and the new housing & cost of living allowance ...
This guest post is brought to you by an Army officer who's been voluntold for the Selective Early Retirement Board. For you younger readers who've never heard of such a heinous process, the drawdown military is partyin' like it's 1994 all over again. (If you're interested in contributing a guest post, please see ...
Let's take your mind off your tax returns for a more interesting fantasy subject. A reader writes: "Hi Nords - my spouse and I are thinking of moving to the Big Island for early retirement. I spent time working in Hawaii during my career and absolutely loved it. We are thinking of taking a risk and moving to an ...
"Am I eligible for a military retirement?" A reader writes: "I hope you can answer my question, or point me to more information. After more than 20 years in the Army National Guard, including a year of deployment in Iraq and numerous temporary home-station full-time orders, I went into the IRR. I was caring for an ...
Thanks to David McDonald for sending the comment that led to this post! This information applies to only a handful of veterans, but it may earn them a military retirement. You could be affected if you were in the Reserves or National Guard and then went on to serve an active-duty service obligation (more than a ...
A friend's spouse retired from the military a little over a year ago, and I asked them to review "The Military Guide". This relatively new retiree has a shadowbox full of awards and medals. They didn't make E-9 (or O-9) but they were on the short list. Their military pension is well into five figures. A typical bridge ...
(If you've found this page from a search engine, you'll want to read the first part of this two-part post.) This post answers the rest of a reader's question: "I was curious whether there are any benefits for people who got an honorable discharge after finishing the six-year obligation they signed up for but chose ...
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