I recently signed a Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and had Ten Photovoltaic (PV) panels installed on the roof of the GubMints Home. I have been 'kicking the tires' of rooftop solar for about 2 years now, soliciting bids once every 6-10 months. Until recently, most of the bids involved an outlay of anywhere ...
[As this post goes live, Tropical Storm Flossie is approaching the Hawaii islands. It's borderline hurricane strength, and despite that wussy dental name it's still going to dump 6-10 inches of rain on us. It's quite possible that Oahu electricity & Internet will go out. My tiny little share of a Bluehost server ...
We bloggers get to talk with interesting people who you'd rarely see at your local surf break. They share their stories or advice, and occasionally I can help them answer their questions. Many servicemembers (and their families) are concerned about making the transition to civilian life. They're hesitant to leave ...
A reader writes: I remember reading somewhere that you had installed solar panels onto your house yourself. You mentioned that you were able to do it in cheap enough that the initial outlay of cash was completely covered by tax rebates. My husband and I just moved to California. Out here it is really popular to ...
Here's a unique combination of a reader question about federal civil service-- and a free eBook from GubMints.com. The link below is only FREE until 11:59 PM PDT Friday. If you're reading this post at your usual Thursday morning time, then you probably have less than 40 hours left. First, I'm posting the reader ...
Disclaimer: This guest post is written by an advocate of tactical asset allocation using the Thrift Savings Plan. It's a form of active investment management, and I do not support that. However, despite our different perspectives, we managed to find a few things about the TSP that we agree on. I think this ...
A reader writes: I stumbled on your site and was excited to read what you had to say about military retirements. I am a 13 year active duty, enlisted, veteran. I left active duty in 2011 in pursuit of my masters in my military specialty. My intent was to commission in that specialty but without luck. Don't ...
A reader writes: My husband was commissioned after ROTC in August 1966, placed on an educational deferment, and did not start active duty until February 1968. How many retirement points did he earn over that period and where is a regulation that addresses this? After some more questions, I learned: The time from ...
When you're striving for financial independence, does it really make sense to rent instead of owning your own home? One of the hidden costs of serving your country is relocating all over the world. The moving process is hard enough: my spouse and I have 19 duty stations between us, and we spent more of our careers ...
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...
Eddie Wills 
Doug Nordman