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The 5 Best Personal Finance Books I’ve Read All Year

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I’m a voracious reader. I was that six-year-old kid you saw staggering out of the public library with a two-foot stack of books, and 50 years later I’m still doing it. Over the first 45 years of my life, I accumulated over 3000 paperbacks, which made me a fun guy to be around during military household goods moves. Hawaii’s tropical climate (and … [Read more...] about The 5 Best Personal Finance Books I’ve Read All Year

USAA Provides Answers To The Most Important Member Questions

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I've finally recovered from jet lag, my voice has returned to normal (from "Darth Vader"), and I'm caught up on sleep. Let's review USAA's answers to your biggest reader questions. DigitalMilEx is USAA's annual conference for military influencers. We're bloggers, personal-finance experts, and entrepreneurs. Many of us are veterans, and some … [Read more...] about USAA Provides Answers To The Most Important Member Questions

5 Ways For Families To Save Money While Christmas Shopping

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It’s crunch time! Hey, someone has to finalize the Thanksgiving menu, make the grocery list, and decide whose turn it is to sit next to Uncle Ted this year. And before you even have enough time to regret how many helpings of pumpkin pie you indulged in, it will be time to drink eggnog and unwrap presents. While the expectations of Christmas … [Read more...] about 5 Ways For Families To Save Money While Christmas Shopping

How Much Is A Military Retirement Worth? Over One Million Dollars – How to Calculate the Present Value of a Military Retirement Pension

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(For those of you who follow the stock market's performance, the inspiration for this post came seven years ago: March 2009, the bottom of the Great Recession's markets. Back then I had no clue that someday I'd be blogging about it.) How Much is a Military Retirement Worth? The answer is more than just cash flow. Another way to ask the … [Read more...] about How Much Is A Military Retirement Worth? Over One Million Dollars – How to Calculate the Present Value of a Military Retirement Pension

Are You A Service Member In Debt With Bad Credit? A Legitimate Way to Repair Your Credit Score

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As a young Staff Sergeant back in 2002, I found myself in an incredibly awkward position. It began harmlessly enough. My foolish attempt at living above my means began to produce a lot of heartache and misery. It started small and then snowballed into an extreme amount of debt. Over time, I began to live paycheck to paycheck. In … [Read more...] about Are You A Service Member In Debt With Bad Credit? A Legitimate Way to Repair Your Credit Score

“What Happens At USAA’s DigitalMilEx”… We’ll Tell You About It.

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I’m invited to USAA DigitalMilEx Conference again! This year it’s next week (26-27 October) at a San Antonio hotel near their headquarters building. I’ve also been invited to a behind-the-scenes visit on the day before. Please give me your questions and comments-- either on this post or by the “Contact me” page or by e-mail (NordsNords [at] … [Read more...] about “What Happens At USAA’s DigitalMilEx”… We’ll Tell You About It.

How to Smartly Use the USAA Career Starter Loan

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Did you know that USAA offers newly commissioned officers a low-interest loan to help them start their career? This guest post on the USAA Career Starter Loan was written by Spencer, a company grade officer in the US Air Force. Spencer is documenting his journey to financial independence using his military pay and benefits at the Military Money … [Read more...] about How to Smartly Use the USAA Career Starter Loan

9 Things To Consider Before You Choose The Military’s New Blended Retirement System?

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In January of 2018, the military retirement system as we know it will cease to exist. Instead, service members who joined after 2006 but before January 1, 2018 will have to choose whether to stay with the existing system or opt into the new “Blended Retirement System.” Recommended: Beware of Huge Flaws In The Military Blended Retirement … [Read more...] about 9 Things To Consider Before You Choose The Military’s New Blended Retirement System?

USAA’s Digital Shift Is Saving Millions Of Dollars

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[Nords note: I'm in San Diego at the Sheraton Marina Hotel for Digital CoLab and FinCon16. If you're in the area then stop by for a free FinCon Wednesday evening 21 September at Your Money Meetup with Jason Vitug of Phroogal.  If you're not in the area then you can still follow the week's activities at #FinCon16.]   First I wanted to … [Read more...] about USAA’s Digital Shift Is Saving Millions Of Dollars

5 Reasons Why Military Retirees Keep Working

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A reader posted a forum comment about his co-workers: I'm always intrigued when I hear about recently retired military personnel with pretty good pensions who take new jobs after retiring in their mid to late 40's. If they want to work that's fine of course, but it's pretty sad that many of them probably feel they need to work, because of society, … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons Why Military Retirees Keep Working