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. ...
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. Doug and JJ talking money DigitalMilEx is USAA's annual conference for military influencers. We're bloggers, personal-finance ...
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 ...
(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. ...
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 ...
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. USAA DigitalMilEx Answers to your Questions Please give me your questions and comments-- ...
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 ...
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 ...
First I wanted to title this post "Shift Happens". Then I wanted to say: "USAA is saving its members one BILLION dollars!" But the fact is that USAA is shifting its strategy away from brick-and-mortar member service centers and going with even more features in its mobile app. I expect to learn ...
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 ...
Military members will receive a 1.6% Pay Raise in 2017. President Obama recently sent a letter to Congress echoing his support for the 1.6% military pay raise over the 2016 military pay. He states: This decision is consistent with my fiscal year 2017 Budget and it will not materially affect the Federal ...
Updated on 19 November 2016 Department of the Army Pamphlet 623-3 Evaluation Reporting System Download: DA Pam 623-3 This pamphlet prescribes the policy and tasks for the Army's Evaluation Reporting System, including Officer, Noncommissioned Officer, and academic evaluation reports focused on the assessment of ...
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 
Curtez 
The Military Guide