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You are here: Home / 2016 / Archives for March 2016

Archives for March 2016

Should I Stop Drilling And Go To The Individual Ready Reserve?

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: January 4, 2020 32 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

Here's a summary of a conversation with a National Guard servicemember who's contemplating moving from a drill billet to the Individual Ready Reserve. We talk through all aspects of the decision, how to deal with the IRR, and how the Guard/Reserve military pension is calculated. At the end of the post, I've included several "Related links" to … [Read more...] about Should I Stop Drilling And Go To The Individual Ready Reserve?

It’s Official Infantry, Armor Opens To Women: Effective 1 April

Author: Curtez Last Updated: June 27, 2018 Leave a Comment

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

Effective 1 April 2016, military occupational specialties 11X, 13F, 19D, 19K, will become gender integrated. This unprecedented act will allow women to enlist into Infantry, Armor and Artillery MOSs and serve alongside their male counterparts. Infantry and armor positions will open to women April 1 in the next step of the Army's gender integration … [Read more...] about It’s Official Infantry, Armor Opens To Women: Effective 1 April

13 Credit Card Companies That Provide CASH Refunds to Service Members Under The SCRA

Author: Curtez Last Updated: July 24, 2019 62 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

Credit Cards SCRA

Did you know many credit card companies are going above and beyond their legal obligations under the Service Members Civil Relief Act? Many companies are retroactively lowering interest rates for balances placed AFTER your enlistment! Under the SCRA, 6 percent is the maximum interest rate that can, however, in 2018 many institutions are … [Read more...] about 13 Credit Card Companies That Provide CASH Refunds to Service Members Under The SCRA

Book Review: “Smarter Faster Better” by Charles Duhigg

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 11, 2019 Leave a Comment

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

Smarter Faster Better Book Review

I've been home from travel for almost four months, and I'm finally catching up on my reading. I still have a pile of books that I picked up from FinCon15 (six months ago!), and I'm steadily working my way through them. I'll probably finish just before FinCon16. But then (shameless name dropping) Charles Duhigg e-mailed me.  Yeah, the … [Read more...] about Book Review: “Smarter Faster Better” by Charles Duhigg

How NOT to do it: Applying for VA disability years after military separation

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 11, 2019 24 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

[This post is brought to you by "Crew Dog" of OneSickVet.com. If you're interested in contributing at The-Military-Guide.com, please see our posting guidelines.] In a previous post on One Sick Vet, the blogger "Die Fledermaus" showed us a good example of how to prepare for a VA disability claim while still on active duty: going to the … [Read more...] about How NOT to do it: Applying for VA disability years after military separation

Why You Should Strongly Consider Not Participating in the Survivor Benefit Plan

Author: Forrest Baumhover Last Updated: December 16, 2018 8 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

Military in Transition's Guide to the Survivor Benefit Plan

My first book, Military In Transition's Guide to the Survivor Benefit Plan, is available on Amazon. Previously, I wrote about the Military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). That article’s primary purpose was to take the ambiguous information that resides on the DFAS website & consolidate it into an organized manner which you can clearly … [Read more...] about Why You Should Strongly Consider Not Participating in the Survivor Benefit Plan

How To Find Portable Careers For Military Spouse’s

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 11, 2019 6 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

My spouse and I joined the military in the late 1970s. We've been military spouses since 1986, and I was a member of several fine Wives Clubs in the 1980s-90s. Thankfully, the military's gender policies have improved quite a bit over the last 40 years. The male military spouse situation has also improved a bit during this millennium, thanks to the … [Read more...] about How To Find Portable Careers For Military Spouse’s

Why Estate Planning Matters to You in the Military (Even if You Think it Doesn’t)

Author: Forrest Baumhover Last Updated: December 16, 2018 Leave a Comment

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

This article was published a couple of months ago online, but I’ve made some changes specifically to point out how estate planning should matter to you throughout your military career. I was recently at a financial planning conference, when I listened to a presentation by Natalie Choate, a prominent estate planning attorney from the Boston area. … [Read more...] about Why Estate Planning Matters to You in the Military (Even if You Think it Doesn’t)

Retirement Lifestyles: “Can I Get Back Into The Military?”

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 11, 2019 11 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

A reader question has hit my IN box several times this year: "My spouse retired from the military after 20 years of active duty and is receiving their pension. They're in their 40s and they miss it so much. Is there a way for them to get back in? I know they'd be happier serving than just receiving a deposit every month." This conversation goes a … [Read more...] about Retirement Lifestyles: “Can I Get Back Into The Military?”

Comparing E7 Retirement Pay: Active-Duty Versus Reserve

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: July 13, 2018 30 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

This post has been updated using current pay charts, to determine E7 Retirement Pay... E7 Retirement Pay Consider two 18-year-olds who join the military on the same day. The first stays on active duty for 20 full years to retire as an E-7. They'll base their pension on 2.5% x 20 years = 50% of their High-Three retirement system. Under the … [Read more...] about Comparing E7 Retirement Pay: Active-Duty Versus Reserve

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About The Military Guide

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…

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