Doug Nordman

The 1980s-2000s: How I Wish I’d Invested Back Then

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: April 30, 2019 12 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 were not brilliant investors. We made the typical dumb mistakes of our 20s and 30s and we paid ridiculously large fees along the way to financial independence, but a high savings rate overcame all of those errors. Your FI journey will be better (and cheaper!) than ours, but the math is the same. Focus on the factors within your … [Read more...] about The 1980s-2000s: How I Wish I’d Invested Back Then

The Best Books I’ve Read This Year (So Far)

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: May 16, 2019 5 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.

I’ve read several outstanding educational books this year about financial independence, and if I saved this post for December then it’d be four times as long. I’ll write this one now and follow up with another post later this year. As many of you know, I read a lot. No, seriously, A. Lot. I go through over a hundred books a year (print and … [Read more...] about The Best Books I’ve Read This Year (So Far)

Will Your Retirement Plan Handle Long-Term Care Needs? How Your Genome Impacts Disability, Caregiving, And Estate Planning

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: May 1, 2019 2 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.

Will your retirement plan stand up to long-term care needs? Do you have an estate plan in place? These are topics that few of us want to discuss. However, they are extremely important to your family's long-term stability. Today, we’ll discuss some important considerations for your long-term financial stability— and how you can take action … [Read more...] about Will Your Retirement Plan Handle Long-Term Care Needs? How Your Genome Impacts Disability, Caregiving, And Estate Planning

3 Easy Steps To Financial Freedom From A Dual Military Family Of Five

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: March 31, 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.

[This post is brought to you by Annabel Monroe. If you're interested in contributing at The-Military-Guide.com, please see our posting guidelines.] Alright, alright - I said easy steps and it’s true. The steps are simple enough, but it takes discipline and determination to get there. We are a dual active duty Air Force couple, real estate … [Read more...] about 3 Easy Steps To Financial Freedom From A Dual Military Family Of Five

“How the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse AFC® Fellowship (and Fate) Found Me”

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: March 14, 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.

[This post is brought to you by Alecia D. Blair, M.S., AFC®. If you're interested in contributing at The-Military-Guide.com, please see our posting guidelines.] About six months after having my second child I found myself eager to return to work. It was summer in beautiful Upstate New York. Fort Drum, … [Read more...] about “How the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse AFC® Fellowship (and Fate) Found Me”

Our Retirement – The Spending Smile Of Financial Independence

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: July 22, 2019 5 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.

Disclosure: This article is part of the Life Uninterrupted campaign sponsored by USAA. The #LifeUninterrupted campaign is designed to help future retirees learn how they can transition into retirement without worrying about financial interruptions. You can receive a free, no-obligation retirement review today by calling USAA. Note: We are … [Read more...] about Our Retirement – The Spending Smile Of Financial Independence

Good News! How Our Nords Family Financial Independence Life Will Change In 2019

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: January 27, 2019 10 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.

2018 was quite the turbulent year for the financial independence crowd, and it’s just going to get busier in 2019. Let me cover a few highlights from last year and then give a personal update. I’m here to reassure you that financial independence is sustainable and life is good. At the end of the post, I’ll share a few more personal details from … [Read more...] about Good News! How Our Nords Family Financial Independence Life Will Change In 2019

USAA And The Final Month To Opt In To The Military Blended Retirement System

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: December 7, 2018 2 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 the latest information and tools to make your military Blended Retirement System decision-- and a new way to think about your career and your choices. [Note: I'm participating in Kate Horrell’s #BRSBlitz initiative. I’m not compensated by USAA for this campaign and you won’t see any FTC disclosures like “#USAAPartner”, "#ad”, or … [Read more...] about USAA And The Final Month To Opt In To The Military Blended Retirement System

Dept Of Defense Update On The Military Blended Retirement System

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: December 3, 2018 4 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.

On Wednesday 28 November, the DoD BRS office held a teleconference. The numbers As of Monday 26 November, the unofficial opt-in numbers are: 307,213 307,207 active-duty total opted in [Updated Monday 3 December] 243,709 active duty 63,498 Reserve/Guard. This is out of roughly 1.6 million opt-in eligible … [Read more...] about Dept Of Defense Update On The Military Blended Retirement System

“11 Years Of Service: How I Chose Legacy High Three Over The Blended Retirement System”

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: November 30, 2018 12 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.

[Nords note: You have five weeks to decide about opting in to the Blended Retirement System. Get it done before 31 December 2018. We've had some strong pushback on my last post, "Your BRS: It's Not About The Money", and I offered Warner25 the opportunity to explain his legacy High Three perspective. He's reminded me that we first met on an … [Read more...] about “11 Years Of Service: How I Chose Legacy High Three Over The Blended Retirement System”