Military Guide

The Military Guide To Financial Independence

You are here: Home / Archives for Money Management & Personal Finance / Investing

Investing

Did DFAS And The TSP Let You Contribute Too Much?

Author: Last Updated: 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.

Check your 2021 TSP contributions now! I’ve heard from three different servicemembers that the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and the Thrift Savings Plan have failed to stop their TSP contributions after reaching the elective deferral limit ($19,500 in 2021). This problem is caused by a glitch in a January software change for catch-up … [Read more...] about Did DFAS And The TSP Let You Contribute Too Much?

Reader story: “How I Bumbled Into Financial Independence” (part 2)

Author: Last Updated: 1 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 my cousin Ross!  If you're interested in contributing at The-Military-Guide.com, please see our posting guidelines.] [For those who haven't seen it yet, here's the link to Ross's first post in this series.]       Our net worth is what?!? I thought to myself. I knew my relationship with … [Read more...] about Reader story: “How I Bumbled Into Financial Independence” (part 2)

Reader story: “How I Bumbled Into Financial Independence”

Author: Last Updated: 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.

[This post is brought to you by my cousin Ross!  If you're interested in contributing at The-Military-Guide.com, please see our posting guidelines.]   I knew I had a spending problem after I contemplated purchasing a new TV to avoid the hassle of calling the warranty department for a six month old set that was on the fritz. The whole … [Read more...] about Reader story: “How I Bumbled Into Financial Independence”

Contribution Limits of the Thrift Savings Plan + 401(k) + IRA = ?!?

Author: Last Updated: 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.

A reader asks: I'm in the Reserves and I also have a full-time job with a 401(k) and employer match benefits. I believe the max I can contribute between my 401k, employer match, AND the TSP that is tax deductible is $19,500. Beyond that number, any contributions from myself, my employer, or via the TSP are all after-tax dollars, and I cannot … [Read more...] about Contribution Limits of the Thrift Savings Plan + 401(k) + IRA = ?!?

“I’m 59.5 Years Old And Done Writing About *My* Money”

Author: Last Updated: 18 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.

We’re aging out. As many of you know from your research, 59.5 is the minimum age for starting optional withdrawals from an IRA. Nearly everyone worries about how they’ll tap their IRA for living expenses when they reach financial independence before 59.5.  (Although there are many penalty-free exceptions to this tax law.) I hit that dubious age … [Read more...] about “I’m 59.5 Years Old And Done Writing About *My* Money”

From The Mail Buoy: Hawaii Investment Rental Properties

Author: Last Updated: 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.

  A reader writes: Hello Doug. I really enjoyed your interviews and what you have to say about how you got to where you are now. I am looking into financial independence as well. I had a late start, so I feel it’s going to take a while for me to get there, and it may not even be early retirement by then. The reason I am contacting you is … [Read more...] about From The Mail Buoy: Hawaii Investment Rental Properties

USAA, Victory Capital, And Schwab: Now What?!?

Author: Last Updated: 100 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.

    USAA has sold its investment businesses to Victory Capital and Schwab.  Let's analyze how that's going to affect your plans for financial independence. The sale of the Asset Management Company includes USAA’s mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and 529 accounts. It closed in 2019 and Victory expects to finish moving the … [Read more...] about USAA, Victory Capital, And Schwab: Now What?!?

Fear And Despair In The Time Of Bear Markets

Author: Last Updated: 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.

Let’s discuss your plan for getting through a bear market and reaching financial independence. If you don’t have a plan, then by the end of this post you’ll know how to craft one. You’ll feel good about taking action and you’ll sleep better at night. You’ll cope with these situations every 5-10 years during all phases of your very long life. … [Read more...] about Fear And Despair In The Time Of Bear Markets

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

Author: Last Updated: 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

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

Author: Last Updated: 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”