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 ...
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 243,709 active duty 63,498 Reserve/Guard. This is out of roughly 1.6 million opt-in eligible servicemembers. ...
We're focused on the wrong factors. Our group of military personal-finance bloggers is sending out a #BRSBlitz about the opt-in decision. You may have seen some of these links on my social media before, and they’re included in the “Related articles” section at the end of this post. If You’re Just Joining the ...
The theme was: "Are You Ready?" Oooh, I almost forgot my traditional FTC disclosure: The Federal Trade Commission fears that I've lost my objectivity and become a USAA fanboi. My family and I have been USAA customers for decades. We've spent tens of thousands of dollars on their products. I joined ...
A reader writes: I’ve been commissioned from the Navy’s enlisted ranks and have not yet reached eight years of commissioned service. I’m eligible for retirement and I’ve enjoyed active duty-- until now. I’d like to retire as an officer but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get to 10 years. I’m considering retiring ...
Quick review: the military’s Blended Retirement System offers matching contributions to your Thrift Savings Plan, and in 2018 you can contribute up to $18,500. In 2019 you can contribute up to $19,000. Your contributions can go into your Roth TSP or your traditional TSP (or in any combination of the two up to a ...
It’s that time of year again: people are looking at meetup dates and their travel budgets. They’re wondering why in the world anyone would want to spend hundreds of dollars to talk about financial independence. You’re not the only person wondering about the value. Whenever someone recommends Camp ...
I get many questions about USAA’s services & products. After six years of their financial conferences and dozens of interrogations interviews of their executives, I think I’ve learned enough about their business model (and the insurance industry) to help you navigate your choices. My spouse and I have been USAA ...
[This post is brought to you by Patrick Weinert, who's making an encore appearance. You can find his previous post in the "Related articles" section at the bottom. If you're interested in contributing at The-Military-Guide.com, please see our posting guidelines.] When I was first introduced to the world of ...
[This post is brought to you by David Pere of the site "From Money To Millionaire", and he's another enthusiastic surfer! We've paddled out at Oahu's White Plains Beach a few times. If you're interested in contributing at The-Military-Guide.com, please see our posting guidelines .] The Beginning (Bio) I grew up ...
This is a friendly rebuttal to Nords’ recent post Don’t Buy a Home as you Leave Active Duty. The GubMints family has lived in the same North San Diego home we bought back in 2000, 4 months after leaving Active Duty. I’m here to show you that you CAN make it happen, but not without sacrifice. Post Length: ~ 1750 Words ...
This post gets personal. Let me give you the permission to think about these questions in your own career. A reader writes: I'm active duty and coming up on year #9 this May. I have owned your book for a few years and dig into the blog content on occasion. Love it! My question has to do specifically with one 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 
Eddie Wills