Have you had the financial independence talk with your parents? (No, I don't mean the one about college costs and student loans, or the one about helping out with your down payment on your first house.) I'm talking about the one where you hope they'll talk about their health and tell you how to manage their ...
Now that the 2013 tax planning is over, let's talk about 2014. A reader asks: I think you mentioned before that you set up an IRA for your daughter. How did you account for wages and a W-2? Did she work for you or earn income from someone else? I've set up a Roth IRA for our teen for work done around the house, but ...
It's been a few months since I posted about Dad. He's still happy and healthy in the care facility, and he's a little deeper into mid-stage Alzheimer's. (In his mind, he's consulting on-site about their electrical engineering needs-- just as he did in his career for nearly 30 years. He says he's happy that they ...
A reader writes: "In my divorce decree I was awarded part of my husband's Reserve "disposable military retirement pay". My portion is 50% of the time for which we were married, and only for the Reserve points that he earned during our marriage. But the problem is not only figuring out how much I'll get in dollars ...
A reader writes: My husband was commissioned after ROTC in August 1966, placed on an educational deferment, and did not start active duty until February 1968. How many retirement points did he earn over that period and where is a regulation that addresses this? After some more questions, I learned: The time from ...
A reader writes: "If my ex husband was active duty for 10 years and 20 years Reserve and he has 5300 retirement points at the rank of O-6, how much will he receive? I will receive 50%." After exchanging more e-mail, we learned that her ex-spouse is under the Final Pay retirement system (for those starting their ...
Very long post today (3000 words) but you have the time to read it-- and it's worth reading. Especially if you're interested in genetic testing. Here's my 23andMe Genetic Testing Reviews. A genetics researcher and director of the National Institutes of Health once said: "Genetics loads the gun and environment ...
Wow. Over six months since the last sea story? Unsat. Here we go: In late 1981, one of the new SECNAV's first acts was to persuade SECDEF and the President that it was time for Admiral Rickover to enjoy his military retirement. Over 80 years old, the Admiral had been on active duty for 63 years. He had also ...
Today's post is from an officer who wants to remain anonymous while sharing his pay & investment data. Two of the links include Excel spreadsheets that you can download and review, and when you click on them your computer may attempt to launch your spreadsheet program. If you decide to use them for your own ...
A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from a representative of the nonprofit organization LIFE: "As more and more Baby Boomers enter their retirement years, there are new financial concerns they need to consider as they plan the rest of their lives. One that’s often overlooked is long-term care. Nearly 70% of ...
Along with FINCON12 I've visited my Dad and worked on his finances. I'll talk about how he's doing now and then I'll review the latest financial lessons. Alzheimer's is relentless. Dad's mid-stage symptoms are worse and his brain is losing control of his emotions. He has trouble remembering faces and aphasia is ...
It's hard to believe that it's been weeks since the last sea story, but our daughter just finished a month on the USS LOUISIANA for her Navy ROTC summer training. She was at sea for all 30 days, qualified to stand a sonar watch, ran a lot of drills, earned herself a deterrent patrol pin, and is pretty ...
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