Military Life

Divorce And A Military Reserve Pension

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: August 6, 2019 9 Comments

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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 commission to active duty had no … [Read more...] about Divorce And A Military Reserve Pension

Military Retirement and Divorce – How Does a Divorce Impact Military Retirement Pay?

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: February 12, 2019 16 Comments

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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 military service before 8 September … [Read more...] about Military Retirement and Divorce – How Does a Divorce Impact Military Retirement Pay?

I Tried 23andMe Genetic Testing & Here’s My Review

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 11, 2019 17 Comments

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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 pulls the trigger." I think a more … [Read more...] about I Tried 23andMe Genetic Testing & Here’s My Review

Sea story: the Admiral Rickover interview

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 11, 2019 4 Comments

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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 outlived the support of the … [Read more...] about Sea story: the Admiral Rickover interview

Guest Post Wednesday: My Military Career Savings and Investment Story

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 retirement planning, please contact … [Read more...] about Guest Post Wednesday: My Military Career Savings and Investment Story

Interview: What’s Wrong With Long-term Care Insurance?

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: March 26, 2019 2 Comments

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[Long post today: nearly 3000 words. Take the weekend to read it, and spend some time digging into the links. This analysis may not save your life, but it can certainly save your finances.] 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, … [Read more...] about Interview: What’s Wrong With Long-term Care Insurance?

Geriatric Financial Management Update

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: August 6, 2019 3 Comments

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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 setting in. For the last 18 … [Read more...] about Geriatric Financial Management Update

Sea story: Titanium toilet valves

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 27, 2018 3 Comments

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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 sure this is what she wants to … [Read more...] about Sea story: Titanium toilet valves

Forensic Geriatric Finances

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 27, 2018 2 Comments

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Today's post revisits the subject of caring for the financial independence of your loved ones. There's nothing here about military retirement, but I'm very glad that our aggressive savings and low-cost lifestyle have enabled us to retire from military service without a bridge career. As all too many of us Baby Boomers are finding out, eldercare can … [Read more...] about Forensic Geriatric Finances

USAA’s savings goals and 529 plan calculators

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 27, 2018 Leave a Comment

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USAA has offered their "savings goals" calculator since January, but they've recently expanded it for students & parents. They've released a very detailed education savings planning tool that greatly simplifies the data crunching and the fund selection. The Education Savings Planner is part of their Goals Planning Tool at … [Read more...] about USAA’s savings goals and 529 plan calculators