The average funeral costs somewhere between $7,000 and $9,000 when accounting for all costs. Sadly, at some point in our lives, this will become relevant to all of us. However, as a military member or veteran, you are eligible for military burial benefits when you pass away. In some cases, your spouse or dependents ...
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 ...
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 ...
The 2020 VA Disability Compensation Rates are effective as of Dec. 1, 2019. If you receive VA disability pay, you will notice the increased amount in your first check, which you should receive in January 2020. There was a 1.6% increase from 2019, following a 2.8% increase from 2018. The government uses the same COLA ...
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. ...
[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 ...
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 ...
I joined the military for one reason only -- the G.I. Bill. I hadn’t considered that this decision, and the few years I’d spend in the military, would so heavily influence the rest of my life, but there you go. I grew up exceedingly self-aware of my lower-middle-class situation. We lived in an ...
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 ...
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...
Jes Naber 
Doug Nordman 
Ryan Guina