As I near retirement, it doesn’t feel real. Increasingly, I realize I don’t even recognize or know who I really am anymore. A weird phenomenon happens when you attach every part of your being and shape your whole life around your military service. There’s a particularly cruel type of sacrifice that happens that people don’t […]
The Real Sacrifice of Getting to 20 that Nobody Talks About Read More »
What if we didn’t judge every purchase by price per unit, investments by total return, or cars by miles per gallon? Many people can get trapped in over-optimizing. It’s even worse when you’re optimizing for the wrong thing. The Over-Optimizer I’ve been as guilty of this as anyone. When I buy a new car, I
What’s Your “Return on Satisfaction”? Read More »
Hear how one Sailor went from being deep in debt, struggling with money management, to a firm foundation within the span of about one enlistment. You’ll want to read the one to the end to hear their amazing story. Late to Enlist I joined the military late. I went to school, graduated, had a good
Becoming a Submarine Super Saver: Enlisted Money Success Story #3 Read More »
If you’re in the Army, you need to know what’s happening with Continuation Pay in calendar year 2025! Even if you’re not in the Blended Retirement System (BRS), I’d almost guarantee you know someone who will be affected by the upcoming changes. Be a good leader or battle buddy and share this with anyone who
Important Army Continuation Pay Changes You Need to Know for CY25 Read More »
In this Enlisted Money Confession, we get to explore some of the deeper meanings and money scripts behind our financial habits. I feel like this will resonate with many other enlisted military members. It’s a conversation that comes up quite a bit when we start talking about money – the lack of money when we
No Nuggets and No Spending Limits: Enlisted Money Confession #3 Read More »
Creating a budget for the first time can be so intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! Whether you know a little or a lot about personal finance, having a budget is vital. No matter what, you need to make a plan that works for you and others with whom you share your financial life.
How to Create a Budget that Works for You Read More »
With market returns, your money will double every ten years on average. This means that at retirement, an investor who started 10 years ago will have twice the money of someone of the same age who starts today. How is this possible? Compound interest. The S&P 500 has an annual inflation-adjusted return of about 7%.
Understanding Compound Interest: The Key to Building Wealth Read More »
Continuation Pay is probably the least understood benefit within the Blended Retirement System (BRS). Many service members don’t know what Continuation Pay is, miss the cutoff to request the bonus, or are downright confused about how Continuation Pay works. It’s not surprising because it’s really difficult to find any single place to understand the program
How Continuation Pay Works to Benefit You Read More »
One of the most common questions I get asked is how much you should be saving for retirement. Once people start thinking about their finances and understand they should be saving for retirement, the next logical question is how much. It’s actually really hard to predict exactly how much you’ll need in 20, 30, or
How Much Should I Save for Retirement? Read More »
It’s been years, actually over a decade since we changed banks for our high-yield savings account (HYSA). But this year we’re making a switch. I’m actually kind of embarrassed about it. Long story short, we were not valued as loyal customers and I refuse to stay with a bank that treats me unfairly. A Quick
How to Select a High-Yield Savings Account Read More »
