Every day I see evidence that we are still in the midst of New Year’s resolutions season. My gym is much busier than it was in the preceding months and social media is plastered with people tracking or sharing their newfound focus on goals. My guess though based on years of observation (and my own …
A Little Help with Survivor Benefit Plan Decision
Most Important Financial Decision of Your Life For most military retirees, the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) is often the most important decision of your financial life. It can also be among the most confusing, emotional, and uncertain. In almost every case, you must make a one-time irrevocable decision that will have lasting impacts for decades. …
What is financial planning about?
What is financial planning about? This is a common question I get asked. After all, isn’t financial planning just something we do as a part of our lives? Why should you hire a financial planner to help you? Why can’t you just implement all of this financial advice on your own? Intellectually speaking, there’s no …
Advice for the Newly Widowed – Perspective from a Fellow Widower
Lessons Learned in my Grief Journey The death of your spouse tops the charts as the number one most stressful event in life. I know. This happened to me when I became a widower two years ago. I learned a lot in that experience. Here are some of the most important lessons I took away …
Advice for the Newly Widowed – Perspective from a Fellow WidowerRead More
Why I Took an 8 Month Sabbatical after Active Duty
Sometimes in the world of personal finance, the focus can become solely concentrated on the “finance” part and neglect the “personal” dimension. I’m going to be starting a series of posts on most Fridays to delve into what that “personal” side often entails and will be using some of my own personal experiences with my sabbatical this year to …
How Much Is Your Military Pay Really Worth?
This post about military pay originally appeared as a guest post on The Military Guide so I’m reposting with permission. Ever Wondered Just How Much All Your Military Pay and Benefits Add Up To? For any servicemembers who are transitioning out of the military or perhaps daydreaming about what that might look like someday, many of …
How I Turned $80K in Military Education Benefits Into $2.1 Million in Lifetime Value
Have you ever wondered how beneficial are the education benefits offered by the military? The media, our peers, parents, and even politicians bemoan the ever rising cost of a college education. Recent statistics from StudentLoanHero show that student loan debt in the United States now stands at greater than 1.3 trillion dollars with the average now at $37,172! …
How I Turned $80K in Military Education Benefits Into $2.1 Million in Lifetime ValueRead More
Why Should You Hire a Fee-Only Financial Planner
Why Fee-Only? There are very few products or services out there where the consumer doesn’t really know the cost of what they’re getting. But when it comes to financial advice, what you don’t know can really hurt you. For example, many financial advisors offer a “free financial plan.” What clients don’t know is that that financial plan can …