Financial

During my time during active duty, I've tried to take advantage of all of the financial perks of being in the military. Here are my three favorite benefits: Credit Card Benefits for Military Members Most credit card companies waive annual fees for military members. I think all military members should have the following three credit cards as a must: American Express … [Read more...] about Financial Secrets for Military Members

I recently signed up for the Thrift Savings Plan so I figured I'd write a post on how easy it is if you know where to go. This post is geared toward Military Members. I break it down into 11 easy steps 1st Step - Log in at mypay.dfas.mil 2nd Step - Click on the "Traditional TSP and Roth TSP" link on the right hand column 3rd Step - Enter the percentage of your … [Read more...] about How to Sign Up for the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

When it comes to long-term scheduled investing there are two trains of thought. I will apply both of these to the TSP. The TSP allows you to contribute $18,000/yearly into a retirement account. Here are examples of both examples: How to Max Your IRA and TSP Contributions Each Year Dollar-Cost Averaging Dollar Cost Averaging means putting a fixed amount of money into the … [Read more...] about How to MAXIMIZE Your TSP Contributions

Doing your tax returns is never fun. Thankfully, there are several great tax filing software programs that are free for military members and their families. In fact, you can get one of the most popular and powerful tax return software programs for free through Military OneSource. Military OneSource offers COMPLETELY FREE H&R Block online tax software to all … [Read more...] about Free H&R Block for Military (Regardless of Rank)

Starting Jan 2018, military members have an opportunity to switch over to the New Blended Retirement System. The BIG question is.....Should I opt-in? There's a calculator that you can play around with. Personally, I find the calculator confusing though. To keep it simple, this is really what it comes down to. •  If you are 99% planning on staying active duty for at … [Read more...] about Thoughts on the New Blended Retirement System

I just moved from Colorado to Texas which is a good thing when it comes to USAA's auto insurance discounts. Here are 3 ways to save an extra 10% or more off your auto insurance bill: Don't use USAA? Get a quick online auto quote 1.  Sign up for automatic payments (Savings 3%) This is easy to do. Click on your Auto & Property Bill tab and on the right-hand … [Read more...] about USAA Auto Insurance Discounts – Save an Additional 10% off Your Bill

The Servicemember Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides many benefits to Military members. Some of those benefits include: Lowering Credit Card Debt Early Termination of Leases or Contracts (Housing, Vehicle Leases Cell Phone, etc.) Housing Evictions Pending Trials Taxes Mortgage Payments For a more comprehensive coverage of all the SCRA benefits click … [Read more...] about SCRA Benefits In Regards to Credit Cards

LifeLock is currently offering Military Members a free 30 day membership and 15% off subscriptions!! Did you know that identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in America? The latest reports show that someone is a victim of identity theft every two seconds. Most of us are aware of basic personal security measures, such as not using obvious passwords on … [Read more...] about LifeLock’s Special Offer for Military Families

I am only 28 but I am already thinking about retirement. Why?? Because I want to retire comfortably, I want to be able to travel and take my kids and grandkids on cruises. In order to do this, I need to have a plan. A big part of my plan is taking advantage of Roth Investments, allowing me to take out my money tax-free. If I invest 1 million dollars over my lifetime and it … [Read more...] about My Thrift Savings Plan Investment Strategy as an Active Duty Military Member