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Follow our blog to read about our thoughts on personal finance, the markets, and economy as it relates to service members and veterans.

We will update publish new articles from time to time to share our thoughts on how current events may affect you, relevant benchmarking data you can use to assess where you are in your financial journey and TTP's you can use to improve your wealth and wellbeing.

Monday, May 4, 2026

In this blog post we look at a comparison between the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and commercial life insurance for military members getting ready to retire. We examine the inflation-protected nature of the SBP annuity versus Pension Maximi

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Discover how military leadership and strategic thinking principles can be applied to everyday life, career transitions, and personal growth in this conversation with Brian Cook, a decorated soldier, strategist, and author of Set Your Table.

Friday, April 10, 2026

This post examines the technical process of VA loan assumptions in the current interest rate environment. It details the specific advantages for first-time veteran buyers seeking affordability and retiring veterans looking to maximize.

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Phillip Hulme’s Annual Letter reviews global markets, tax policy changes, inflation, interest rates, and economic trends, while outlining practical financial planning principles to help households navigate uncertainty heading into 2026.

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) will begin to allow In-Plan Roth Conversions in January 2026 military members, federal civilian employees, separated/retired participants and spousal beneficiary participants will be eligible to convert...

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Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Estate planning is often viewed as something to deal with “later”—after retirement, after kids are older, after the next PCS, after deployment, after life slows down. But, as anyone with military experience knows, life rarely slows...

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Over the years there have been more than a few occasions that the government has shut down due to a fight over funding for various reasons in Congress. Since 1980, there have been no less than 10 times that a government has shutdown...

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

When it comes to building long-term, tax-efficient wealth, few tools are as powerful as Roth accounts. But what if most of your retirement savings are sitting in pre-tax accounts like a Traditional TSP, IRA or 401(k)? That’s where Roth...

Friday, July 18, 2025

Perhaps the single most foundational exercise in wealth building is creating a budget. Learn how to create and implement a budget that works for you so you can achieve your financial goals without relying on a windfall that may never come.

Monday, June 9, 2025

Financial independence Retire Early ("FIRE") has seen a growing following in the last few years as a new generation enters the work force. As a member of the community myself, I often get asked about this topic.

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

When service members approach retirement, one of the most important financial decisions they’ll make is whether to enroll in the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). Designed to provide ongoing income to a surviving spouse or dependent after a...

Monday, April 7, 2025

When headlines flash about tariffs, trade wars, and trade deficits, it can be difficult to decipher what they mean and how they might impact us. As a financial advisor focused on helping military members, veterans, and their families,...

Thursday, March 27, 2025

For military members and veterans, a military pension is one of the most valuable financial benefits of having a career in the military. However, understanding how your pension fits into a broader financial plan is crucial. In this...

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Military credit unions offer distinct advantages for service members, veterans, and their families, including lower fees, better interest rates, and specialized financial services. These not-for-profit institutions understand military life

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

There are many career paths military members consider when they are transitioning to a career in the civilian world as a veteran. One industry category in-particular draws the most veterans to it by a wide margin and that is work as a...

Thursday, January 16, 2025

One of the most common questions I get asked by military members, veterans and federal employees is, "Should I invest in the TSP?" Back when I first joined the military I had the same question. As a new soldier in the Army I had no...

Monday, December 2, 2024

The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) which oversees the the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) announced during their November 2024 meeting that they would begin allowing participants in the TSP to make in-plan Roth...

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

The election is behind us now and as we look forward it is incumbent on us to make the best of our situations personally, as it always is. In that spirit, let's focus our attention on what we expect might happen and why, and how we can...

Friday, October 18, 2024

Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused flooding and mudslides on a scale some commentators deemed as only once in a thousand year events. The destruction they wrought cost some people their lives and many more their livelihoods.

Friday, September 6, 2024

Every skillset involves fundamentals. Often what separates a novice from a world class expert is a fluency of understanding and experience with the fundamentals of their craft. In the military we learned learned about the...

Friday, August 2, 2024

During my time in the military I saved and invested a lot of money, but I never saved as much as I did while I was on deployment. This applies both in terms of actual dollars during my military career, but it also applies in terms of...

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Incremental Escalation is the strategy whereby a nation increases force in a slow but steady manner to achieve some material objective. Incremental Escalation has been used as a strategy for aggressive nation states such as Russia,...

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Recently the TSP announced it is rolling out a new version of its I Fund, AKA their International Fund. They have decided to change their benchmark for investments in the TSP's I Fund from the MSCI EAFE index to the MSCI ACWI IMI ex...

Friday, January 5, 2024

As many service members and military spouses are well aware, the career path for a military spouse is no walk in the park. A short history of military spouse careers would include struggles with constant moves, deployments and training...

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Why you might want to consider life insurance Life insurance is a great option for many people who have family members or relatives who rely on them for financial support. It is also an easy vehicle for covering end of life expenses...

Friday, September 22, 2023

For anyone who comes from a military family it is common knowledge that going to a VA hospital can be risky business and is at a minimum highly frustrating. But the VA system has made a number of improvements over the years since my

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

How Much Should You Spend on a House? This question is perhaps one of a few key questions in your financial life that can either make you or break you when it comes to your finances. Unfortunately, there is a lot of...

Friday, May 19, 2023

What is the Thrift Savings Plan? The Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP for short, is the military and federal government employees qualified pension plan. In other words it is their version of a 401(k) but there are some important nuances to...

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Many military retirees end up owing the government a lot of money in backed taxes. Read on to learn about some common mistakes veterans make when they transition and how you can avoid some of these pitfalls.