In our second installment of the Military Wealth Coach's Service and Wealth series on real estate for the military, we build on the foundation of Part 1 in which you learned about the foundation of all real estate transactions, and the things you need to check on before buying a property. Armed with that knowledge, we dive into the people you will work with to buy your first (next) house: your agent and your loan officer. But rather than follow the typical script, we drill down into the knowledge you need to assemble before even talking to an agent, and the questions you need to ask the agent and loan officer before ever agreeing to work with them. The reality is that this is going to be your house, and after the sale it's you who will live with the consequences -- so don't let them take control of the process! After listening to today's episode, you will have the wisdom, tools, and confidence to Take Control of Your Homebuying Journey, to interview and screen agents and loan officers, and to assemble a team that will work in your best interest -- not for maximum commission. Remember to join us next week for Part 3 in which we talk about how to make offers, what to know about commissions, and what costs to expect to pay at closing (yes, even if you are trying for a "zero-down" VA loan home purchase, you will pay something!). Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

Buying a house -- so many words and feelings come to mind: exciting, intimidating, scary . . . and also we probably all assume it's really complex! But the feeling that it's hard comes from not knowing the ins and outs of real estate transactions, where it all starts, and the "who's who in the zoo." Fear not, as this week the Service and Wealth Podcast pulls back the curtain to explain the core components of real estate transactions in America. In fact, we use this episode to lay the foundation (haha!) of your knowledge about homebuying and real estate by discussing how the home itself is just an "extra" in the process, and that it all starts with you buying the land underneath it. We slowly build up from a simple Buyer-Seller transaction to add in crucial roles of the Recorder, Notary, and Title Officer before we even start talking about agents and bankers. Who knew!? If that feels backwards, don't feel bad -- you've just been controlled and misdirected by the industry of realtors and banks. Use the knowledge from this week's episode to straighten out your understanding of real estate, and most importantly to take control of your "team" on your next home purchase! So grab your Rite-in-the-Rain notebook and a pen and get ready to take some notes -- then make sure you come back next week for Part 2 when we make a deep dive into the VA Loan! Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

We follow up last week's "post-election special" with a second round of discussion about the link between a second Trump Presidency and your life and finances in the military. In response to listener feedback, we dig a bit deeper into the numbers to explain why the standard military pay based on the Employer Cost Index (ECI) simply "doesn't cut it" when it comes to helping you get ahead -- and in some years even just keep up -- financially. We then get a little academic and a little historical and explain how the policies that Trump is proposing, from tariffs on foreign goods to energy independence and reinvesting in America's manufacturing and industry bases, is not an exception in American economic policy. In fact, for over 2/3 of our nation's history, we have used policy tools like these to position America's economy on top of the world. Tune in this week for a little bit of college-level economics and political economy, to help you better tie together the headlines and craziness of the world today, from an historic election to Ukraine to China to your stock portfolio, it's all much more tightly linked than you may have expected! Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

President Trump secured the 2024 presidential election by a wide margin -- and perhaps even more significantly the Republican Party gained seats in both the Senate and House of Representatives. As the party with an historical reputation as being more "pro-military," does Republican domination mean more pay for you next year? In this week's episode we explain the rules and processes that determine how much you get paid on the 1st and 15th, things like the Employment Cost Index (ECI) and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Don't worry, we don't waste time getting bogged down -- instead you'll walk away from listening with a complete understanding of how your Base Pay and BAH change, and by how much. In the second half of the episode, we talk bigger picture U.S. economy, and talk about how President Trump's economic and foreign policy will likely impact you over the next four years. And not just the implications on prices, inflation, and your paycheck: we also discuss how the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and whether they end or get worse, is likely to impact all our lives. It's an Election Special episode packed with big questions -- and big answers, so download and listen today! Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

Do you know what happens when you let the military manage your TSP (Thrift Savings Plan)? You sacrifice between $1.1 and $2.6 MILLION by the time you hit retirement age. Let that sink in for a minute. The Lifecycle Funds sold by the TSP are highly inefficient investment strategies that rob you of the returns you need to reach the goals and dreams you have for your future. But they do make the TSP a good deal of money -- not because they work, but because they are the default option that your Service Branch signs you up for when you join the military. Don't want to get screwed out of millions of dollars? Then take control of your finances, your retirement plan, and your TSP, and make sure you have $0 in a Lifecycle Fund. Ever. In this week's episode, the Military Wealth Coach FINALLY gets to unleash on the scam that is the Lifecycle Funds strategy at TSP, and shares with you the real numbers behind why and how you will come up massively short in your retirement savings goal if you allow any of your money -- or any of your service's matching contributions under the Blended Retirement System (BRS) -- go into a Lifecycle Fund. It doesn't matter which one, or at what point in your life, they ALL lose you money. Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

When your investment portfolio takes a turn for the worse, how do you react? Are you a "stick it out" type -- or do you "panic sell?" Do you believe that you "got screwed by the market" -- or do you take action to set up future trades in a way that prevents a big financial loss? It turns out there are two very different types of people in this world, and when it comes to investing and building wealth you're more likely to be successful if you're one and not the other (or if you can train yourself to be that person). This person has an "Internal Locus of Control," meaning they have the knowledge and the power to take control of their finances and achieve their financial goals to live their Dream Life. In the first half of today's episode, we talk about how important it is to be confident in your abilities so you can avoid repeating stupid mistakes, and stay on track to building wealth in your lifetime. In the second part of today's episode we reveal why all the talk about -- and online quizzes designed to measure -- your "risk tolerance" when it comes to investing is all wrong. In reality, the way you respond to risk and loss rarely matches what you think about risk when you start investing, and for that reason you can basically throw out the results of these quizzes. Instead you should focus on two very important questions: how do you react to risk and loss, and how much risk can you actually afford to take? Too many brand new investors use the quizzes and invest in risky assets, but never take the time to determine if they can actually afford the risk. Learn how to make better risk decisions with your money by tuning into today's episode! Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

Did you know that your beliefs about money, saving, and investing were most likely formed when you were just 6 or 7 years old? The truth is that we imprint the beliefs and emotions of our parents, neighbors, and pop culture when we're too young to even realize what's happening. And the consequences can be disastrous. Most of us have 1 of 4 "Money Scripts" that determine how we emotionally deal with money -- and those emotions time and again are more powerful than your well thought out financial plan. This is the main reason why "smart people do dumb things" with their money, according to Dr. Brad Klontz, author of Psychology of Financial Planning. In this week's episode we take a deep dive into the different Money Scripts to help you understand how 6-year-old you consistently gets in the way of achieving the life and financial goals you set for yourself as an adult. More importantly, we also discuss 1-2 simple daily things you can do to overcome these emotional obstacles and get back on track taking control of your finances. Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

TikTok loves Girl Math Memes -- both those "for", and those "against." While Girl Math has nothing to do at all with math (obviously), it also has nothing to do with girls: boys also use Girl Math all the time! While it can be fun to talk about and makes for silly memes, the wasteful spending that comes from Girl Math will cause a lot more damage than just going over budget. Each "$5 so it's free" or "it was an exchange so the extra money doesn't count" or "it's free because I paid cash" can add up to $100s or $1,000s a month. And when you add up that much wasteful spending, you can start kissing your dreams and goals goodbye -- and at the very least accept you will be working well into your 60s and 70s to make up for the wasteful spending of today, and the money you could have been saving. But before calling out yourself or your partner, consider this: Girl Math isn't logical. Therefore, you can't use any logical or mathematical argument against it! Instead, the only real way to keep Girl Math from ruining your and your family's finances is to set up an automated budget with separate accounts. By agreeing on a monthly "spending budget" that you set aside in an isolated account with one debit card, you limit how much can actually be spent. Then you or your partner can use as much Girl Math as you want, so long as you're only spending from your "Girl Math Account." But once it hits $0, it's all over until next month . . .  Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

This week we wrap up our monthlong series on the Blended Retirement System. Click the links to listen to Episode 1 and Episode 2 if you missed out. This episode is dedicated to explaining what to do with your BRS and TSP when you take off the uniform one last time and collect your DD214. Unlike the Legacy High-3 retirement that you could put on auto-pilot, the BRS has choices to make all the time. Take control of your finances by learning the benefits and mastering the strategies to maximize your benefits. In this week's episode we talk about what to do when you get out, whether you're the 1 in 6 who makes it to retirement or the 5 in 6 who separates before 20 years. No matter what, 100% of you have the TSP and Service-Matching contributions in your TSP that you need to take care of. Should you cash out or keep it in the TSP? We provide three reasons why you should absolutely keep your TSP partially funded and open -- even if you move 99% of your savings elsewhere. And what about the Lump Sum Option? The BRS, DoD, TRS, TAP, USAA, and other organizations would have you believe taking the Lump Sum is a poor decision that will cost you money. They even try to convince you that taking the Lump Sum is the same as giving up a quarter million dollars or more -- but they have it totally backwards! The Lump Sum is your Golden Ticket to investment riches, and we make it our goal this week to convince you to take the Lump Sum 100% of the time. Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

Most of us who leave the military before 20 years do so to chase higher paychecks in civilian jobs. And while the dollar amount printed on the check every 1st and 15th will likely be more, are you really making more in terms of total compensation? As it turns out, we all need to do a little math to figure out how much the military is actually paying us -- and the results can be stunning! The value of our free (barracks) or subsidized (Basic Allowance of Housing) room and board, free healthcare, and other perks ends up being worth $23,000-50,000 (or more) per year. When added to the modest Base Pay of a military career, these perks take you up to, or way over, the average income for American workers. In fact, an E-1 making $25,000 also gets $23,000 in benefits -- $23k worth of food and housing and healthcare that they will have to pay for as a civilian. But on top of that there is the massive value of Military Retired Pay, aka your monthly pension. If you were to DIY your own pension, you'd need to save $15,000-24,000 per year for 20 years just to equal the value of your Retired Pay. That more than levels the playing field, and in fact, we argue, makes U.S. service members some of the best-compensated employees in the entire United States! Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

While your service branch may automatically enroll you in the BRS to make Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) minimum contributions of 5% in order for you to get the 5% Match, that's about the only part of it that is automatic. Of course you should contribute more than the minimum -- and beyond that, you'll need to ensure you're investing in the right fund in your TSP. What's more is that you'll need to make slight changes each year, each promotion, and each pay raise to stay on track. Beyond that, there are other things to manage while you're in uniform that can be easily done with just a little knowledge and the calculator app on your Smart Phone. In this episode we discuss when -- and when NOT -- to make Roth contributions to your TSP; we discuss how you can take advantage of deployments to tax-free areas around the world to do "Mega Backdoor Roth Conversions." You'll learn why everyone in uniform will need to learn how to make a Roth Conversion, no matter what, since your 5% Match goes into a Traditional TSP, and can cost you $10,000s in taxes paid later if you don't. And of course we also talk about how to plan ahead of your 12th year when you are eligible for the Continuation Pay bonus. Failing to plan for either a deployment, home purchase, or tax-deductible investment with your Continuation Pay can cost you anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 or more in totally avoidable Federal Income Tax on your bonus. Who wants to give away a quarter of their bonus to Uncle Same? No one wants to, and no one should! If you missed it last week, be sure to go back and listen to Part 1 of our three-part Podcast series on the Blended Retirement System, and then tune in next week for Part 3! Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

This week we talk RETIREMENT and the Blended Retirement System (BRS). While saving for a car is a $10,000 goal and saving to buy a house with the VA Loan could require $25,000 in savings, retirement is going to require that you're a multi-millionaire. That's right, by the time you hit your 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond, you're going to need at least $200,000 a year in income to retire. That means you're going to need at least $2.5 million in savings. But there is a better way. When you factor in the new military BRS that combines a pension with the TSP, you can so way better -- but only if you understand the system and how to maximize your benefits. Join us this week in the first of a three-part series on the Service and Wealth Podcast that breaks down what retirement is and how to piece together the puzzle of saving, investing, tax-planning, retiring, and withdrawing money over the years to not just survive, but thrive in retirement. In this week's kick-off episode, you'll learn: The main benefits of the BRS What is retirement What ages are important for retirement planning, aka "how much time have you got" Social Security amounts and planning How to optimize your TSP savings rate to lock in a multi-million dollar retirement while still enjoying your money and your life today -- aka "how to not be a TSP-maxxer" Get out your green notebook and an ink stick, and get ready to take notes! Then set your calendar reminder for next week, Sunday 22nd, when we drop Part 2 of the BRS Series! Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

The way we think and feel about money, from unhealthy obsession to constant worry to total avoidance, is rooted in the experiences we had growing up, and the lessons we learned from others. The Military Wealth Coach is no different, and all of the invaluable insights and awesome tactics and tips we share on our channel have their base in my past. This week Coach Ted gets the opportunity to share his Money Story so you can get a behind-the-scenes look at why our lessons and strategies focus where they do. From avoiding crippling debt to adding side hustles, from controlling expenses to investing in income-paying assets, from "buy-and-hold" to DIY retirement planning, it all comes from a story of 35 years of Ws and Ls. The Military Wealth Coach is a product of book smarts and street smarts, huge paydays and being totally broke. So this week listen up -- and leave your green notebooks and ink sticks in your desk. This is an opportunity to tell a story and connect with our audience: we've all gone through the same challenges, ups and downs, and "life lessons." Hear Coach Ted's today. Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

The military loves to gloss over the important things when it comes to pay and benefits, especially when it affects your bottom line. Indeed it goes beyond that and makes it more difficult to opt-in or opt-out for programs that are in your best interest, while automatically putting you in or out based on what's best for the government. (Hint: if the government makes it hard to get out of something, you probably should get out!) The Survivor's Benefit Program (SBP) is no different. In this week's episode we talk about what the actual benefit of participating in the SBP is in dollar terms, and compare that to how much it will cost you in premiums. In most cases it turns out you'll barely break even, and in many cases can lose tens of thousands of dollars with SBP. But in true Military Wealth Coach fashion we take it a step further and discuss two options for protecting your family financially and also guaranteeing you profit off the plan. Learn about the value you can get from opting-out of the SBP and investing the savings -- or how much you could potentially gain if you use the SBP savings to buy life insurance. Now we're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars in lifetime value . . . This show kicks off a month of programs in September dedicated to demystifying military retirement programs and plans, and to giving you the key insights that will help you make decisions on what to do instead to create more wealth for you and your family. Don't miss an episode: subscribe today on Apple or Spotify today, and opt-in to our weekly newsletter by signing up HERE! Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

Should you get a college degree while you're in uniform using Tuition Assistance, or wait to use your G.I. Bill after you get out? If you already have a degree, should you use TA to go out and get an MBA or other graduate degree? In America in 2024 it's pretty true that you need college in order to make enough money to get by, and so the assumption is that if some college is good, more is better. But is that really true? In this week's episode we talk about things to think about when considering getting your first -- or another -- degree while in the military using Tuition Assistance. Learn about the requirements and the payback that comes with using TA. TA doesn't necessarily cover all your costs, so you should expect to pay some money out of pocket, and you also are spending a lot of time and effort. So even with TA, a degree isn't "free." As it turns out, the reasons and timings for using TA are completely different for enlisted and officer, and we discuss when and how to use TA, if at all, for both. Even more critically, we make the case that if you're enlisted and you want to get a degree, it makes sense to start ASAP during your first enlistment EVEN IF you have to pay for it out of pocket. As it turns out, especially in the military, the Return on Investment (ROI) of a college degree for enlisted personnel is likely the best ROI you'll ever earn on any investment you ever make in your life. On the other hand, for officers it may be a total waste of time and effort even with TA . . .  Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

Ah, yes, the American Dream: a house in the suburbs, picket fence, and a shiny new car in the driveway. But is it your dream? Clever and aggressive marketing from a young age certainly has convinced you that to be somebody you need to drive a nice car. Yet the reality is that everyone else in the world is so focused on themselves, they don't even care, much less notice, what you drive. In essence, whatever you choose to drive is an expression of your ego . . . to yourself. And the costs are HUGE. In a typical example for a car-buyer with Good or Very Good credit who is able to qualify for financing of 5-10% interest, over the course of a 60-month loan they will spend 25% more than what they're getting. For example, a $20,000 loan will cost roughly $25,000 -- if you're spending $25,000 for a $20,000 car, are you still getting a good deal? I think not! And add on top of that about 60% decline in the value of the car, and you're leaving $12,000 to disappear in thin air. By including depreciation, that $20,000 car actually costs you $37,000! In this week's episode we talk about how much cars cost today, what interest rates are, and what are the average monthly payments, as well as insurance and operating costs. You'll learn what the most expensive and the most economical strategies are for buying a car, as well as a few tips and strategies for setting a budget, making an offer, and most importantly what to do with the cash you save when you don't have an auto loan and expensive monthly payments. While military culture and car culture are deeply embedded within each other, and to be "cool" in the military usually means having the baddest, loudest, or fastest vehicle in the lot, being poor is most definitely not cool. Tune in to this week's episode of Service and Wealth to learn how new cars and auto loans keep -- or make -- you poor, and how you can avoid that trap.  Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

Our 4-part series on investing comes to a close. At this point you are confident enough to start investing, and also have the outlines of a basic strategy to make it easy and worry-free. In this week's episode, you'll learn that there are a few things you need to do to make sure that the computers, banks, and brokerages do what you want them to do with your money. Investing 401 Managing Your Money talks through the steps to set up automatic investments in your TSP and brokerage, and the different savings plans to use for your cash accounts -- filling your Emergency Savings Fund is a sprint, while bulking up your War Chest is "slow and steady." With the right settings and regular yearly check-ups on your automated investments, you will smartly step out on your mission to build wealth now and become a TSP Millionaire. But don't worry: just like the rest of the Investing Series, 401 is all about keeping it simple and manageable for the military lifestyle. While you do have to spend a few minutes and set some calendar reminders, so long as you get the settings right the first time, managing your investment accounts will take less time each year than you need to complete your Annual Physical Fitness Test! So tune in now and learn about simple settings like dividend reinvestments (DRIP), capital gains reinvesting, tax-loss harvesting, self-financing and becoming your own bank -- and as a bonus, learn what to do with your TSP when you separate from the service. Time is almost up to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" and get FREE access to the course when it launches!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

It's time to put it all together and make your first investments: Investing 301 explains how to put the lid on our buy box, and walks us through the process and decisions and mindset for each step of our process. From escaping the quicksand of worthless cash savings accounts to defeating "analysis paralysis" and eventually getting to the point of getting off the sidelines and getting in the game, this episode is all about becoming a real investor. Investing 101 and 201 gave you your buy box, and now 301 finishes the job by adding in the final two pieces of the puzzle to make investing not just easy, but automatic. All you have to do is make sure your investments "check the boxes" and then lay over the top of it the one single investment measure that has more to do with being profitable and building wealth than any other: the expense ratio. Join us this week as we take the complexity and second-guessing of investing out of it all together, and explain how the only fund you need in your TSP is the C Fund, and how to "funnel" your non-retirement investments through a simple process that will help you pick the right investments for long-term wealth. For a limited time, the first 100 subscribers to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" will get FREE access to the course when it launches (coming SOON)!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

Investing 201 is the second in a 4-part Podcast series recorded to help you build an investment strategy and portfolio specifically tailored to you, yet still built on core fundamentals. Last week in Investing 101, you learned some basic fundamentals to get started -- which is kind of like knowing just enough to be dangerous. You learned three basic rules to follow for building a "buy box", or strategy for where to invest your money. In Investing 201 we help you complete the sides to your "buy box" by talking about risk and return, and diversification. Believe it or not, there is an actual minimum return you need to get to accomplish your long-term goals, and a minimum amount of stocks (and maximum amount of bonds) you can hold in a balanced portfolio to get there. You'll learn what that is, and what the tradeoffs are between that mix and a pure stock portfolio. There's also a lot of misconception about what it means to have a "diversified" portfolio: it's way more than just stocks and bonds. We talk about how to figure in cash into your diversification strategy, and also how true diversification is achieved with alternatives such as real estate. In other words, you'll learn that just buying bonds to "diversify" has more negatives than positives, and what to do to actually reduce risk while boosting returns. By the end of this episode, you'll have a 4-sided "buy box" and know the fundamentals about returns and diversification to create your strategy. This will prepare you for the next episode, Investing 301, when we discuss how to compare investment choices that fit in your "buy box," so you can pick the one with the best chance to get you to Financial Freedom. For a limited time, the first 100 subscribers to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" will get FREE access to the course when it launches (coming SOON)!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

Before you start investing in the stock market now that you have some cash and your first brokerage account, you need to build a strategy -- and your confidence. So long as you have the right timeframe and mindset, you can trust yourself to make the right investment decisions and start taking action. Investing 101 is the first in a 4-part Podcast series we're launching to help you build a strategy specifically tailored to you, yet build on core fundamentals. In the first two episodes you'll learn to build a "buy box" that set rules for your portfolio that help you consistently and repeatedly get the returns you need on your investments to keep ahead of inflation and accomplish your wealth goals. In this first episode, you'll build the first three sides to the "buy box": Make sure every dollar saved is earning at least 3.1% interest Don't invest for goals less than 5 years, and have a plan to keep investments for 10+ years Budget an amount that you can invest every month and never skip an investment Inflation, FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt), and inconsistency can rob you of profits and destroy your portfolio. Just like marksmanship starts with learning good habits before you even pull the trigger, you'll learn the key fundamentals and good investing habits you need to succeed. More importantly, you'll learn to start training your mindset to think of the "big picture" -- and when you do, you'll have centuries worth of stock market return data giving you the confidence you need to create massive wealth and achieve Financial Freedom in your lifetime. For a limited time, the first 100 subscribers to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" will get FREE access to the course when it launches (coming in JULY)!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

Finally saving money, but it's all just sitting there in a USAA Checking Account? Can't tell which dollar is for bills and which is for savings? Unsure with what steps to take next to start investing? Now that you're armed with the knowledge of what your target savings rate should be, how you can achieve that target (40%!) with budgeting, and how you can fit your lifestyle into that budget by smashing major expenses (housing, cars) instead of worrying about the fun stuff, you need to start organizing your funds and putting your money to work. This week you'll learn about the Core 4 accounts everyone in the military needs to take control of their money and start investing. In today's episode, you'll learn: Why you need a brokerage account to invest and can't just get by with your TSP How to select the right account for your Emergency Savings Fund What to do with old or redundant accounts: close them or keep them? You'll also learn a few tricks to managing your money that can help you achieve all your financial goals, and avoid saving too much in the wrong place. You'll also learn what to do if you really can't trust yourself to save and not spend, and how having more than one checking account can allow you to pay yourself an allowance for enjoying life today without putting a dent in your financial future. For a limited time, the first 100 subscribers to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" will get FREE access to the course when it launches (coming in JULY)!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

This week we bring our story full circle and explain how following the Military 40:40:20 Rule for budgeting that you learned in our first episode can with a simple financial plan achieve Financial Freedom in just a single 20-year working (military OR combination military + civilian) career. You'll learn how how you can secure a $2.5 million Thrift Savings Plan balance for retirement at a cost of only about $575 per month -- and how the additional savings put in the right places will grow to $1 million or more by the time of your 43rd birthday. We discuss how maxing out your TSP ($23,000 per year in 2024!) is just as unbalanced and out of whack as is saving $0, and point out that while literally half of the military doesn't even make enough money to max-out their TSP, 100% of Americans in uniform can afford to save $575 a month! For a limited time, the first 100 subscribers to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" will get FREE access to the course when it launches (coming in JULY)!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.

This week we discuss why saving "3 to 6 months of your salary" for an Emergency Savings Fund makes zero sense in the military -- or for just about anyone for that matter. We explain how income replacement is just one reason to have emergency savings, but that if you have guaranteed employment in the military, this doesn't apply. You'll learn that the three main functions of Emergency Savings are: 1. Financial Stability 2. Protection 3. Peace of Mind You'll hear examples of how an E-3 can need to save more than an O-3, and also learn specific savings targets based on your life circumstances. Listen in now to learn also where to keep your Emergency Savings Fund -- and how to keep it safe! For a limited time, the first 100 subscribers to pre-order our mini-course, "Financial Freedom in the Military" will get FREE access to the course when it launches (coming in JULY)!!! Sign up here: https://www.militarywealthcoach.com/joinus For a complete library of our episodes, blog posts, and more, visit www.militarywealthcoach.com, and follow us on all the socials by searching for Military Wealth Coach or @mwc112358.