My wife and I recently took our daughters on a Disney vacation. What does this have to do with military benefits? Well, we saved a ton of money on our tickets with the Disney Armed Forces Salute discounted Park Hopper passes, and we also stayed

TMW 031: Military Life Insurance

Sep 12th, 2017 48m 35s

Life Insurance is one of the most important parts of your financial toolbox. It provides money to your family members when they need it the most. In today's podcast, we discuss life insurance as it pertains to military members, veterans, and th

TMW 030: Military Discharge Upgrade

Mar 15th, 2017 47m 10s

Did you know it may be possible to upgrade your military discharge characterization? Today, our expert, a retired US Air Force Judge Advocate, walks us through the military Discharge Review Board Process and how to apply to have your discharge

TMW 029: How to Automate Your Finances

Feb 17th, 2017 37m 20s

Military members are frequently on the move. That's part of the gig, and part of the fun! In this podcast, we discuss how you can automate your finances so you don't have to worry about your money during a PCS, TDY, or deployment. Tips include

TMW 028: Tricare Roundtable - The Good, The Bad, and How to Improve TRICARE

Dec 6th, 2016 36m 3s

TRICARE is the military medical program, and is available to active duty, retirees, Guard / Reserve, and their family members. In today's podcast, we're doing a roundtable interview to discuss TRICARE - the good, the bad, and the ugly. In this

TMW 027: Thrift Savings Plan Contributions

Nov 18th, 2016 21m 35s

The Thrift Savings Plan is the government version of a 401k. It is used by military members, civil service workers, and other employees of government agencies. In today's podcast, we discuss Thrift Savings Plan contributions. Topics covered inc

TMW 026: Guard & Reserve Retirement Points

Sep 19th, 2016 45m 14s

Most military members know how active duty retirement works. But do you know how retirement works through the National Guard and Reserves? The Reserve retirement system is based on earning Retirement Points for your service. In this Guard & Re

TMW 025: VA Disability Claim Myths

Aug 10th, 2016 34m 59s

Did you know that many military veterans don’t want to file a service-connected disability claim with the VA when they separate from active duty? There are many reasons for this, but some of them aren’t based on facts. Today we’re going to cove

TMW 024: Survivor Benefits Plan

Jun 30th, 2016 34m 54s

The Survivor Benefit Plan provides a continued source of income for survivors of military retirees. If a military retiree elects to buy into the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), his spouse or other eligible survivor will be eligible to receive 55%

TMW 023: Hale Koa Hotel & Resort in Hawaii

Jun 21st, 2016 43m 36s

My family and I just returned from an amazing family vacation on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where we stayed at the Hale Koa, an Armed Forces Recreation Center located in the Waikiki Beach area of Honolulu. The Hale Koa is one of four Armed F

TMW 022: How Long Should You Keep Military Records? Forever.

Apr 29th, 2016 20m 1s

How Long Should You Keep Military Records? Forever. Yourmilitary records are important for a variety of reasons. In thisepisode, we discuss why you need to keep excellent copies of yourmilitary records to ensure you have access to your milit

TMW 021: Buy Back Military Time for Civil Service Retirement Credits

Apr 1st, 2016 42m 22s

Did you know that military veterans who join the Civil Service or other Federal agencies are eligible to buy back their military time and apply it to their federal time? Doing so helps them earn leave at a faster rate, vest their TSP contributi

TMW 020: Post-9/11 GI Bill Transfer

Mar 9th, 2016 33m 28s

Did you know the Post-9/11 GI Bill can be transferred to your spouse or children? This podcast discusses how to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to pay for your spouse or children's education. We tell you how to transfer your GI Bill benefit

TMW 019: Starting a Business - an Interview with Todd Conner from Bunker Labs

Oct 27th, 2015 42m 7s

Have you ever thought about starting a business? If you are like many military veterans, the answer is yes! Military veterans make good entrepreneurs for a variety of reasons. But they may have a disadvantage - they often don't know where to st

TMW 018: Health Care after Leaving Military Service

Sep 1st, 2015 28m 12s

Health care is a topic most military members don't have to think much about while they are serving. Their health care needs are taken care of them and their families so they can concentrate on their duties. But things change quickly once you re

TMW 017: Military to Civilian Transition Tips

May 6th, 2015 26m 40s

In this podcast, I discuss the military to civilian transition, and some of the areas I struggled with during my transition. I dive right into my story, where I discuss some of the struggles I went through during the transition into the civilia

TMW 016: Can You Get Out of the Military Early?

Apr 4th, 2015 22m 31s

Can you get out of the military early? More importantly, should you get out of the military early? This question is addressed on many levels. Topics covered include how to get out of the military early, the impact an early separation could have

TMW 015: Is the Military Still a Good Career Option?

Feb 26th, 2015 21m 37s

Is the military still a good career option? The military is currently in the middle of the largest drawdown since the end of the Cold War. And unfortunately, some servicemembers are being laid off. One listener wants to know if now is a good ti

TMW 014: Using the Post-9/11 GI Bill

Feb 23rd, 2015 32m 15s

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is one of the most valuable veterans benefits available, and it's also very easy to use! In this podcast, we walk you through the process of qualifying for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and what the benefit covers, including how t

TMW 013: Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission Proposals

Feb 1st, 2015 45m 38s

The 2015 Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission Recommendations were just released at the end of January, 2015. The MCRMC is a 9-person Panel that was charged with examining military and veterans benefits with the goal of

TMW 012: How to Get a Medical Waiver to Join the Military

Jan 19th, 2015 28m 35s

Are you interested in joining the military? Perhaps you want to join the Guard or Reserves or even go back on active duty after a break in service. Before you can join the military, you will need to take a physical at MEPS, the Military Entranc

TMW 011: Guard and Reserve Retirement Benefits

Jan 12th, 2015 48m 56s

How much do you know about Guard and Reserve retirement benefits? Today we're going to dive into Guard and Reserve retirement benefits and discuss what it takes to earn a retirement (how many years served), how retirement pay is calculated (bas

TMW 010: Active Duty Military Retirement Benefits

Dec 13th, 2014 45m 32s

How much do you know about active duty military retirement benefits? Today we're going to dive into active duty retirement benefits and discuss what it takes to earn an active duty retirement, how retirement pay is calculated, how much you can

TMW 009: Should You Join Guard or Reserves After Active Duty?

Nov 20th, 2014 45m 38s

Should you join the Guard or Reserves after leaving active duty? When I was on active duty, I didn’t give it much thought. My perception at the time was that the Guard and Reserves were basically the same as active duty, just on a part-time bas

TMW 008: Military Tuition Assistance & Taking Classes While on Active Duty

Nov 13th, 2014 21m 5s

The military Tuition Assistance Program is one of the most valuable benefits available to active duty servicemembers. In this podcast, we discuss the general details of the Tuition Assistance program, including eligibility, how much the benefit