Episodes

What do you get when you combine a passion for service, a pivot to medicine, and a mastery of money? In this episode, Army doctor Pritish Sahoo breaks down how he leveraged military programs to fund $700K in education—and built a real estate empire along the way. Topics Covered: Pivot from engineering to medicine Navigating the HPSP (Health Professions Scholarship Program) and USUHS paths Real numbers: military pays, stipends, bonuses, and educational benefits available to military doctors F...

Did you know even a 0% rating can unlock important benefits for you and your family? Why do so many veterans delay or avoid filing for VA disability compensation? It's not about the money—it's often about identity, pride, and a labyrinth of red tape. Doug Nordman joins Spencer to break the silence and stigma surrounding VA disability claims, while sharing personal stories, tough truths, and practical advice every veteran—and their family—needs to hear. 🎯 Episode Highlights 1. The Hidden Costs...

Your net worth isn't the full picture of your wealth. Financial independence is great, but if your health, relationships, and purpose suffer, are you really wealthy? In this episode, Jamie and Spencer break down The Five Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom and how to create a life that's truly rich—beyond just the numbers in your bank account. Overview: Financial wealth is only one piece of the puzzle. Sahil Bloom's book introduces the concept that true wealth comes in five forms: time, social, men...

Too restrictive or a key part of a military families financial planning? Today's episode is a no-holds-barred discussion about the pros, cons, and real-life strategies behind 529 plans. Episode Summary: In this episode, Spencer and Jamie dive deep into the world of 529 college savings plans—a tax-advantaged tool designed to save for qualified education expenses. They explore the basics of how 529 plans work (after-tax contributions, tax-free growth, and penalty-free withdrawals on qualified edu...

Did you know there's a way to get tax-free income, tax-free growth, AND tax-free withdrawals—all legally? If you're in the military, you have access to one of the most powerful wealth-building tools that civilians can only dream of. Combat Zone Tax Exclusion (CZTE) is the golden ticket, and in this episode, we break down exactly how you can leverage it to maximize your savings and accelerate your journey to financial freedom. Episode Summary: Military members deployed to a Combat Zone Tax Excl...

Are you just trying to survive financially? Or are you on your way to building a lasting legacy? Discover the 7 levels of wealth adapted for military life and learn how to move from paycheck-to-paycheck living to financial freedom and abundance! This isn't about rank or time in service – it's about intention and systems. This episode is inspired by Ramit Sethi's video on the seven levels of wealth, viewed through a unique military money lens. The levels aren't tied to rank or experience; a jun...

Navigating PCS Chaos, Saving Money, and Finding Adventure! PCSing is a constant in military life, often bringing stress, extra costs, and confusion. But it doesn't have to be a nightmare! In this episode, we dive deep into practical tips and strategies to help you survive your next Permanent Change of Station (PCS), save money, and maybe even make it an adventure. We cover everything from getting your paperwork in order to leveraging financial benefits and preparing your family for the journey....

The military retirement is one of the best benefits in the world... but is it worth the cost in years of your life? Summary: How is military retirement pay calculated Military retirement can be worth at least $1,500,000! Benefits for military retirees Intangible benefits of military service What veterans miss about the military after retirement Links: Enlisted Money @enlistedmoneyguy on Instagram Brandon's blog post- Is Doing 20 Years in the Military Worth it? past episodes w/ Brandon i...

Most couples would rather talk about their sex life with a friend than money! What would it look like if we both felt good about money? Today we talk about how to get started with dreaming together and how to discover how to create a shared vision and discussing what kind of money stories do you want to write together as a couple Jamie's 3 main take-aways: You and your spouse have to talk about money, understand where they're coming from, and their money scripts Your priorities will be diffe...

Holding too much cash can be a drag on your gains. You shouldn't have too much of it sitting in your account without a specific purpose. Today you'll learn answers to questions such as: How much is too much? Where should I keep my cash? What should I do today if I have too much cash? Links from today's episode: Erik Baskin at Baskin FP Past podcast episodes with Erik Baskin include episode 72, episode 129, and episode 168. Erik Baskin on LinkedIn The Veteran Finance podcast with Erik Baskin ...

Which is better, lump sum investing or Dollar Cost Averaging? Bottom line, neither is significantly better, although lump sum investing statistically wins slightly. The more important factor in you building wealth is that you invest consistently for the long-term! Missing just the 10 best trading days between 2002-2022 would cut your returns by 50%. Don't play games when you know it's impossible to win. Just keep investing! Links from today's episode: Vanguard white paper on lump sum vs. DCA ...

Better every day. That's the goal. Not perfection. What skill have you ever learned that you were perfect at right from the start? Then why are you so hard on yourself when your financial journey isn't perfectly smooth and easy? Each positive decision you make, each money conversation you have with your spouse is like a good set at the gym. Not every rep is perfect, so you keep working on it. This week, we're talking mindset shifts to help you think of one way you can PRACTICE this week with: ...

"Reading changed my life!" Today's key topics include: VA House Hacking as a young officer, military influencer and off duty employment in the Air Force, personal finance for military women, and self improvement for new officers and cadets. As a young officer, Lanae is debt free except her mortgage, owns a home using her VA loan, has a very high savings rate, and helps spread awareness about how women can improve their knowledge and personal finance situation. Links: Lanae's Instagram @lanae...

30%-40% international funds in your portfolio!? What is home-country bias and why you may want exposure to markets other than just the US stock market. Links: https://www.baskinfp.com/ Military Tax Experts Alliance Vanguard article on international investments "U.S. stocks are unlikely to repeat their past outperformance over the coming decade" - Vanguard Spencer's personal assett allocation For a limited time, Spencer is offering one-on-one Military Money Mentor sessions! Get your personal ...

Entreprenuership, Guard benefits, TSP while deployed, and more! Topics from today: Starting TheMilitaryWallet.com Joining the Guard after 8 years Why he joined the Guard VA disability Guard pay, healthcare, and retirement differences Transition Assistance Medical Program (TAMP) TSP contributions in a combat zone Annual additons limit Ryan's personal considerations for whether to continue serving past 20 years Ryan Guina is The Military Wallet's founder. He is a writer, small business o...

64% of veterans will leave initial first post-military job in the first two years! Repeat guest Kate Horrell joins us again to discuss her thought-provoking post on this topic. Of course there are always outliers and unique circumstances, but in genral we hope this conversation helps you slow down and question the pressure to "stabilize" and find your "perfect, dream home" immediatley after you leave active duty. Main reasons to consider renting for 1 or 2 more years include: Employment insta...

As an optimzer, Jamie was concerned about how to perfect his family's GI Bill strategy. In the middle of a discussion (after we wrapped up last week's podcast recording with Daniel), we hit record for this non-standard format. As Jamie allows himself to be vulnerable and curious about the words he used, Daniel is able to help him work through some anxiety and negative feelings. You'll also hear some tactical advice for using and sharing the GI Bill. Links we mentioned: Financial Therapy certi...

How to teach your military kids about healthy and positive money habits, set expectations for college, use the GI Bill, and leverage 529s and other investment accounts for your military family. With today's guest, Daniel Kopp, we discussed: Teaching kids spending, saving, and giving buckets Teach, demo, supervise with your kids Give them chances to fail Wants vs. needs & delayed gratification Don't make money a big secret- talk about it Evolving the lessons you teach your kids as they age...

Making your money more focused on your future expenses, goals, and desires. We were inspired by the updates to the YNAB method to share these powerful questions and help your family become more intentional and proactive. Main themes from today's episode: Use these 5 questions to give every dollar a job for what matters to you What to do when you feel like everyone is coming for your hard-earned dollars Building a system so you can thrive Choosing whether to spend a hard-earned dollar now or...

"What's the mission for this money?" "Wealth is what you DON'T see." "Go find something you're really excited about." "Contributions, Conversion, Characterization." "It's OK to follow your curiosity!" This episode is full of gems of wisdom from ALF. Some major questions include: Do political changes adjust my investing strategy? How do I fight against the pull to get a car that's more expensive? What's a backdoor Roth IRA? Who needs to do it? Is there an income limit for Roth TSP contri...

Military servicemembers and their spouse can get annual fees waived on personal cards from top banks such as American Express and Chase! Today's episode covers: What's the big deal about these cards? Why are they good? How does this waiver thing work? What order should I open my cards in? How far can I take this? Is it going to be complicated? How can I learn more about credit card strategies? Remember, NO credit cards if you're already in credit card debt, living paycheck-to-paycheck, or...

The 2025 Air Force pilot bonus is out! This episode is specifically for USAF pilots (or anyone else oddly interested in the numbers). There are also bonuses for CSOs/Navs, RPA pilots, and ABMs, although we focus specifically on the pilot bonus. There are a few types of bonus money available this year for those who UPT ADSC expires in FY25, FY26, or FY27. You can get a preferential assignment, a financial bonus, or both! We'll discuss the legacy bonus (ADSC expiringing in FY25), the demo progra...

Money doesn't have to cause stress. It doesn't have to be complex. It doesn't have to require a lot of time to build wealth. Learn how to simply your: Budget Bills Investment Tracking Links: Money for Couples podcast w/ Ramit Sethi LADS Philosophy, episode #158 Money Scripts episode #82 w/ Daniel Kopp YNAB app Monarch money For a limited time, Spencer is offering one-on-one Military Money Mentor sessions! Get your personal military money and investing questions answered in a confidential...

Low-cost, Automatic, Diversified, Simple (LADS). Consistent, automatic savings poured into my simple and diversified index funds at low costs have been the cornerstone of my successful investment portfolio. Low-cost: Select low-cost index funds with low-cost expense ratios. All of the funds in the TSP meet these criteria and many Vanguard funds do as well. Automatic: Set up automatic contributions from your military paycheck to your TSP. Then, set up automatic withdrawals from your checking ac...