Last night my husband said something that brought instant tears to my eyes.
There was nothing about a move.
There was nothing about a deployment.
“In twelve days I can drop my retirement packet.”
retirement
Warrior’s Compass: Transition Made Easier
Transitioning into a post-military life is full of emotions for both service members and their families. Leaving behind a position surrounded by so much purpose and camaraderie can leave you feeling lost or out of place. It can be overwhelming and daunting to start afresh in a completely new environment. It can be discouraging as you face difficulties, especially if they are financial.
Luckily, regardless of the stress that comes with such a big life transition, there are many resources that can help make that change easier. One such resource is Hope For The Warriors’ new military-centered job search program: Warrior’s Compass.
Retirement Planning: Beyond the Boots
Editor’s note: This post is sponsored by First Command Financial Services
It’s no secret… life is full of choices. Hot or iced? Spicy or mild? Original or extra crispy?
But as military spouses, not all of our choices are as straightforward as the food-focused options above. Sometimes we have to make decisions that can impact, well, everything.
Do we stay at our duty station during deployment or move home?
4 Tips for the Blended Retirement System
At first glance, the military’s new blended retirement system (BRS) looks like a win for military families. With lump-sum bonuses and 401(k)-style automatic and matching contributions, even service members who don’t serve to retirement will walk away with some savings. Unfortunately, career service members and their families will have to shoulder increased financial decision-making which could leave them facing a much less secure future.
Running Your Race: Military Spouses and Retirement
Each year, millions of people will train for and run a marathon. Many of these runners have trained for years, hoping to compete in prestigious races. They’ve dreamed of what it would be like to be the first to cross the finish line as victory cheers ring out around them.
When the first three runners cross the finish line, the race is far from over. There are many runners who are still running their own race, striving to do their best even though they know they won’t be coming in first.
Is RV Life after Military Retirement for You?
After yet another military move, you would think post-PCS unpacking would be a breeze. But, here we are, emptying one more brown box of “stuff.” I’m so close to throwing my hands up, getting rid of it all, and living the RV life.
I know, I know… RV living wouldn’t really work for our family at this military assignment, but it’s a “someday” idea I’ve been pondering the pros and cons of. Instead of a soaring mountain of moving boxes, we could wake up under tall pines with fresh mountain air. Rather than this endless sea of packing paper, we could lounge in beach chairs by rolling ocean waves. Those travel plans sound pretty tempting when daydreaming of retirement days ahead!
Retirement: Another Bend in the Road
I will never forget that day—the day I knew our future was going to change. It was a windy overcast October day in 2013. My parents were visiting and had taken our five children to a movie, and I had the house to myself. At 4:30 p.m. I heard the garage door open.
It wasn’t a sound I usually heard before dark. My husband had been working late almost every day. He’d been under a lot of stress at work and hadn’t been sleeping well. He’d been on edge for months. He walked in the door and I could tell he wasn’t himself. He said he was going on a walk. I really didn’t give it much more thought. He sometimes just needed some quiet time to sort things out.
It’s Not as Easy as I Thought it Would Be
I know. When you read that title, you probably thought, “me, too!” You did, didn’t you? It’s not as easy as I thought it would be, either.
The funny thing is, you didn’t know what I’d be writing about, and in the end, it doesn’t really matter. It could be anything in life, because when changes come—even when we think we’re prepared for them—it’s never quite what you think it’s going to be, and you have to learn how to adapt and overcome.
Retirement: Location, Location, Location
In my first blog post about retirement that was posted back in September, I talked about the priority pyramid. This is one of the ways to visualize your priorities, in which you choose four main priorities (I arbitrarily chose location, school/career, family, and income as my headings; feel free to change those up) that you want to consider for goal planning, and stack them in order of which is most important to you.
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