Author Archives: Doug Nordman

About Doug Nordman

Author of "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement" and co-author of "Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence."

“I Would Have Started My Reserve Pension By Now!”


I get that pension comment every month from readers who are in their 60s… or even older. Most of them are doing fine, both financially and in life. They usually served some active duty before the Reserves or National Guard, … Continue reading

Posted in Career, Military Retirement | 19 Comments

Lessons Learned (So Far) From a Money-Savvy Book Launch


Now that my second book has hit the presses, we’re doing the promotion. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and my version of marketing looks an awful lot like “talking with hundreds of people while drinking coffee.” [This post … Continue reading

Posted in Financial Independence | Leave a comment

From The Mail Buoy: “The Truth Behind Budgeting– It’s Not The Budget”


A reader writes: “My spouse and I need a budget. What should we do? What type of budgeting do you recommend? I know it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ world, but how much is too much saving? It feels … Continue reading

Posted in Financial Independence, Military Life & Family, Money Management & Personal Finance | 2 Comments

How I Planned 8 Months of Travel


This post is brought to you by Mark Delaney at The Veteran Professional.  If you’re interested in contributing at The-Military-Guide.com, please see our posting guidelines. My commander looked at my packet of paperwork to leave the military and saw that … Continue reading

Posted in Travel | 4 Comments

“I’m 59.5 Years Old And Done Writing About *My* Money”


We’re aging out. As many of you know from your research, 59.5 is the minimum age for starting optional withdrawals from an IRA. Nearly everyone worries about how they’ll tap their IRA for living expenses when they reach financial independence … Continue reading

Posted in Financial Independence, Investing & TSP, Military Retirement | 18 Comments