Category Archives: Financial Independence

In-service Roth Thrift Savings Plan Conversions


A reader asks: When you’re in the Blended Retirement System, does it make sense to convert the traditional TSP’s agency & matching contributions to the Roth TSP? It looks like an interesting new feature with the 2026 changes to the … Continue reading

Posted in Career, Financial Independence, Investing & TSP, Military and Veterans Benefits, Military Life & Family, Military Retirement, Money Management & Personal Finance | Leave a comment

The PACT Act, VA disability screening, cholesterol, and cardiac risks


This post is about living your best life in financial independence… while you still can. As you veterans know, if we’d realized that we were going to survive our military careers then we would have taken better care of ourselves. … Continue reading

Posted in Financial Independence, Insurance, Military Life & Family | Leave a comment

Living your financial independence– by making a better workplace?!?


This seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it?  Why would anyone want to celebrate their financial independence by making work better? Of course you could quit paid employment as soon as you reach FI, but you might also decide to keep working as … Continue reading

Posted in Career, Financial Independence, Money Management & Personal Finance, Sea Stories | Leave a comment

“Why Do We Start Our Financial Independence With Two Years’ Expenses In Cash?”


  Are you ready to launch into your new financially-independent life, but nervous about how the money’s going to work out? You’re not alone. I’m getting a lot of questions about Sequence Of Returns Risk. People are familiar with the … Continue reading

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

Medical Tourism at Bangkok’s Bumrungrad Hospital (2025 update)


Whether or not you’re financially independent, when was your last physical exam? This post updates our medical tourism travels for our third visit to world-famous Bumrungrad Hospital. If you’ve never been there (or in Thailand) then please read this 2014 … Continue reading

Posted in Financial Independence, Insurance, Military and Veterans Benefits, Money Management & Personal Finance, What Do You DO All Day?!? | Leave a comment