From the NYT coverage of today's SCOTUS arguments on mail-in ballots, which affect millions of American citizens abroad (military, #MilFam, #StudyAbroad, and others).

Republicans are trying to suppress our votes with this case, the SAVE America Act, the MEGA Act, and other state leg bills 😡

24 Years Of Military Retirement… And Surfing Yes, this is a website about reaching financial independence with or without the U.S. military-- but it’s also a blog about living your financial independence lifestyle. After that major downer of my post on Alzheimer’s lessons learned, I thought I’d write about a lesson that I’ve taken to heart. (And mind!) Surfing is not just for the challenge and the fun-- it’s an essential part of my life for preserving my health and my cognition.

24 Years Of Military Retirement… And Surfing
https://wp.me/p13Ju8-nof
#military #sot #MilitaryLife #vets #milfam #milspouse @MilitaryOfficer @MOAA_MilLife

Your Millionaire Interview Since you’re reading this post on a blog about military financial independence, here’s a question for you: have you ever thought about drafting your Millionaire Interview on ESIMoney? Simply thinking through a series of interview questions (while telling your story) is a compelling exercise. Maybe you’d even want to publish your stories on the site-- anonymously. “Publishing” on that site is part of the reason I’ve written this post, but…

Your Millionaire Interview-- yes, you!
https://wp.me/p13Ju8-noE
#military #sot #MilitaryLife #vets #milfam #milspouse @MilitaryOfficer @MOAA_MilLife

🚨 We must all track this story 🚨 If Trump and Republicans--ILLEGALLY--create a federal role in elections and take away voting machines and mail-in voting (among other things), American citizens living outside the US, including military and #MilFam serving abroad, will be prevented from voting.

Military Spouses needed!
Participate in a research study about your Military Spouse experience.
#milspouse #militaryspouse #militaryspouselife #milfam #militaryfamily #military

Here is a link to the survey in case the QR code does not work: redcap.link/xi1p1qbh%EF%...

Dementia among your family or friends… or in your finances. Everyone knows that they need to spend time on their estate plans.  It’s part of financial independence, and it’s even more important if you’re a military veteran with survivor’s benefits. Yet how much time have you spent adulting on your disability plan, especially for later in life with declining cognition?  What about your loved ones and *their* plans? Recently in a thread on the Millionaire Money Mentors forum, the subject of cognitive impairment came up. 

Dementia among your family or friends… or in your finances.
https://wp.me/p13Ju8-nmI
#military #sot #MilitaryLife #vets #milfam #militaryretirement #earlyretirement #milspouse @USAA @MilitaryOfficer @MOAA_MilLife
#FinancialIndependence

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 Thrift Savings Plan. The Short Answers: Yes, if you’re below the ranks of O-4 or E-7– even if you’re getting sea pay, submarine pay, flight pay, or other specialty pays.

Updated with new related links:
“In-service Roth Thrift Savings Plan Conversions”
https://wp.me/p13Ju8-njs
#military #sot #MilitaryLife #vets #milfam #militaryretirement #milspouse @MilitaryOfficer @MOAA_MilLife

Please share this flyer far and wide with your military-affiliated friends. I am happy to answer any questions- PM me here or use the contact information on the flyer!❤️🤍💙
#milspouse #militaryspouse #militaryspouselife #militarylife #militaryfamily #milfam

“But Nords, You Have A Pension!” I’ve been a member of the Millionaire Money Mentors forum since late 2020. It’s tremendously accelerated the financial independence of its members, including a number of military veterans (and a few servicemembers). I’ve learned a lot from the other mentors, and my spouse and I have saved tens of thousands of dollars with their advice. On that forum, one of our Perpetual Internet Debates concerns the success (

“But, But, But Nords, You Have A Pension!”
https://wp.me/p13Ju8-nkC
#military #sot #MilitaryLife #vets #milfam #militaryretirement #milspouse @MilitaryOfficer @MOAA_MilLife

Scully Royalty Updates on Shareholders Meeting and Legal Proceedings Scully Royalty Ltd. announces updates on its annual shareholders' meeting and ongoing legal matters, aiming for transparent communication.

Scully Royalty Updates on Shareholders Meeting and Legal Proceedings #United_States #New_York #Cayman_Islands #Scully_Royalty #MILFAM

Scully Royalty Updates Shareholders on Meeting and Legal Matters Scully Royalty Ltd. updates investors regarding its upcoming annual meeting and addresses misrepresentations in a competitor's proxy circular, urging caution among shareholders.

Scully Royalty Updates Shareholders on Meeting and Legal Matters #United_States #New_York #Proxy_Vote #Scully_Royalty #MILFAM

I tremendously enjoyed talking with Ron Arceo at Ignite Funding on the new “What’s Your Investment?” podcast. We cover reaching #FinancialIndependence in the #military (real estate? index funds?) along with frugality vs deprivation. Ron’s a local, too: surfing!
#milspouse #milfam #vets #sot

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 Thrift Savings Plan. The Short Answers: Yes, if you’re below the ranks of O-4 or E-7– even if you’re getting sea pay, submarine pay, flight pay, or other specialty pays.

In-service Roth Thrift Savings Plan Conversions
themilitarywallet.com/leave-active-duty-for-re...
#military #sot #MilitaryLife #vets #milfam #militaryretirement #milspouse @USAA @MilitaryOfficer @MOAA_MilLife #milSO

The 4% Safe Withdrawal Rate isn’t guaranteed to last for more than 30 years, but failures are rare! Learn more about it here, and boost your financial resilience for #FinancialIndependence.
#military #milfam #milspouse #sot #vets

How Institutions, the Media, and Money Bloggers Address Working in Retirement - ESI Money Today we’re concluding our discussion on the Retirement Police. So far we’ve had two posts in this series: Grappling with the Retirement Police The Changing Definition of Retirement You’ll want to…

“Why yes, yes I am really retired.”
ChatGPT (and ESIMoney) agree.
An update on the Perpetual Internet Debate about what retirement really means.
esimoney.com/how-institut...
#military #milspouse #milfam #sot #vets

#veteransday #militaryfamily #milfam

You #military veterans: what are your three life lessons from your service?
Oh, and the rest of that episode covers the tactics of saving & investing for military #FinancialIndependence.
#milspouse #milfam #vets #sot

You #military #vets already know the answer to this one.
Oh, and #FinancialIndependence gives you choices, even in an all-volunteer force.
#milfam #milspouse #sot

An invitation to our lives So here it is. The start, the beginning. Although I am a bit unsure how to do this so bear with me. I have been told on several occasions that I ought to ”write a book” about our…

An invitation to our lives throughourlives.com/family-2/an-in… #throwbackthursday #throwback #tbt - Beginning Post - #autism #domesticviolence #milfam #disabledveteran #MarineCorps #trauma #abuse #ptsd #family
www.throughourlives.com/family-2/an-invitation-t...

Book review: You’re On Your Own In our house, books have been an essential parenting tool. I must have read a six-foot stack of them just to try to find a clue our way through all the stages from pregnancy to college applications. Some are the type of books that you leave on the familyroom table (or in the kid's bathroom) for them to discover on their own.

Book review: "You're On Your Own". #military, #sot, #MilitaryLife, #vets, #milfam, #militaryretirement, #milspouse

Parent’s letter to an 18-year-old After those last two blog posts, it's time to lighten things up a little. Let's talk about figuring out the "new rules" when your fledgling leaves the nest. Our daughter has given me permission to blog about an e-mail that we sent her a few weeks after she started college. Until she turned 18, her checking account and her credit card were still held jointly with me.

Parent's letter to an 18-year-old: #military, #sot, #MilitaryLife, #vets, #milfam, #militaryretirement, #milspouse

Here's an #military excerpt from a #FinancialIndependence episode with Chris at #Financipation. We had a great talk about building wealth, even if you did it with a lower-paying career and a high savings rate.
In the full episode, we dive a lot deeper!
#milfam #milspouse #sot #vets

Questions About Medicare + Tricare? We Have Answers. Have you thought about your Medicare supplemental insurance yet? Or even more challenging: will you have to help an elder work through their decisions? How will it affect your financial independence? I learned a lot about Medicare Part B and Part D insurance policies while taking care of my father’s finances, and I learned even more this year when I signed up for my own Medicare…

Questions About Medicare + Tricare? We Have Answers:
https://wp.me/p13Ju8-ngZ
#military #sot #MilitaryLife #vets #milfam #militaryretirement #milspouse @MilitaryOfficer @MOAA_MilLife

This is one of the most enjoyable podcast episodes I've ever recorded. (And I've guested on a lot of podcasts.) It came out of a chance meeting with Chris at FinCon24.

Here's an excerpt, with a link to the one-hour episode.
#FinancialIndependence #military #milspouse #sot #milfam

Medicare, Tricare For Life, And Your Expiring Military ID Card A reader writes: “Hey Nords, are you old enough for Tricare For Life yet?” “I have been a long time reader of your website and enjoyed the many posts you've made. My wife and I are both retired from the military. As we have continued to look into our retirement when the kids finally graduate and leave for college, the part that Medicare plays for our healthcare is somewhat confusing.

Medicare & Tricare For Life: Has Your Retiree #Military ID Card Expired Yet?
(65th birthday special post.)
https://wp.me/p13Ju8-nf0
#sot #MilitaryLife #vets #milfam #militaryretirement #milspouse @USAA @MilitaryOfficer @MOAA_MilLife

What happens when you’re a dual-military couple with way too much sea duty? Lean #FinancialIndependence comes a lot faster, even if you’re not getting submarine pay.
buff.ly/1kwuVs8
#military #milfam #milspouse #sot #vets

Enjoy a short clip of Financipation’s Chris Phelps and I talking about #military service and the 1980s-90s days of the #FinancialIndependence movement.
buff.ly/NO9SBW5
We’re building on our chance meeting at #FinCon.
#milspouse #vets #sot #milfam

Enjoy a conversation with Chris Phelps of Financipation about reaching #FinancialIndependence. (We met during #FinCon.) We talked about investing since the 1980s, mistakes along the way, lessons from 23 years of FI, and raising your family for it.
buff.ly/k3hVqqQ
See you at FinCon25!
#milfam #vets

My latest guest post for a Hawaii budget getaway or staycation:
buff.ly/KUTZfX9

If you have a U.S. #military DoD card, then you’re probably eligible to use the Navy’s Barbers Point beach cottages on Oahu.

Check your eligibility here with a PDF download:
buff.ly/w6LWpxI
#milfam #milspouse #vets

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. I’ve already posted about the PACT Act to help motivate vets to update their VA disability claims. The “Related articles” section at the bottom of this post has more info about the screening process…

The PACT Act, VA disability screening, cholesterol, and... cardiac risks.
https://wp.me/p13Ju8-n91
#military #sot #MilitaryLife #vets #milfam #milspouse @USAA @MilitaryOfficer @MOAA_MilLife