Podcasts about grumpus maximus

Grumpus Maximus on the reluctant financial voyeur. Episode 2050: The Reluctant Financial Voyeur by Grumpus Maximus Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/reluctant-voyeur-foreclosure/  Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com Interested in advertising on the show? https://www.advertisecast.com/OptimalFinanceDaily Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grumpus Maximus on the reluctant financial voyeur. Episode 2050: The Reluctant Financial Voyeur by Grumpus Maximus Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/reluctant-voyeur-foreclosure/  Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com Interested in advertising on the show? https://www.advertisecast.com/OptimalFinanceDaily Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grumpus Maximus on the reluctant financial voyeur. Episode 2050: The Reluctant Financial Voyeur by Grumpus Maximus Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/reluctant-voyeur-foreclosure/  Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com Interested in advertising on the show? https://www.advertisecast.com/OptimalFinanceDaily Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you need pension funds explained, there's no better person to talk to than the internet's leading voice on all things pensions and retirement, Grumpus Maximus. After spending twenty or so years in the military, Grumpus began to put his health, happiness, and passions first. Now, retired with plenty of money coming in (thanks to pensions and retirement accounts), Grumpus spends his time blogging and helping others ask the meaningful question, “is my pension worth it?”Guest co-host Joe Saul-Sehy from the Stacking Benjamins podcast is here to help Mindy tee up some pension-related questions for Grumpus. Whether or not you have a job offering a pension or you're debating accepting a job with a pension, the research-based questions asked today will help you evaluate whether or not a pension is truly worth it. You'll hear about the safety of pensions, healthcare-impacted pensions, annuities, and Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) so you can make the best possible decision regarding your (early) retirement plans!In This Episode We Cover“Cashing out” of a pension and what to do with the moneyUnderstanding the healthcare implications that come with leaving a pension Which industries have the riskiest pension plansIs an annuity ever worth the fees? Researching your pension and understanding the benefits How to analyze the safety of an organization's pension plan And So Much More!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Back in another installment of ChooseFI’s Households of FI series are Troy and Lindsay. In episode 241, Brad helped them calculate their FI number, but Lindsay is a teacher with the potential to earn a pension. In this episode, they touch base with Grumpus Maximus to discuss the health of their pension. While the conversation is geared toward the health of the Virginia Retirement system, others who are eligible for pensions will learn where to access data about their own pensions and interpret it to assess its health. Linsday is 32 and in her seventh year of teaching under the Virginia Retirement System. Troy is 34 and an IT professional working on government contracts and does not have access to a pension. Troy and Linsday have a young son. Grumpus Maximus is a retired military officer who lives in New Zealand with his wife and two kids. Grumpus experienced a post-traumatic breakdown around year 16 of his military career that had him calculating whether or not it was worth staying in the military for the additional years required to earn his pension. Many defined benefit plans these days have different levels because they are so expensive. The Virginia Retirement System (VRS) has 3 options, 1, 2, and a hybrid plan. Linsday is on option 2. Both COVID and having their son have had Troy and Lindsay thinking about the future of their careers. The possibility of working from home or retiring early were things they began to consider, but the VRS’s calculators would allow Lindsay to play with numbers to look at retirement before the age of 58. After some investigation, Grumpus found that 30 years is the standard full vestment period, but partial vesting is reached at just five years, although it wouldn’t pay out until also reaching the minimum retirement age. Option 2 appears to be tied to the social security retirement age, so taking it earlier likely results in a reduced benefit. Lindsay wants to understand how to calculate what her pension would be. Grumpus says there is a way to calculate it but warns that doing it this far in advance will require a lot of assumptions. The retirement budget Troy and Lindsay are shooting for is around $4,000 per month. They can go online to calculate the pension amount and then see how big the gap is. The smaller the gap is, the more valuable the pension is. Lindsay’s pension has a COLA which hopefully negates inflation and makes her pension more valuable and allows her pension’s purchasing power to remain the same. The VRS pension also does not replace social security, so she will have social security income coming in as well. Her pension also has other earned pension benefits (OEPB), like life insurance, health insurance, and the option of survivorship. The Grumpmatic method of calculating a pension’s worth includes a pros and cons list, which includes pension benefits, but also personal issues. It takes into account the non-mathematical considerations, such as happiness, job satisfaction, and potential changes to the pension system. He encourages everyone to write the list down on paper to create a physical record of why the decision is being made because it shouldn’t be purely a numbers-based decision. When asked about how Grumpus and his wife came to the decision that they did, he said several factors played into the decision. It was a transition for his wife to go from career to full-time parent wasn’t easy. They even had marriage counseling. Troy had trouble even finding information on Lindsay’s pension. Grumpus says because he’s been looking t pensions for so long, he knows what to look for. In addition, Boston College runs The Center for Retirement Research and has a public plan database with most of the major state and city plans in it. With Public Plan Database, you can get an overall view of what the pension plan looks like. It also compares the plans to national averages which can give you an idea of the overall health of your plan. Virginia’s plan is not fully funded for all current and future obligations, which is pretty much average. Very few public plans are fully funded. An accounting change in the late 90s also changed many pensions from 100% funded to underfunded and then the market crash from the .com bubble didn’t help. Most plans have steadied since then at around 75%. The American Academy of Accuraties came out with a paper stating that there is a myth claiming anything funded at 80% is well off and won’t have issues in the future. It’s better to look at the trend lines for the last five years. If they have been going down, there is cause for concern. Grumpus warns that all the funding spent on COVID this year may impact pension funding. If states skip paying into plans, it will need to be rolled into future payments. That is shown in the database as ARC payments. In Lindsay’s pension plan, she is accruing cash that she could roll over with the interest into an IRA after five years of service. Grumpus says that goes in the pro column for leaving since she could take what she’s earned with her, but he says there are very few cons to her system overall. The VRS pension uses a formula based on age, the number of years worked, and average annual salary. There is a multiplier for every year worked of 1.7%. Payments will start right away if she works to full-retirement age. Concerning health insurance under VRS, credits are accrued for the length you stay that contribute to a subsidy. If you leave, you won’t keep that. Because of the COLA, it makes for an easier pension calculation, but there’s no magic equation to spit out a yes or no answer. The goal should be to have a fully-formed decision. While she is enjoying teaching from home, Troy and Lindsay are considering a second child which could change how she feels. Grumpus says the advantage is that they don’t have too much time invested into the pension yet. Teachers have other ways to invest money, such as 403bs and 457s. Lindsay could be doing those in the meantime to give herself flexibility. People who have pensions need to make some real in-depth considerations from both a financial and psychological perspective. Not every decision comes down to money. You have to decide what works best for you. Grumpus Maximus Website: Grumpusmaximus.com Resources Mentioned In Today’s Conversation Get the ChooseFI ebook bundle for 20-25% discount! ChooseFI Episode 221 Introducing Our Households of FI!! | Part 1 ChooseFI Episode 241 Households of FI Troy & Lindsay and Brad Calculate Their FI Number Public Plans Database Children will gain money management skills with The Simple StartUp. The Golden Albatross: How to Determine if Your Pension is Worth it? by Grumpus Maximus The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College If You Want To Support ChooseFI: Earn $1,000 in cashback with ChooseFI’s 3-card credit card strategy.  Share FI by sending a friend ChooseFI: Your Blueprint to Financial Independence.      

It's Part 2 of ChooseFI's end-of-year wins where we hear directly from our community members. During this live event, listeners shared the actions they've taken during the past year that have helped them to spend less, earn more, and enjoy the journey. This year, the year-end-win episode took place in a three hour live Facebook and YouTube event featuring around 20 members of the community. After listening to the podcast for months or years, how did individual members of the community take in information and take action leading to success in a very challenging year? Success isn't just the nuts and bolts of money. Ultimately, it's a life optimization strategy. In response to Brad sharing in an earlier episode that he was joining Alan Donegan in his burpee challenge, Christine wrote in to share that she was inspired to step up her run by throwing in burpees along the way even if she couldn't complete the pushups. Being perfect isn't realistic. Challenge and struggling are important, as is trying to get to the point of mastery. You grow during times of discomfort and failure. The first end-of-year win comes from Eric. Introduced to FI by his best friends over a year ago, Eric binged listened to the podcast. In January of 2020, Eric and his wife re-scripted their financial life. Eric is an architect and started creating YouTube content as a side hustle on his channel 30X40 Design Workshop. Re-scripting their financial life started with paying down all their debt, including mortgage, with the cash they had saved that wasn't doing very much for them and built a six-month emergency fund. Having that headspace allowed them to take more risks during the year. They don't have a specific monthly budget, but as long as his wife keeps her job as a research scientist, they are good. Everything he makes is going toward FI, including a post-tax brokerage account and 529s. The FI literacy they've picked up from the podcast has shown they are a lot closer to their FI number than they thought. The friend who introduced Eric to FI was Jason, who also had end-of-year wins to share. Jason figured out early in his career that he didn't want to persist working for other people until retirement age. Five years ago, Jason learned about the FIRE community and began to buckle down, working toward a strategy. Jason says they've always been good savers and put salary increases and bonuses toward retirement savings. In 2019, he realized 2020 was the year they could hit FI. He actually achieved it in May 2019 and stayed at his job until June 2020 because he had some things he wanted to see through. In June, they moved from a high-cost-of-living area to a more moderately priced location. He began blogging on his website, The Next Phase is Now, to help work through the tornado of feelings he was experiencing. Before retiring, they lived on their FI budget for a full year to give them confidence. Currently, Jason is drawing from his cash reserves, which he moves from a Fidelity account to his checking account once a month like a paycheck. Next up is a question from Rebecca, who wants to know how to calculate her FI number when both she and her husband have pensions. Jonathan says the difference between your monthly expenses and your pension is what your FI number will need to cover. The book by Grumpus Maximus, The Golden Albatross: How to Determine if Your Pension is Worth It, as well as episodes 057 and 227 with Grumpus are good to check out if you have a pension. The next listener sharing her wins is Sara. Sara sold her care and began investing in VTSAX this year after graduating in 2019. As a new investor, the market fluctuations this year were intimidating, but after reading The Simple Path to Wealth, she felt like she was getting in during a low period. Sara's only debt is $78,000 in student loans which she hopes to pay off by age 30. During this 0% interest period, she has deferred making payments and has saved $20,000. It's a safety net that she's trying to decide what to do with. Her employer offers a .5% match up to 6% in her retirement plan. Sara has increased her contribution since deferring her student loan payments and is looking to roll over an account from a previous employer. Sara is trying to keep her expenses low and estimates her savings rate to be 30-40%. Listener Jake has made a lot of big moves this year, which means undoing all of the American dream ideas that had been drilled into him, like the fancy apartment, car, and clothes. They weren't making him happy. After listening to the podcast, Jake took action and moved into a place that cost him half as much, traded in the fancy car for a used Prius he paid cash for, and slashed his spending. Another big move Jake made was to refinance his private student loans with a 10% interest rate to 4%. He's putting every extra dollar toward student loans and will 100% debt-free by the end of January. The Talent Stacker podcast has lit a fire under him and Jake's goal for the end of 2021 is to hit $100,000 net worth. Being able to work remotely, Jake has moved back in with his parents and reduced his rent to zero. Bradsays he credits living with his parents after graduation as the springboard for everything that came after. Zach says it's been a great year figuring out his why of FI and taking actionable steps. He thinks whether we realize it or not, we're all chasing time and health. He wants to travel the world in business class and loves his 2006 Hyundai Sonata. For Zach, finding happiness wherever he is at is the FI goal. It's all about what you personally value. His investments are set up to meet his passive income goal. At the beginning of COVID, Zach started two businesses. While a pandemic doesn't sound like a good time to start a business, Zach says any time of strife and change creates opportunity. Next up is Kosta who says despite the tough year, his path to FI has accelerated and COVID hammered home the need to do it. Three years ago, Kosta and his fiance thought they had made it with their lucrative careers. But when he learned about FI in 2018, he was hooked. They worked together as a team to pay down student loan debt and put a 20% downpayment on the house they bought at the beginning of this year. Health issues that may take both of them out of work motivated them to ensure their later years were easier. And a by-product of FI, Kosta has lost 84 funds this year! Resources Mentioned In Today's Conversation Buy a ChooseFI ebook bundle and save an extra 15% with code “holiday15” Build a better portfolio with M1 Finance ChooseFI ebook store If You Want To Support ChooseFI: Earn $1,000 in cashback with ChooseFI's 3-card credit card strategy.  Share FI by sending a friend ChooseFI: Your Blueprint to Financial Independence.

Grumpus Maximus answers one of the most difficult questions:  should I stay or should I go when it comes to waiting for a pension.  Plus a short segment with Vazul Hites on looking for a job post college graduation in a time of COVID. 

From the day you join the military, you’re already counting down the days until you are faced with the decision of should I stay in for the pension. Everyone has to decide at some point. But that’s a big choice for everyone and one that can have significant financial impacts. There are also things to consider, like family life, education, future employment, and mental health in your decision. Grumpus Maximus has a new book out to help you make that decision. It’s called "The Golden Albatross: How To Determine If Your Pension Is Worth It.” Grumpus is a retired U.S. military officer, husband, father, blogger, and first-time author. In the show, we talk about deciding to stay in or get out of the military.

  The Troy and Lindsay are new on their journey, finding FI several months ago after making a budget and realizing they had no money left over at the end of the month. Compared to other systematic approaches to becoming debt-free, they felt FI was creative and adaptable to a variety of lifestyles. The first step Troy and Lindsay took was to determine where all their money was going using a budget tracker, which enabled them to cut monthly expenses and continue to do the things they enjoyed doing, like going to happy hours. Except for their mortgage, the Troy and Lindsay have paid off all of their debt, contribute to a 401k, and have an $80,000 net worth, including a $15,000 emergency fund. Though they both enjoy their jobs now, Lindsay is a teacher, so Brad suggests considering her pension's “worth vs worth it” as Grumpus Maximus has discussed on the podcast and in his book, The Golden Albatross. Use the 4% rule of thumb to determine what your net worth should be to reach FI. Using the 4% rule, you can withdraw 4% of the balance each year to live off of and reasonably expect it to last for the rest of your life. To calculate your FI number, multiply your annual expenses by 25. For every $100 cut from your monthly expenses, is $30,000 less you need to save to reach FI. Troy and Lindsay recently refinanced their mortgage from 4.75% to 3.25% and are investing the $500 a monthly savings into 401ks and Roth IRAs. When wondering about paying off their mortgage, Brad acknowledges that there is a real psychological satisfaction the goes along with it, but he looks at it in this way. The interest portion the payment is the true expense, while the principal payment is a reallocation of net worth going from your checking account into home equity. Brad suggests taking the time to document a year's worth of expenses and look at different scenarios for what life may be like in retirement to come up with a range of possible annual expenses. When calculating their FI number, Troy realized the number was double if he included a mortgage payment. Brad suggests looking at the mortgage amortization schedule for prepayment options. Food expenses have been cut with a goal of $500 a month. Lindsay checks to see what's in the pantry before shopping and meal preps one day a week to avoid eating out, but she isn't penny-pinching when it comes to quality. Removing mortgage and childcare from their expenses, Troy and Lindsay's monthly expenses are about $3,500 per month, which puts their FI number at just around 1 million dollars. They are currently saving roughly $50,000 per year to add to the $80,000 net worth but are wondering where they go from here. Brad acknowledges there can be a lot of initial excitement upon finding FI and making changes, but then there can be a lull. He challenges Troy and Lindsay to figure out what they want their lives to look like rather than compare their FI journey to anyone else's. It's important to understand that life is fluid and wants may change over time. Test small before making big decisions or changes. Flexibility and communication with your partner are critically important pieces of the process. The next steps Troy and Lindsay will be taking are to build a spreadsheet with different retirement expenses scenarios and talk about what they really want their lives to look like. Anyone interested in FI should understand that you don't need to be perfect, but you do need to get started. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S CONVERSATION ChooseFI Episode 227 The Golden Albatross with Grumpus Maximus The Golden Albatross by Grumpus Maximus Protect your online activities with an Express VPN Earn $1000 or more with ChooseFI's 3 card cash back strategy! NewRetirement Retirement Calculator ChooseFI Episode 013 The Unfair(FI) Advantage of Teachers with The Millionaire Educator ChooseFI Episode 238 How to Test Out of College While You're Still in High School with The Millionaire Educator Get started on your journey at ChooseFI.com/start Get a group of friends to join you on the journey with ChooseFI's free FI101 course! IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT CHOOSEFI:   Share FI by sending a friend ChooseFI: Your Blueprint to Financial Independence.  

Today's episode features Grumpus Maximus, author of  The Golden Albatross and creator of the Grumpus Maximus website. Grumpus was three years away from a pension when he had a breakdown. This pushed him to gather all the information he could on his pension to choose on staying or going. Ultimately, he stayed and from then on became focused on teaching others how to understand and utilize their own pension plans. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode! Episode Summary Grumpus' Beginnings In the spring of 2016, he suffered a mental breakdown This was while serving in the military He was only 3 yrs from a pension This made him do a lot of investigating into his pension He gives people advice on how to balance mental health and personal finance decisions We also talk about how to decide when to stop chasing the pension This is important because there's often such a long time to earn the pension Varieties of Pensions Grumpus highlights the vast differences in pensions These differences make them more or less valuable Differences include healthcare and inflation adjustment One thing to look out for is how well funded the pension is If it is only 50% funded, then it could be a riskier and less attractive pension What is a Pension? Generally, it's some percentage of money based on your salary that you receive forever You might have to work X number of years and at that point, you're fully vested Some allow you to ramp up your pensions vs all or nothing Think partial vs cliff vesting The main reason for a pension is for retention If you're ready to leave, they may offer you a lump sum It's important to consider tax implications and how much value you're giving up Grumpus also highlights that all plans must offer survivor benefits This is where your spouse or dependent would get a part of your pension after your death Rely Only on Your Pension? Simply put, you shouldn't only rely on your pension The closer you get to vesting, the more you can assume you'll have it You also need to study how likely your pension is to actually exist This is on top of understanding how likely you'll be able to handle a single job for 20-30 years Grumpus Moves Abroad He moved to New Zealand and enjoying the conversion rate We then discuss how the pension is taxed based on state/country you live in Grumpus is a big fan of the range of activities available in New Zealand Cody couldn't agree more! Key Takeaways Know Your Pension: The pension system isn't as simple as we thought, so study your specifics The future is uncertain: At times we don't take action because we're pessimistic but then, unfortunately, we make future assumptions based on overly optimistic projections Call to Action Study your pension! Even if you don't have a pension, chances are that you or your spouse has some type of benefits. Really dig in to make sure you fully understand and maximize those benefits. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners Looking for a low-cost cell phone service provider with great coverage? Look no further. Mint Mobile provides the same premium coverage you’re used to, but at a fraction of the cost because everything is online. All their plans come with unlimited talk and text and you can choose the data plan that’s right for you and get the plan shipped to your door for free! Go to MintMobile.com/FiShow to get started now for just $15 per month. Grumpus' Information

In this week's show we have birthday grumps, archive reveals, Maori pronunciations, we have a pr'Ooh'file from Foster parkrun in New Zealand, debate muffins and still no Sosarj news just yet.

Chris Pascale with Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on worth vs. worth it. Episode 1218: Worth vs. Worth It: Stretching Out The Family Van by Chris Pascale with Grumpus Maximus on Auto Finance Decisions Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/worth-it-stretching-out-family-van/ Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Pascale with Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on worth vs. worth it. Episode 1218: Worth vs. Worth It: Stretching Out The Family Van by Chris Pascale with Grumpus Maximus on Auto Finance Decisions Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/worth-it-stretching-out-family-van/ Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Pascale with Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on worth vs. worth it. Episode 1218: Worth vs. Worth It: Stretching Out The Family Van by Chris Pascale with Grumpus Maximus on Auto Finance Decisions Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/worth-it-stretching-out-family-van/ Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com and in The O.L.D. Facebook Group

Chris Pascale with Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on worth vs. worth it. Episode 1218: Worth vs. Worth It: Stretching Out The Family Van by Chris Pascale with Grumpus Maximus on Auto Finance Decisions Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/worth-it-stretching-out-family-van/ Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com and in The O.L.D. Facebook Group --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/optimal-finance-daily/support

Grumpus Maximus has partnered with ChooseFI Publishing to release his book The Golden Albatross. While pensions can seem like a dry topic, Grumpus has created an in-depth guide to the subject while simultaneously making it enjoyable to read. Today Grumpus is on the show to talk with us a bit about his story. For more information, visit the show notes at https://ChooseFI.com/227

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on thankfulness and bounty. Episode 993: Thankfulness and Bounty by Grumpus Maximus on How to Be Thankful & Have Gratitude on Thanksgiving Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/thankfulness-and-bounty/ Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts Gusto offers modern, easy payroll and benefits to small businesses across the country. And if you want your business to be all set up by 2020, you don't want to wait. Get in touch now and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Just go to gusto.com/ofd. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on thankfulness and bounty. Episode 993: Thankfulness and Bounty by Grumpus Maximus on How to Be Thankful & Have Gratitude on Thanksgiving Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/thankfulness-and-bounty/ Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts Gusto offers modern, easy payroll and benefits to small businesses across the country. And if you want your business to be all set up by 2020, you don't want to wait. Get in touch now and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Just go to gusto.com/ofd. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on thankfulness and bounty. Episode 993: Thankfulness and Bounty by Grumpus Maximus on How to Be Thankful & Have Gratitude on Thanksgiving Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/thankfulness-and-bounty/ Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts Gusto offers modern, easy payroll and benefits to small businesses across the country. And if you want your business to be all set up by 2020, you don't want to wait. Get in touch now and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Just go to gusto.com/ofd. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/optimal-finance-daily/support

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on thankfulness and bounty. Episode 993: Thankfulness and Bounty by Grumpus Maximus on How to Be Thankful & Have Gratitude on Thanksgiving Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/thankfulness-and-bounty/ Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts Gusto offers modern, easy payroll and benefits to small businesses across the country. And if you want your business to be all set up by 2020, you don't want to wait. Get in touch now and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Just go to gusto.com/ofd.

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on teaching an old dog new tricks. This is part 2 of 2.   Episode 937: [Part 2] You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks by Grumpus Maximus on Husband and Wife & Financial Goals   Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon.    The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/you-can-teach-an-old-dog-new-tricks/   Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts Access an exclusive listener discount and join the thousands of investors beating the market at www.fool.com/optimalfinancedaily Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on teaching an old dog new tricks. This is part 2 of 2.   Episode 937: [Part 2] You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks by Grumpus Maximus on Husband and Wife & Financial Goals   Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon.    The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/you-can-teach-an-old-dog-new-tricks/   Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts Access an exclusive listener discount and join the thousands of investors beating the market at www.fool.com/optimalfinancedaily Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on teaching an old dog new tricks. This is part 2 of 2. Episode 937: [Part 2] You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks by Grumpus Maximus on Husband and Wife & Financial Goals Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/you-can-teach-an-old-dog-new-tricks/ Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts Access an exclusive listener discount and join the thousands of investors beating the market at www.fool.com/optimalfinancedaily --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/optimal-finance-daily/support

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on teaching an old dog new tricks. This is part 2 of 2.   Episode 937: [Part 2] You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks by Grumpus Maximus on Husband and Wife & Financial Goals   Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon.    The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/you-can-teach-an-old-dog-new-tricks/   Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts Access an exclusive listener discount and join the thousands of investors beating the market at www.fool.com/optimalfinancedaily

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on teaching an old dog new tricks. This is part 1 of 2.   Episode 936: [Part 1] You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks by Grumpus Maximus on How To Deal with Money in Marriage   Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon.    The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/you-can-teach-an-old-dog-new-tricks/   Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts With the SendPro software, you can compare shipping rates between carriers, plus save 40 percent off USPS Priority Mail shipping and get 5 cents off every letter you send. Our listeners can try it FREE for 30 days and get a FREE 10 pound scale, but only when you visit: PB.com/finance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on teaching an old dog new tricks. This is part 1 of 2.   Episode 936: [Part 1] You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks by Grumpus Maximus on How To Deal with Money in Marriage   Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon.    The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/you-can-teach-an-old-dog-new-tricks/   Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts With the SendPro software, you can compare shipping rates between carriers, plus save 40 percent off USPS Priority Mail shipping and get 5 cents off every letter you send. Our listeners can try it FREE for 30 days and get a FREE 10 pound scale, but only when you visit: PB.com/finance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on teaching an old dog new tricks. This is part 1 of 2.   Episode 936: [Part 1] You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks by Grumpus Maximus on How To Deal with Money in Marriage   Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon.    The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/you-can-teach-an-old-dog-new-tricks/   Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts With the SendPro software, you can compare shipping rates between carriers, plus save 40 percent off USPS Priority Mail shipping and get 5 cents off every letter you send. Our listeners can try it FREE for 30 days and get a FREE 10 pound scale, but only when you visit: PB.com/finance.

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on teaching an old dog new tricks. This is part 1 of 2. Episode 936: [Part 1] You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks by Grumpus Maximus on How To Deal with Money in Marriage Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/you-can-teach-an-old-dog-new-tricks/ Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts With the SendPro software, you can compare shipping rates between carriers, plus save 40 percent off USPS Priority Mail shipping and get 5 cents off every letter you send. Our listeners can try it FREE for 30 days and get a FREE 10 pound scale, but only when you visit: PB.com/finance. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/optimal-finance-daily/support

Grumpus Maximus on the reluctant financial voyeur.   Episode 908: The Reluctant Financial Voyeur by Grumpus Maximus on Frugality & Building Wealth for Early Retirement   Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon.   The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/reluctant-voyeur-foreclosure/   Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts You get THREE MONTHS FREE when you sign up for a year, but you have to go to MightyNetworks.com/OFD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grumpus Maximus on the reluctant financial voyeur.   Episode 908: The Reluctant Financial Voyeur by Grumpus Maximus on Frugality & Building Wealth for Early Retirement   Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon.   The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/reluctant-voyeur-foreclosure/   Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts You get THREE MONTHS FREE when you sign up for a year, but you have to go to MightyNetworks.com/OFD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grumpus Maximus on the reluctant financial voyeur. Episode 908: The Reluctant Financial Voyeur by Grumpus Maximus on Frugality & Building Wealth for Early Retirement Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/reluctant-voyeur-foreclosure/ Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts You get THREE MONTHS FREE when you sign up for a year, but you have to go to MightyNetworks.com/OFD --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/optimal-finance-daily/support

Grumpus Maximus on the reluctant financial voyeur.   Episode 908: The Reluctant Financial Voyeur by Grumpus Maximus on Frugality & Building Wealth for Early Retirement   Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon.   The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/reluctant-voyeur-foreclosure/   Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts You get THREE MONTHS FREE when you sign up for a year, but you have to go to MightyNetworks.com/OFD

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on financial planning. Episode 887: Financial Planning (Part 1): Time and Planning by Grumpus Maximus on Financial Independence Plans Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/financial-planning-part-1-time-and-planning/ Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on financial planning. Episode 887: Financial Planning (Part 1): Time and Planning by Grumpus Maximus on Financial Independence Plans Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/financial-planning-part-1-time-and-planning/ Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grumpus Maximus shares his thoughts on financial planning. Episode 887: Financial Planning (Part 1): Time and Planning by Grumpus Maximus on Financial Independence Plans Grumpus Maximus is a 40 something US military officer with 19 years of active duty service under my belt. He's spent over four years of that career either deployed or stationed in the Middle East, and another three years stationed in Europe. As he travels to his family's mostly unintentional path to FI, he wants to share his knowledge. Anyone who is eligible for a defined benefit pension could easily implement their own goal to achieve FI. Grumpus Maximus' path is not only replicable, but easily built and improved upon. The original post is located here: https://grumpusmaximus.com/financial-planning-part-1-time-and-planning/ Please Rate & Review the Show! Visit Me Online at OLDPodcast.com & in The O.L.D. Podcasts Facebook Group! and Join the Ol' Family to get your Free Gifts --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/optimal-finance-daily/support

Today we discuss how the military path is different than the traditional financial independence journey. Guest for today's show are: Dave Pere From Military to Millionaire Military Dollar Grumpus Maximus

We all have money mistakes.  Some of us have more and bigger mistakes than others....(slowly raises our hands to both).   FAILING FORWARD John Maxwell has a wonderful book called Failing Forward.  What he emphasizes is one of the most valuable lessons one can learn in life and it is this... Failure in and of itself is not bad.  The most important thing is how you respond to failure.  You can learn from it and try again and get better or you can walk away and let it prevent you from growing.  Most of you know our money story and know we've made quite a few money mistakes.  The biggest one of them being student loan debt.  The stress and magnitude of our student loan debt has been a barrier, mentally, emotionally and financially for years.  The enormity of our debt was also one of the catalysts for us to seek out help and eventually find the financial independence community.  We now have hope.  Hope not just for ourselves - but for a different future for our children. We have had lots of time to think about the things we would have done differently and steps we will be taking to ensure our children do not follow in our footsteps when it comes to debt.  OUR MISTAKES:  1. Lack of knowledge and options about how to pay for school without debt.  2. Taking out more money than we needed.  3. Not aggressively paying them off immediately after graduation.  4. Not taking advantage of the Public Student Loan Forgiveness programs (PSLF) WHAT WE WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY AND WHAT WE ARE DOING DIFFERENTLY FOR OUR CHILDREN:  1. Talking with our children and educating ourselves about options with how to pay for college.  Scholarships Extra-curricular scholarships Military 2. Options for College.  Community College Clep Testing Trade Schools 3. Defraying Costs for College 529 Plans Stay at home! State College vs. Private Schools   Previous Episodes: Episode 31 with Travis Hornsby, The Student Loan Planner Episode 14 with Tinian Crawford, DIY2FI Episode 12 with Grumpus Maximus  BOOKS MENTIONED: Failing Forward, by John Maxwell      

Military FI Today on the podcast we spoke to Grumpus Maximus, a blogger and active member of the Financial Independence community, who takes a special interest in teaching his followers about pensions and retirement accounts.  The thing about today’s episode that was so striking, was that we spent a good portion of it talking about the psychological difficulties of staying at work when you are no longer interested or it is affecting your mental health.  Have you ever felt this way? Stuck in a job where everyday feels like a repeat of the day before? Both Wendy and I have had moments in our careers where we’ve felt the urge to break free of a job that weighed on us.  Grumpus has felt this way too, but there is added pressure from his job because unfortunately (fortunately?) he is inches away from crossing a Military Pension finish line!     Today we learned so much more about Grumpus’ interesting back story, and we discovered tips that will help us to more deeply assess our retirement planning options. Who Is Grumpus Maximus Grumpus is a natural storyteller.  He took us back through his life, highlighting the major financial turning points along the way.  We were able to fully explore each windfall and/or decision, and gathered some great tips for parents or individuals that find themselves in similar situations today.   Timeline: The Financial History of Grumpus Financial “Windfall” at an early age (but at a major cost) Entering the military as a Master’s Degree Level Officer The Mental Breakdown that changed everything The Birth of Grumpus Maximus and The Golden Albatross Blog The Grumpus Approach to Retirement Accounts Military members have so much to consider when maneuvering their way through their financial benefits, and much of the time they are not provided with adequate personal finance education.  This is something many non military members can also relate to. In both instances we are faced with making potentially life altering money decisions from a place quite close to ignorance. Grumpus defined the “High Three Pension Benefit” open to military members before a certain date, and he also defined various retirement accounts for us.  He talked a little about 403bs, 457s, federal/state and military pensions, defined contribution pension, and other accounts. Grumpus also discussed the key steps a person needs to take to figure out what accounts they have access to within their jobs, and also, how to value a pension!  In order to know whether or not you should  walk away from a job or stay is to see exactly what you are walking away from.  Figuring out the true value of the pension is part of that decision making process.   The true definition of a pension   defined benefit pension (paid in perpetuity) declining in the private sector (under 8%), more in the union benefits.  Become more powerful when connected with life insurance, health care benefits, cola adjustments. Defined contribution pension plans (public schools, etc) - access to a 403b and 457 plan usually the case as well. These come with some perks as well, such as being able to access the money prior to normal retirement dates. Thrift savings program - savings vehicle within the military. New development is a potential for a match, but this is a new blended program. The previous plan was the High 3s plan.  There are trade offs, including the reduction of the multiplier from 2.5 to 1.5, but there is not a match component.  Your contributions are matched by the federal government to a certain percentage. This means that if you don’t make it to 20 years, which represents the majority of military members,  you will at least leave the military with the matched contributions! This is a huge change, and will serve as a benefit for most. Roth options vs. Traditional options generally affect taxes. Health Savings accounts can act like a retirement vehicle the way they are currently written. The Grumpus Approach to Gutting It Out Grumpus talked openly about the juxtaposition of mental health vs staying in a career. In fact, he wrote an awesome post about “gutting it out”.  After reading the post, I wrote a direct response blog.  It was a fun exercise because it showed that there are things within our control that we can do to make the best of the work situations that we find ourselves in.   It is key to note, if you are truly feeling depressed within your current situation, you may need to speak with a mental health professional to tease out whether you are just going through an emotional lull or if you are facing real depression.  True depression requires additional support and possibly a change of environment. Please find professional help if you feel that you are in need of professional support. Military Benefits Let’s talk about Military Benefits.  Did you know about the GI Bill? Did you know that you can “give” your Gi Bill proceeds to a dependent or spouse?  Did you know that you can split the GI bill between multiple dependents? Did you know that as soon as you decide to pass the GI bill along, you should sign the paperwork?!  This is important because once you sign you incur a 4 year commitment starting on that day. Listen to find out the mistake that Grumpus made related to this GI Bill assignment! Also, check out the Yellow Ribbon Program to figure out which schools will cover educational costs above and beyond the GI Bill Maximums. There are other benefits too!  COLA, or cost of living adjustments are baked into the military pensions.  Health care access is extensive and healthcare coverage is one of the biggest FI issues facing those that want to retire early.  In America, health care coverage is tightly linked to work. You work, you get coverage. You don’t work and coverage is expensive to obtain.   Knowing the value of your benefits are the very first step to figuring out if you should stay or you should go.   Topic Overview For This Episode Grumpus Maximus about pensions and the military Where the name Grumpus Maximus comes from The Golden Albatross Grumpus Maximus’ backstory How he discovered the FI movement How he wanted to quit the military but would then lose all the benefits His relationship with Mrs Grumpus about money How to manage finances as a couple the non Grumpus way What FI looks like now for Grumpus How Grumpus got through the mental breakdown His top resources for learning about FI How to understand the pension How the military retirement system is changing for the younger generation Grumpus presented FI to his colleagues in the military Grumpus on the Final Questions: Learn to live within your means, Learn to save money, and the earlier the better!  Grow and compound your savings before you potentially hit that “Golden Albatross Moment”  High Cost of Living Area Hacks - Menu planning is a huge benefit for their family.  Mrs. Grumpus is buying meals with a specific intent, thereby saving their family thousands of dollars over time.  They also use the big box stores like Costco and Sam’s Club - but you must “do it right” so as to not overspend. Shop from your pantry first, and then meal plan.  Find Grumpus at www.grumpusmaximus.com , via email at grumpusmaximus@grumpusmaximus.com or on twitter @maximusgrumpus.  Join Grumpus’ facebook group to grump about any topic related to retirement!   Stay Tuned For Our Next Episode… Join us in the next episode when we talk to the most fun couple, Amon and Christina Browning of the Youtube Channel Our Rich Journey!  This family of four travels to foreign places to work, and they share their experience of traveling with a family. This episode with Amon and Christina was SO GOOD that Wendy is now secretly plotting out ways to convince her hubby to move abroad!   What was one thing you learned by listening to Grumpus? Let us know in the comment section below or continue the discussion in Our Facebook Group! Please take a moment to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or Stitcher so you don’t miss the next episode! While you’re at it, give us a rating and Tweet the podcast to your friends. We are having a Free 4 week Money Bootcamp aimed at helping you get control of your finances, save more and spend less.  Space is limited, so send us a message via Facebook or through our website contact form today. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please contact us on HouseOfFi.com

Couples and Finances   It’s not always easy to get two people on the same financial page. Timika and I can attest, with our own husbands it took a significant amount of time leading by example before getting each of them to come around and see the "FI light".   Each couple has their own unique set of challenges to work through when it comes to finances, but when the work is done, the rewards can be magnificent. Knowing the unique challenges of marital finances, we just had to find an expert to speak to our House of FI family.  We found the information you need in our interview with Ericka Young. Who is Ericka Young When Ericka Young and her husband began their marital journey, they blindly followed the usual path through college debt, first jobs and new home purchases.  This faulty path led them to a place where they were feeling overburdened by their debt and completely out of control in their spending. With some prodding from her husband, Ericka decided enough was enough, and she got to work learning all that she could about personal finance.  She soon realized she had found her calling, and she became a Certified Financial Coach.     Today, Ericka is a speaker, an author, a business owner, a financial coach and a mother!  She has blessed us with so much information aimed at helping us tackle the areas of budgeting, side hustling, kids, college and working together as a family to reach financial independence.   It’s not often that a person with such success and expertise is willing to openly share the information so candidly.   Topics We Talked About Ericka’s New Book Naked and Unashamed is Ericka’s informative book that leads couples through forming budgets and overhauling their financial situations. Ericka hired a writing coach to help her overcome her hesitations about writing this book, and the results are well worth the leap of faith.  In the book Ericka moves through various stages of financial development, and leads readers on a journey that includes an exploration of their money past, and their money future.   Ericka’s Thoughts on Starting a business   When is the best time to start a side hustle?  Ericka says “right now!” We were able to go over some of the interesting ways that Ericka was able to start her own business without spending much money at all.     Ericka’s College Hacks   We are all wondering how we will overcome college costs when the time comes, so we were excited to speak with Ericka about her daughter’s recent departure to college.  Ericka and her husband were able to talk their daughter through the process of making a wise financial choice for her Undergraduate University. Ericka talks to us about college costs, and various life hacks that she was able to capitalize on in order to help her daughter secure a full scholarship!!  You HAVE to listen to this cool tip!   Ericka’s Answers to Our Final Questions Money Lessons   Always have cash on hand (thanks to her grandfather’s teachings).  The cash will keep you out of the debt that will rob you of your financial future. Life Hacks for Parents With the high price of college, and with spending money on our kids for 18 years, college has to be something that we approach with wisdom and forethought.  You do not have to pay for college, especially if you still have debt and still need to save for your own future. Sharing a nanny  is another way to cut the high cost of child care, one client is saving $400 per month by doing this! To put this savings amount into perspective, $400 could fund $4800 of an IRA! Find Ericka   Ericka offers many services including coaching calls in 30 minutes increments,  a free download ebook called “Tailor Made Teens” that’s ready for you to download and read, and she has her book, Naked and Unashamed.  You can also contact her directly at ericka@tailormadebudgets.com   Stay Tuned For Our Next Episode…   Join us in the next episode when Grumpus Maximus of the GrumpusMaximus blog shares his in depth knowledge about pensions, military benefits.  We also dive deep into steps to staying at a job even when you don’t want to!  This is a show you want to listen to - Grumpus shared from the heart!   What was one thing you learned by listening to Ericka? Let us know in the comment section below or continue the discussion in Our Facebook Group!   Please take a moment to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or Stitcher so you don’t miss the next episode! While you’re at it, give us a rating and Tweet the podcast to your friends. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please contact us on HouseOfFi.com

057 | Grumpus Maximus shares his military background, his blog about understanding pensions, and his path to FI. In this episode we cover Interview with Grumpus Maximus about pensions and the military Where the name Grumpus Maximus comes from The Golden Albatross Grumpus Maximus’ backstory How he discovered the FI movement How he wanted to quit the military but would then lose all the benefits His relationship with Mrs Grumpus about money How to manage your finances as a couple What FI looks like now How Grumpus got through the mental breakdown His top resources for learning about FI How to understand the pension How the retirement system is changing for the younger generation Grumpus presented FI to his colleagues in the military Hot Seat questions Links from the show Grumpus Maximus’ blog What is a Golden Albatross? The Pension Series Worth vs worth it Mr Money Mustache Jim Collins Retirement Planning: How to Calculate your Gap number Can I retire yet? Blog FIRECalc and Flexible Retirement Planner Grumpus Maximus Facebook Page and Facebook Group  

027R | In today's podcast we highlight our takeaways from Episode 27 with Jay from Slowly Sipping Coffee, plus we discuss the 'Mount Rushmore' of FI and help debunk a lot of the misinformation surrounding the value of the mortgage interest deduction. In Today’s Podcast we cover: The Friday Roundup bringing in many aspects of our audience and community plus our thoughts on the Episode 27 with Jay from Slowly Sipping Coffee How to join the Choose FI Facebook group Looking at the great team of Mr. and Mrs. Slowly Sipping Coffee and how they gained flexibility and freedom How they made a game out of personal finance and that enabled them to save big on their credit card bills Just by being more conscious of their spending allowed them to save over 50% of their discretionary spending How ‘grazing’ by shopping at stores like Target can help fuel lifestyle inflation It’s important how we spend our time. Batch processing with intentionality is a way to fix our inefficient use of time How Jonathan can come up with a system in his life to find a work/life balance between the ChooseFI site and podcast and his ‘real’ life Multitasking is not a real thing What does your life look like post-FI? And when do you start thinking about that life? The Mount Rushmore of Financial Independence: Who do we put on that list? Who would you as the community put on the Mount Rushmore of FI? What do you want to do with your time when you reach FI? Fully Funded Lifestyle Change as an alternative to “retirement for the sake of quitting work” Risk tolerance and cFiresim Article submitted by Luis on CNNMoney on a couple who achieved FI Hot Seat conversation on the Facebook group The power to spread the message beyond of FI beyond this community Message from Austin who is a former student of the Millionaire Educator Voicemail from Ed Mills from the Millionaire Educator on ways to get your children involved in saving money Voicemail from Juan from Finance Clever about the value (or lack thereof) of the mortgage interest deduction and only getting value from it if your itemized deductions are above the standard deduction Brad’s example of the benefit of itemized deductions Feedback from the audience from Grumpus Maximus about retirement calculators and one in particular from Darrow Kirkpatrick at CanIRetireYet.com Voicemail from Kris with incredible feedback about the action she took after hearing Noah’s voicemail about removing escrow accounts Voicemail from Steve about the importance of umbrella insurance policies plus feedback from Tiffany about the same More information from Ken about ESPPs and call options