MILMO Show

Military marriages face many challenges that can negatively impact your relationship. Unfortunately, the divorce rate among military couples is higher than in the civilian population. The good news is, a study published in 2017 in the Journal of Family Issues found that the divorce rate among military couples declined between 2005 and 2011. So how can we keep up with that popular trend?

In this episode, Vicki Cody, an expert military spouse and author, breaks down how to keep your marriage vibrant during and after military service, mistakes to avoid, and the resources available to military couples.

Vicki knows a thing or two about military marriage, she has been an Army wife for 33 years. Her husband is Richard Arthur "Dick" Cody, a retired decorated four-star general who served as the 31st Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army. In 1991, then Col. Cody's Apache battalion fired the first shots of Operation Desert Storm.

Vicki is the author of Army Wife: A Story of Love and Family in the Heart of the Army and Fly Safe: Letters from the Gulf War and Reflections from Back Home.

She is also now an Army mom, with two sons active in the service as Apache helicopter pilots. In our interview, Mrs. Cody shares that one of her sons is the commander of the 101st Airborne Division's combat aviation brigade at Fort Campbell. His unit suffered a devastating loss on March 29, 2023, during a training mission when two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed, killing all 9 soldiers aboard the Black Hawks. You'll her tell the story and how it impacted everyone.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/Military-Marriage-Strong-and-Vibrant

Real estate investing is all the rage, but is it for you? There are risks and expenses when it comes to making improvements, repairs, and maintaining renters. Investing in land is another option instead of real estate.

In this episode, I talk to Brent Bowers, a vacant land investor, about what investing in land looks like, where to start, costs, and mistakes to avoid.

Brent is an Army veteran and founder of The Land Sharks and focuses on buying and selling vacant land. His time in the Army and the time he was spending away from his family led him to make some changes in order to be more present with his wife and children. His interest in real estate began in 2007 when he purchased his first home. While Brent invests in many different types of real estate, his favorite investment strategy deals with buying and selling vacant land.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/Land-vs-Real-Estate

Mortgage rates continue to be a hot topic that impacts our ability to purchase or sell a home. A while back, I had Kevin Parker on the show to talk about what we should know about the true cost of a mortgage and how to take that information and make a decision that's best for you.

As we're moving into homebuying season for the military, I thought it would be great to bring this episode back.

Here is the encore airing of How to Compare Mortgage Costs and Make a Decision with Kevin Parker from Navy Federal Credit Union.

The show notes can be found here:

https://laceylangford.com/podcast/compare-mortgage-costs/

Earning income is a critical part of building your wealth. For most of us, that is either having a job or starting a business, but what if there is a hybrid way?

In this episode, I talk to Kirby Williams about her journey of going from an employee to buying and running the business she worked at.

Kirby is the owner of Advantage Publications, an educational publishing company where she was formerly a marketing associate. She has designed and developed custom financial education slide calculators for the Social Security Administration, the FDIC, VOYA, CalPERS, the CFPB, and others. In 2018 she created The Match Booster, based on the Blended Retirement System that is used in financial readiness education by Fleet and Family Support Centers, Army Community Service, and the US Coast Guard PFMP.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/Employee-to-Owner

I was recently asked the question of what are the life insurance options for infants. I think my answer was not what was expected, which made me think, this might be something that should be discussed more.

In this episode, I'm going to go over life insurance for infants, the life insurance coverage available on active duty, and what and who it can cover.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/Life-Insurance-for-Infants/

Caring for elderly parents is an often overlooked budget item but one that can come with high expenses in the future. If caring for your older parents, grandparents, or loved one is important to you, make it a priority in your finances now.

In this episode, John Osarczuk shares tips for financially preparing to pay for elder care costs, what that looks like each month, and mistakes to avoid that can cost your money and quality of life for your loved ones.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/prepare-for-elder-care-costs/

Home buying and renting homes come with the territory in the military. Frequent moves lead many of us to buy or rent out of necessity, not because it's our first choice. But how can you turn that lack of control into a way to make money?

In this episode, Army veteran Joe Riley shares how you can use short-term house rentals to make money during and after your military career.

Joe and his wife are the founders of Patriot Family Homes. They started short-term rentals in 2017 when they listed their home near Fort Benning on Airbnb while Joe deployed to Afghanistan. They quickly realized the need for furnished temporary housing near military bases. So they started saving-up, and by the end of 2018, Rachel and Joe had bought 4 Airbnbs and it's grown since then.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/short-term-rentals-to-make-money/

Buying a car can be a big undertaking and feel overwhelming because it greatly impacts your finances. If you're not careful, you can make mistakes or miss opportunities that can cost you.

In this episode, Brendan Duebner shares tips and advice to avoid costly car-buying mistakes, the resources you can use, and the best time to buy.

Brendan is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business, a Captain in the Army's 75th Innovation Command, and a serial founder. He founded Life Skills for Soldiers in 2019 while on Active Duty as a Field Artillery Officer.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/car-buying-decisions/

Military spouses face career challenges at every turn impacting their ability to make money and build their earning power. There's a lot of career pivoting involved for milspouses but what if you already have a skillset that can help you make money no matter where the military sends you.

In this episode, military spouse Molly Rose Speed shares skills military spouses can leverage to make money, how to translate them into getting paid, and how to know your worth and set prices.

Molly Rose is an expert in creating what everyone wants more of -- time freedom. She is the creator of Virtual Assistant Academy and the Founder of Virtual Assistant Management, which provides trusted VA certification and placement in the online market.

Molly Rose is an awarded military spouse and solo world traveler who believes in creating a business and a life that allows you to do more of what you love.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/Military-Spouse-Skills/

Guard and reserve members face some unique financial and career challenges compared to active duty. And there are many things to consider when deciding to go from active duty to guard or reserve.

In this episode, Certified Financial Planner, Sam Lewis discusses the financial hurdles guard and reserve members and their families face and provides advice on navigating them. He also discusses things to consider when leaving active duty that can impact your finances and career.

Sam is an Air Force veteran who serves as a Senior NCO in the Air National Guard while running his own Fee-Only, Advice-Only RIA. He's also a husband and a father, which is what ignited his passion for planning smart financial goals. Now he is driven to help others envision their ideal future and then develop a long-term plan to help them get there.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/Guard-and-Reserve-Families/