Buying a house is not just a big decision. It’s a series of big decisions. You have to find the location, the right home, in the right area. You have to apply for mortgages, make an offer, and then you have to compare mortgages to decide which one to go with. But how do you compare and make such a big financial decision?

In this episode, my guest, Kevin Parker, breaks down how to compare closing costs between lenders to make and decide which mortgage is the best deal for you.

Show notes can be found here:

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

Kevin is the Vice President of the Mortgage Origination teams at Navy Federal Credit Union. Kevin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Hampton University. He has over 23 years of lending experience working for Capital One, SunTrust, and TD Bank. He has held various leadership roles with expertise in Real Estate Lending, Commercial Lending, Business Banking, Credit Analysis, and Business Development.

Kevin gives practical advice on the ins and outs of comparing closing costs, lenders, and making the best-informed decision on mortgages.

It’s hard to believe we’re closing down 2021 and rolling into the New Year. I don’t know about you, but for me, 2021 has had some ups and downs. Some good and bad news. Some moments I never want to forget and some others I don’t care to reminisce one. So I guess it’s been a lot like other years but nothing is ever exactly the same.

It’s time for my look back over the last year. Things we’ve discussed on the show, things that happened in our community, and what’s coming for 2022.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com

Finding your path in life and financial success can be hard. Most of us take a broken road to get where we want in life. But are there some easier ways to find your path and to work in your zone of genius? Maybe?

In this episode, Mike Zeller shares insights on how to overcome struggles in finding your path to success, how to rewrite your money story, and how to deal with imposter syndrome.

Mike Zeller is a business architect and entrepreneur mentor who helps professionals find their zone of genius and their life’s purpose. He has mentored over three hundred high-level entrepreneurs from all over the world. An entrepreneur himself, Mike has founded or partnered in over 20 ventures across multiple industries.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/how-to-rewrite-your-money-story/

Inflation continues to be a hot topic. Talk about the price of goods increasing is all over the news. A while back, I had Robert Frick on the show to talk about what we should all know about inflation and how it is impacting us all.

As we prepare to roll into the New Year, I thought we’d go over inflation one more time to help us financially prepare for next year.

Here is the encore airing of What You Need to Know About Inflation with Robert Frick from Navy Federal Credit Union.

Show notes can be found here:

https://laceylangford.com/podcast/inflation-encore/

The importance of family and finances for first-generation service members is something I learned early on as a financial coach in the community. There are a large number of service members that are first-generation Americans. And often those service members are financially responsible for extended members of their family. Which can have an impact on their budget and meeting their own financial obligations.

In this episode, we talk about the financial struggles that first-gen Americans face, family expectations and culture, and the importance of financial literacy.

My guest knows a thing or two about finances and first-gen families. Giovanna “Gigi” Gonzalez is a Phoenix-based financial educator with 10 years of experience in financial services. She’s a first-generation American, first-generation college graduate, and a TikTok star by the name of TheFirstGenMentor where she reaches over 160,000 followers through her educational and entertaining videos on financial literacy and career navigation. 

Show notes can be here:

https://laceylangford.com/podcast/finances-for-first-generation-families/

MilMoneyCon is happening April 21-23, 2022 in Cary, NC.

I’m so happy to be able to make the announcement.

MilMoneyCon is a conference for military financial professionals. That means financial coaches, counselors, planners, educators, influencers, students, and writers from the military community.

In this episode, I give you all the details about MilMoneyCon and what everyone can expect.

The show notes can be found here:

https://laceylangford.com/podcast/planning-milmoneycon22/

Taxes aren’t top of the fun things to do every year. In fact, it’s something that a lot of us avoid. But if you do a little planning and preparation in advance, it can make tax time and your finances run a little smoother.

In this episode, I talk with Benjamin Brandt about the list of tax items you should review at the end of the year, mistakes you can avoid, and what military families need to know about taxes.

Benjamin Brandt is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Founder of Capital City Wealth Management, a Bismarck, North Dakota fee-only financial planning company. He’s an Iraqi combat veteran having served in the North Dakota Army National Guard for 8 years, including a 15-month deployment to Iraq in 2003.

The show notes can be found here:

https://laceylangford.com/podcast/end-of-year-tax-planning-tips-for-2021/

TRICARE not only helps take care of your health, but it also protects your wealth. Travel is a way of life for many military and veteran families. If we’ve learned anything in the military is that anytime you travel, Murphy’s Law, something is going to go wrong. Unfortunately, many times that can be your health.

Figuring out TRICARE when you’re on the move and sick or hurt is not fun. Learning about your benefits before you travel can keep your body and wallet healthy.

In this episode, John Letaw is going to break down how to use your TRICARE benefits when you travel, common misperceptions, and how to get the most out of your benefits.

Show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/tricare-around-the-world/

Taking small steps to financial independence can have a big impact on your retirement. Many people talk about F.I.R.E or financial independence, retire early. But what are the steps you should take to get there? And does F.I.R.E look the same for everyone?

In this episode, my guest, Doug Nordman shares the steps you can take to F.I.R.E., how to handle debt in the process, and how to leverage your military benefits to achieve financial independence faster.

Doug served for 20 years of active duty in the U.S. Navy’s submarine force and retired in 2002 at the age of 41. He and his spouse, a retired Navy Reservist, reached financial independence in 1999 on a high savings rate.

He’s the author of “The Military Guide To Financial Independence And Retirement” and founder of The-Military-Guide.com. With his daughter Carol Pittner, he's the co-author of "Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence" through ChooseFI Media.

The show notes and resources can be found here:

https://laceylangford.com/podcast/steps-to-financial-independence-retire-early

Happy Small Business Week to my fellow veterans. If you want to start a business, there’s a lot to know beyond your craft or the thing you are selling. Lack of knowledge can hurt your businesses financially.

In this episode, Will Scott breaks down the things transition veterans can do to start a small business, how to get money to start your business, resources, and tools you can use plus missteps to avoid along the way.

Will is the Vice President of Business Solutions at Navy Federal Credit Union. He has over two decades of business solutions expertise from super-regional banks and major metropolitan credit unions across the country.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/veterans-should-know-about-starting-a-small-business/