MILMO Show

Many families in the military community are dealing with the BIG D, and I'm not talking about debt. I'm talking about divorce. It's the reality many married couples face, whether your military or not. Unfortunately, the military ratchets the degrees of difficulty in relationships when you add in frequent moves, unemployment, deployments, PTSD, and high-risk jobs. It's not a fun topic, but one many of you have asked me to cover because of a divorce's financial ramifications on couples.

In this episode, I talk with Daniel Yerger, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, about how you can prepare your finances for a divorce. Daniel is a Certified Financial Planner®, Army PSYOP veteran, and the owner of MY Wealth Planners®, a fee-only RIA in Longmont, CO. Daniel is both a financial planning practitioner and researcher, as a doctoral student in Kansas State University's Personal Financial Planning Ph.D. program, where he studies compensation and conflicts of interest.

Daniel shares insight on how to handle your finances before and after divorce, when to get help, and the unique financial aspects that impact service members and spouses in a divorce like retirement and VA disability benefits.

Show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/prepare-for-a-divorce/

September is College Savings Month which is an important part of many people's finances. For most military members, the GI Bill plays a part in the planning. We often talk about what the GI Bill is and the benefits you receive but what we don't talk about enough is how to actually use it.

In this episode, I talk with Mike Hunsberger, a Chartered Financial Consultant, and Air Force veteran, about using your GI Bill benefits. Mike launched Next Mission Financial Planning to help military, retirees, and veterans gain control of their finances. Before launching Next Mission, Mike spent 25 years in the Air Force with various assignments in the communications and cyber fields and commanding at the detachment, squadron, and group levels.

Mike shares the planning you should put into using your GI Bill, how far out that should begin, what to do when you have more than one child using benefits, and mistakes to avoid along the way.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/plan-for-your-gi-bill/

It's that time of the year, folks. It's my Birthday week, which means I get to do whatever I want. I love being able to celebrate my bday every year with you and the special people in my life. In years past, I've had my siblings, my Dad, and last year, my grandma on the show to help me celebrate. This year, I have another special guest to help me celebrate.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/bday-bash-2022/

Life insurance is an important part of protecting the financial future of those you love. Just like other financial decisions, there is a lot to know before deciding when, where, and what to buy.

In this episode, I talk with Melissa Schreur about the why behind getting life insurance and when to get it.

Melissa Schreur is a military spouse and seasoned insurance professional. Since insurance was her first love before marrying her service member, she naturally developed a passion for helping military families with their life insurance coverage. As the owner of Insure The Heroes, she is on a mission to create more awareness on the value of obtaining individual life insurance!

Show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/buy-life-insurance/

It's time for part two of my student loan shows. The Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program has a big perk from serving in the military—student loan forgiveness. Sadly, not as many people use it as should.

In this second episode, Adam Hagerman explains what you need to know about the PSLF to take advantage of the program.

Adam is an AFC®, CFP®, with a mission to provide financial education that is easy to understand and free from outside influence.

In addition to his financial education site, Adam also works full-time as a civilian for the federal government. In his position, he's provided financial coaching and education to thousands of civilian and military employees over the past 10 years.

Adam shares what the program is, who it's for, when you should start submitting your information, and mistakes to avoid.

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

Student loans are a hot topic right with a lot of moving parts. It's something that can change the amount of money you owe or the length of time you make payments. Because there is a lot to know, I'm doing a two-part series on student loans.

In this episode, I talk with Adam Hagerman about the Limited Public Service Loan Forgiveness Waiver. Adam is an AFC®, CFP®, with a mission to provide financial education that is easy to understand and free from outside influence.

In addition to his financial education site, Adam also works full-time as a civilian for the federal government. In his position, he's provided financial coaching and education to thousands of civilian and military employees over the past 10 years.

In this first episode, Adam breaks down what the Limited Public Service Loan Forgiveness Waiver or LPSLF is, who it's for, the financial benefits, requirements and more.

Show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/pslfw/

Saving money is something we all need, but how we go about it can look different. We're all in different stages or places in our lives. Savings for a single-parent service member might look different than dual service members.

In this episode, Kia McCallister-Young shares simple steps to start saving money based on your situation. Kia is the Director of America Saves, a campaign managed by the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America that helps others save money, reduce debt, and build wealth.

Kia's professional experience includes founding a successful marketing consulting agency focused on designing timeless communications strategies that clarify messaging and building an ideal community that converts.

As an Air Force veteran and former military spouse, Kia has great advice to save money where you're at in life.

The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/simple-steps-to-start-saving/

Looking back on your life, will it look the way you want? Will you have accomplished everything you wanted to, spent time with the people you wanted, and reached your financial goals? Will you be at peace?

In this episode, I talk with Jordan Grumet about how to reach financial freedom without regret. He is the host of the award-winning Earn & Invest podcast and author of the newly released book, Taking Stock: A Hospice Doctor's Advice on Financial Independence, Building Wealth, and Living a Regret-Free Life. Jordan discovered financial independence as a burnt-out physician.

Show notes can be found here:

https://laceylangford.com/podcast/financial-freedom-with-no-regrets/

Parents want the best for their kids. Because of that, it's a balancing act of helping them and helping them help themselves. That applies to finances too.

In this episode, I talk to Bobbi Rebell about how to set your teens and young adults up for financial success. Bobbi is a CFP® and the author of Launching Financial Grownups: Live Your Richest Life by Helping Your (Almost) Adult Kids Become Everyday Money Smart. She is a financial literacy advocate, the host of the Money Tips for Financial Grownups podcast, and the founder of GrownupGear.com. Bobbi was previously a global business news anchor and personal finance columnist at Reuters and held various journalist positions at top news outlets, including CNBC, CNN, and PBS.

Bobbi shares what you can do now to help your kids be financially successful on their own. From budgeting and saving to understanding their first 401k and homeownership, Bobbi gives some practical steps on how to go about it.

The show notes can be found here:

https://laceylangford.com/podcast/financial-success-as-an-adult/

Credit card debt can get many people in trouble, but for some, credit cards help them travel and do more for less.

In this episode, Derrick Dye, the Co-Founder of Travel on Point(s). Shares some tips and best practices for traveling on credit card points.

Derrick always loved to travel and early on figured out a few tricks to save money on airfare and hotels through loyalty programs. But it wasn't until he and his wife started opening up credit cards for rewards to enhance their travels that he really understood the value. Now Derrick spends his time running a Facebook group, writing blog posts, and hosting zoom sessions to teach people how to maximize their rewards to Travel on Point(s).

Derrick shares tips to get started, some rules of thumb for credit cards, benefits you can receive, and most importantly, mistakes to avoid when using credit cards for points.

Show notes can be found here:

https://laceylangford.com/podcast/traveling-on-points/