The Military Money Manual Podcast

Today, Spencer talks with Zac Hood, founder of TravelFreely.com and CashFreely.net and their amazing apps that are free!

We personally use these apps to find the best offers on cash-back credit cards and travel cards. Zach's apps even monitor your Chase 5/24 status, recommend which card to get next and when, and track your annual fees (while accounting for the Military Lending Act waivers on credit card annual fees for military servicemembers and their spouses).

The apps are secure with no bank information or login info exchanged.

On today's episode, we discuss:

1. Having a mindset of gratitude while traveling free on points and miles
2. Tracking credit cards with an app, not a spreadsheet with TravelFreely and CashFreely
3. How to find secret cash-back card offers and how to know which cards' welcome offer is the best value for you

Find Zac free apps and web-based software at militarymoneymanual.com/freely.

Our new TSP course is live! Check out the Confident TSP Investing course at militarymoneymanual.com/tsp to learn all about the Thrift Savings Plan and strategies for growing your wealth while in the military. Use promo code "podcast24" for $50 off. Plus, for every course sold, we'll donate one course to an E-4 or below- for FREE!

If you have a question you would like us to answer on the podcast, please reach out on instagram.com/militarymoneymanual or email [email protected].

If you want to maximize your military paycheck, check out Spencer's 5 star rated book The Military Money Manual: A Practical Guide to Financial Freedom on Amazon at or at shop.militarymoneymanual.com.

I also offer a 100% free course on military travel hacking and getting annual fee waived credit cards, like The Platinum Card® from American Express, the American Express® Gold Card, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card in my Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3.

The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card waive the annual fee for active duty military servicemembers, including Guard and Reserve on active orders over 30 days. The annual fees on all personal Amex cards are also waived for military spouses married to active duty troops

Taxes can be complicated. Military families have a number of unique concerns when thinking about their taxes- which state(s) to file in, how to withhold taxes, how a gig economy or side hustle affects the plan, how to handle rental property, etc.

Today's main points include:

• Common tax problems for military families
• Important tax implications for families with a rental property or side hustle
• Warning signs when looking at financial advisors
• Filing in multiple states
• Filing wholly on your own or wholly through a CPA are not your only options

For a limited time, Spencer is offering one-on-one Military Money Coaching sessions! Get your personal military money and investing questions answered in a confidential coaching call.

Links mentioned in today's show:

• PIM Tax Services
• MFAA- Military Financial Advisors Association
• Military Tax Experts Alliance
• MQFP search
• Nectarine service for financial advisor hourly meeting
• MilTax via Military One Source
• Paul Allen on LinkedIn

Our new TSP course is live! Check out the Confident TSP Investing course at militarymoneymanual.com/tsp to learn all about the Thrift Savings Plan and strategies for growing your wealth while in the military. Use promo code "podcast24" for $50 off. Plus, for every course sold, we'll donate one course to an E-4 or below- for FREE!

If you have a question you would like us to answer on the podcast, please reach out on instagram.com/militarymoneymanual or email [email protected].

If you want to maximize your military paycheck, check out Spencer's 5-star rated book The Military Money Manual: A Practical Guide to Financial Freedom on Amazon or at shop.militarymoneymanual.com.

I also offer a 100% free course on military travel hacking and getting annual fee waived credit cards, like The Platinum Card® from American Express, the American Express® Gold Card, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card in my Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3.

Learn how to get your annual fees waived on premium credit cards from American Express in the Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3.

The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card waive the annual fee for active duty military servicemembers, including Guard and Reserve on active orders over 30 days. The annual fees on all personal Amex cards are also waived for military spouses married to active duty troops.

Miranda Head, Corporate Engagement Lead at LinkedIn and @CookingWithMiranda on TikTok, joins Spencer and Jamie to talk about military spouse jobs, using LinkedIn to find your next job, and overcoming the aniexity of meeting new friends with each PCS.

• How Miranda found remote jobs while moving every few years in the military
• Secretarial housing allowance waiver - for short term PCS, you can leave your family in place and collect the higher BAH of the two locations.
• Should you hide your military spouse status from potential employers?
• Negotiating maternity leave at a new job
• Military spouses are eligible for free premium LinkedIn every time you PCS

If you have a question you would like us to answer on the podcast, please reach out on instagram.com/militarymoneymanual or email [email protected].

LinkedIn Premium for free for one year for active duty and mil spouses anytime you move or if you are transitioning out of service

Follow Miranda on LinkedIn

Connect with the military community - there are so many veterans who have started businesses helping other veterans/military spouses on finding employment.

• Paul Lawrence
• Lindsay Teplesky
• Michael Quinn

If you want to maximize your military paycheck, check out Spencer's 5 star rated book The Military Money Manual: A Practical Guide to Financial Freedom on Amazon at or at shop.militarymoneymanual.com.

I also offer a 100% free course on military travel hacking and getting annual fee waived credit cards, like The Platinum Card® from American Express, the American Express® Gold Card, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card in my Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3.

Learn how to get your annual fees waived on premium credit cards from American Express in the Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3.

The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card waive the annual fee for active duty military servicemembers, including Guard and Reserve on active orders over 30 days. The annual fees on all personal Amex cards are also waived for military spouses married to active duty troops.

For a limited time, Spencer is offering one-on-one Military Money Coaching sessions! Get your personal military money and investing questions answered in a confidential coaching call.

Confused about continuation pay? Join the club. Unfortunately, too many servicemembers and their leaders are confused about the continuation pay benefit in the BRS. In today's episode with Brandon Lovingier, ChFC®, MQFP® aka The Enlisted Money GuyTM, we share all you need to know to understand the benefit.

For active duty, it's currently:

• 2.5 times your monthly base pay in either a lump sum or up to 4 equal, annual payments.

For example, a monthly base pay of $4,252 x 2.5 = $10,630 bonus or $8,684 monthly base pay x 2.5 = $21,710 bonus (pre-tax)

Other important points from the episode:

• When am I eligible for continuation pay?
• Does it come automatically?
• Does the program vary by service?
• How does the payment come to me?
• Does it reduce my pension?
• What is the service commitment after taking the bonus?
• Does it impact my eligibility for other bonuses like a re-enlistment bonus or aviation bonus?

Links discussed:

• EnlistedMoney.com http://enlistedmoney.com/
• Brandon's Continuation Pay article https://enlistedmoney.com/continuation-pay-benefits/
• Air Force link (CAC restricted)
• Financial Readiness flyer on Continuation Pay https://finred.usalearning.gov/assets/downloads/FINRED-ContinuationPay-FS.pdf
• EnlistedMoneyGuy on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/enlistedmoneyguy/

Our new TSP course is live! Check out the Confident TSP Investing course at militarymoneymanual.com/tsp to learn all about the Thrift Savings Plan and strategies for growing your wealth while in the military. Use promo code "podcast24" for $50 off. Plus, for every course sold, we'll donate one course to an E-4 or below- for FREE!

If you have a question you would like us to answer on the podcast, please reach out on instagram.com/militarymoneymanual or email [email protected].

If you want to maximize your military paycheck, check out Spencer's 5 star rated book The Military Money Manual: A Practical Guide to Financial Freedom on Amazon or at shop.militarymoneymanual.com.

I also offer a 100% free course on military travel hacking and getting annual fee waived credit cards, like The Platinum Card® from American Express, the American Express® Gold Card, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card in my Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3.

Learn how to get your annual fees waived on premium credit cards from American Express in the Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3.

The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card waive the annual fee for active duty military servicemembers, including Guard and Reserve on active orders over 30 days. The annual fees on all personal Amex cards are also waived for military spouses married to active duty troops.