Military Money Show Lacey Langford

Trusts can play a crucial role in helping plan your financial future by providing benefits like avoiding probate or tax efficiency and financial planning strategies like providing for special needs children. But they cost money and can be complicated.
In this episode, Certified Financial Planner Isidore Ogoussan shares what trusts are, how they work, the expense, and who they are for. 
The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/Trusts-and-Your-Financial-Planning

Saving money on your childcare expenses is getting ready to get easier for service members and their spouses. The new Dependent Care Flex Spending Account is starting soon and can help you save pre-tax dollars to pay for your childcare expenses each year, but how does it all work, and when does it start?
In this episode, Jennifer Walker, a Navy veteran and the Executive Director for Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personal & Readiness), gives us a rundown on everything we need to know about how the program works, who it’s for, how much you can save, and a whole lot more.
The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/Should-Know-About-the-Dependent-Care-Flex-Spending-Account

Army veteran and serial entrepreneur Adam Bird shares strategies for effectively managing and growing multiple businesses. Adam discusses his journey from the military to becoming the founder of three successful companies in three different industries.
Adam's memory of where he was on 9/11 and the immediate effects His motivation for becoming an entrepreneur after leaving the military Tips for having effective business partnerships and dealing with conflict The importance of having a written agreement with business partners Hiring team members and interns to delegate tasks and grow your business Staying mentally balanced with self-care like exercise, being outdoors, and hypnotherapy Common mistakes entrepreneurs make like not having a business plan and trying to do everything solo Adam's advice for starting a second business while running your first one Pivoting between businesses to avoid burnout but still be productive Focusing on your purpose and helping others versus just making money The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/manage-multiple-business-effectively

The state of the economy has everyone feeling the squeeze. It’s not a great feeling and may have you thinking of ways to work your finances. One of those ways could be becoming part of the FIRE movement or Financial Independence Retire Early. Or just part of the Financial Independence movement. 
I thought now might be a good time to bring back a special episode I did with Doug “Nords” Nordman on F.I.R.E to get you inspired. 
In this episode, we cover:
History and evolution of the F.I.R.E. movement  Fat FIRE How FIRE works  The addition of a military retirement Three Steps to achieve FIRE FIRE without deprivation  Options for managing student loan debt  Advice for military spouses with employment and education Advice for couples working towards financial independence The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/steps-to-financial-independence-retire-early

The sun is setting on the student loan payment pause. On September 1, 2023, interest will once again start accruing on your student loans. Payments will restart sometime in October. 
It’s been a hot minute since many people’s budgets have included student loan payments. For many, preparations need to be made to make sure you can make payments without a negative impact on your finances and quality of life. In this episode, I’m going to go over the steps you should take to prepare.
You can find the show notes and resources here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/prepare-for-the-student-loan-repayment-restart

Financial readiness is a critical part of force readiness but also to the quality of life of service members and their families. When it comes to taking advantage of the resources provided by the Office of Financial Readiness, there are often some misconceptions. 
In this episode, Andrew Cohen gives us an inside look at what FINRED is, how it helps, and how you can use it to set your finances on the right track. We cover the Blended Retirement System, the new Dependent Care FSA, and more.
Andy is the Director of Financial Readiness in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Education and Training. As Director, he leads the Financial Readiness team in the planning, direction, control and coordination of Department of Defense-wide policies and programs to meet the financial literacy and preparedness needs of service members and their families.
The show notes can be found here: https://laceylangford.com/podcast/Financial-Readiness-for-Service-Members