TMW 023: Hale Koa Hotel & Resort in Hawaii
The Military Wallet Podcast with Ryan Guina
Release Date: 06/21/2016
TMW 032: Disney Military Discounts and Shades of Green Resort
The Military Wallet Podcast with Ryan Guina
My wife and I recently took our daughters on a Disney vacation. What does this have to do with military benefits? Well, we saved a ton of money on our tickets with the Disney Armed Forces Salute discounted Park Hopper passes, and we also stayed at the Shades of Green Resort at Walt Disney World, one of four Armed Forces Recreation Centers around the world. Shades of Green is actually a military resort, run by the Army. IN today's podcast, we cover how to take advantage of these discounts, what it's like to stay at Shades of Green, and how to maximize your Disney vacation. You can also read...
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TMW 031: Military Life Insurance
The Military Wallet Podcast with Ryan Guina
Life Insurance is one of the most important parts of your financial toolbox. It provides money to your family members when they need it the most. In today's podcast, we discuss life insurance as it pertains to military members, veterans, and their families. We discuss why you and your family members need life insurance, the types of life insurance, where to buy it, how to find the best, deal, what to look out for to make sure you're covered, and much more. This is one episode you don't want to miss - it could have a huge impact on your or your family.
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TMW 030: Military Discharge Upgrade
The Military Wallet Podcast with Ryan Guina
Did you know it may be possible to upgrade your military discharge characterization? Today, our expert, a retired US Air Force Judge Advocate, walks us through the military Discharge Review Board Process and how to apply to have your discharge upgraded. Special attention is given to recent DoD guidance directing leniency for discharge upgrades for veterans who have symptoms from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). Learn who is eligible for a discharge upgrade, how to apply, tip for improving your odds of having your upgrade request approved, and more. ...
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TMW 029: How to Automate Your Finances
The Military Wallet Podcast with Ryan Guina
Military members are frequently on the move. That's part of the gig, and part of the fun! In this podcast, we discuss how you can automate your finances so you don't have to worry about your money during a PCS, TDY, or deployment. Tips include automating your income, investments, expenses, paying bills, and tracking everything with free software. We also cover how to avoid mistakes with automation and how to protect yourself while you are away from home. These tips will help you save time, money, and energy. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of automating your...
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TMW 028: Tricare Roundtable - The Good, The Bad, and How to Improve TRICARE
The Military Wallet Podcast with Ryan Guina
TRICARE is the military medical program, and is available to active duty, retirees, Guard / Reserve, and their family members. In today's podcast, we're doing a roundtable interview to discuss TRICARE - the good, the bad, and the ugly. In this episode we primarily focus on TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Reserve Select. We cover a lot of ground, including some areas where TRICARE shines, some of the issues we've experienced, and some of the areas where we would like to see improvements. Overall, TRICARE is substantially more affordable and offers greater coverage than many other health care programs...
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TMW 027: Thrift Savings Plan Contributions
The Military Wallet Podcast with Ryan Guina
The Thrift Savings Plan is the government version of a 401k. It is used by military members, civil service workers, and other employees of government agencies. In today's podcast, we discuss Thrift Savings Plan contributions. Topics covered include the Traditional TSP, Roth TSP, annual contribution limits, catch-up contributions, making TSP contributions while deployed (including tax-exempt contributions), TSP contributions when you have more than one retirement account, contributing to both the military and the civil service TSP (yes, you can have both!), and other topics. Wow! That's a lot...
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TMW 026: Guard & Reserve Retirement Points
The Military Wallet Podcast with Ryan Guina
Most military members know how active duty retirement works. But do you know how retirement works through the National Guard and Reserves? The Reserve retirement system is based on earning Retirement Points for your service. In this Guard & Reserve Retirement Point Guide, we discuss what Points are, how to earn them, the minimum and maximum Points you can earn in a year, how to translate your active duty service time to Points for the Guard or Reserves, how many points the different types of service are worth, how to earn more Retirement Points, and finally, how to put this all...
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TMW 025: VA Disability Claim Myths
The Military Wallet Podcast with Ryan Guina
Did you know that many military veterans don’t want to file a service-connected disability claim with the VA when they separate from active duty? There are many reasons for this, but some of them aren’t based on facts. Today we’re going to cover 12 VA Disability Claim Myths and the facts you need to know when filing a VA service-connected disability claim. Some of these myths surround who is eligible to apply for veterans disability benefits, how a disability rating may impact your future career, whether or not you can serve in the Guard or Reserves if you have a service-connected...
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TMW 024: Survivor Benefits Plan
The Military Wallet Podcast with Ryan Guina
The Survivor Benefit Plan provides a continued source of income for survivors of military retirees. If a military retiree elects to buy into the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), his spouse or other eligible survivor will be eligible to receive 55% of the retiree’s retirement pay after the retiree passes away. This can provide ongoing income and stability for survivors, but it does come at a cost, as retirees must buy into the plan. In this podcast, we dive into the Survivor Benefit Plan details and discuss when it makes sense to buy into the SBP, and when veterans may be better off choosing to...
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TMW 023: Hale Koa Hotel & Resort in Hawaii
The Military Wallet Podcast with Ryan Guina
My family and I just returned from an amazing family vacation on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where we stayed at the Hale Koa, an Armed Forces Recreation Center located in the Waikiki Beach area of Honolulu. The Hale Koa is one of four Armed Forces Recreation Centers around the world run by the Army. AFRCs are resorts that were built for the military and are exclusively for use by military members, retirees, DoD civilians, and other authorized guests. The Hale Koa offers very affordable room rates, a variety of resort features, and the location can't be beat! My family and I had the...
info_outlineMy family and I just returned from an amazing family vacation on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where we stayed at the Hale Koa, an Armed Forces Recreation Center located in the Waikiki Beach area of Honolulu.
The Hale Koa is one of four Armed Forces Recreation Centers around the world run by the Army. AFRCs are resorts that were built for the military and are exclusively for use by military members, retirees, DoD civilians, and other authorized guests.
The Hale Koa offers very affordable room rates, a variety of resort features, and the location can't be beat! My family and I had the opportunity to see a variety of sights around Oahu. It was a family adventure that won't be topped any time soon. If you are in the military, are a military retiree, or are otherwise eligible, then I recommend looking into the Hale Koa as a vacation opportunity if time and money allow.
In the mean time, check out this detailed review of the Hale Koa, including features, amenities, pricing, and tips to make your trip the best it can be.