David Blackman

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The Thrift Savings Plan: What Is It and Why Do You Need It?

What is Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)? TSP is an account similar to a 401(k). Federal employees (including those in uniform) may participate in the TSP. Military members put pre-tax money into an account, and have the right to take the money out of the account at a certain point in...
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Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) – Four Reasons it Can Work for You

Americans are, taken as a whole, among the most charitable people on earth. Every year, Americans give of their time, talent, and money to thousands of charitable causes. In fact, the Charities Aid Foundation’s World Giving Index, 2010, ranks the United States as fifth in the world in charitable giving....
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Veterans Day Reflections

One sunny Saturday many years ago, I had duty during a port visit to Liverpool, England. It was a “visit ship” day, and as part of Standing Naval Forces, Atlantic, we were obliged to take visit ship day very seriously. In my whites and my combination cover that I always...
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Military Retirement: A Blessing and a Curse

I lost you, didn’t I? You said “this guy is completely insane! Half my pay for the rest of my life is a curse?” While I am prepared to concede your first point, gentle reader, allow me but a few paragraphs to elaborate on the second. Retirement from the military...
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3 Things You Should Know About the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act

The Military Spouse Residency Relief Act of 2009 (MSRRA) is now law. Unlike some laws (gravity, for instance), MSRRA is not necessarily very easy to understand. Hopefully most states have already gone through their “growing pains” in adapting to and adopting the MSRRA, but that does not mean there aren’t...
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Your Spouse Has Depression? Here’s How to Help.

I have depression. Actually, if you want to be specific, my diagnosis is much longer and more detailed than that. Depression is a lot shorter to say and to type. Let us not be prisoners of mere words and move forward together. I am lucky to have my spouse. Not...
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Five Tax Tips for Military Families

It’s tax time again, and that means my phone will be ringing with friends who ostensibly want to say “hello” but in reality have a tax question. Sit for the CPA exam and see if you don’t get the same treatment! Being a military family offers some tax advantages, but...
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Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance May Help Some, But Not Many

Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of the Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance (FSSA) Program. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? You, gentle readers with your hands in your laps, are not alone. The program, outlined in Department of Defense (DOD) Instruction 1341.11, isn’t very well known. The website used to determine...
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Major Defense Budget Cuts A Possibility…or Are They?

As you may be aware, the Congressional “Super Committee” recently failed to meet their deadline to come up with a plan to cut the Federal budget. Congress has until the end of December to come up with and pass the committee’s plan, otherwise $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts (“sequestration cuts”)...
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What’s in a Name? Plenty…

Although planning a wedding can be stressful, there is no doubt any married man will tell you it is completely, unreservedly worth every minute. One decision, however, looms over even the color of the text on the place cards: do you change your name? If you are keeping your own...
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