MILMO Show

Going through a medical board can be confusing, and it's happening at a time when you may already be dealing with health issues and an unexpected change to your military career. On top of that, there are two disability ratings, different rules for medical retirement versus medical separation, and benefits that can depend on the details of your situation. In this episode, Heather Walrath and I talk about the Integrated Disability Evaluation System, how the VA and DoD ratings work, and what the difference between medical retirement and medical separation can mean for your pay, health care, and survivor benefits. We also talk about questions to ask along the way and how to make sure the information you're getting is accurate. Heather is an Accredited Financial Counselor, Financial Educator, and Military Benefits Liaison with Navy Mutual who has spent years helping military families understand complex benefits. She brings a lot of practical knowledge to a process that can be difficult to navigate, especially when there's a lot riding on the decisions you make. For more information, visit the full show notes at https://milmo.co/podcast/military-medical-retirement

There are some expenses that are really easy to question. You look at the charge and think, why did I spend money on that? But spending money on your kids is different. It's easy to justify because you're doing something for them. You want them to be happy and have what they need. You don't want them to feel left out. Sometimes, you just want to say yes and be the fun parent. But all those yeses can add up. In this episode, I want to talk about finding the balance between spending money on things that make your kids happy and protecting the financial priorities that take care of your entire family. For more information, visit the full show notes at https://milmo.co/podcast/back-to-school-spending For more MILMO, follow at: https://MILMO.co ItsMILMO on YouTube @itsmilmo on X @itsmilmo Instagram @itsmilmo LinkedIn @itsmilmo Facebook

Four hundred episodes is hard for me to take in fully. I'm proud of reaching this milestone. I love this show, I love the people I get to talk to, and I love helping the military community. But reaching 400 episodes has also made me realize how much more I want to do. What I have now isn't something I would have imagined when I began. I have a show I care deeply about, a community I am honored to serve, and the opportunity to talk with people every week who are generous enough to share their knowledge, experiences, and stories. In this episode, I'm sharing some of the biggest lessons the MILMO Show has taught me about money, success, business, military life, and what it means to keep going and growing. For more MILMO, follow at: https://MILMO.co ItsMILMO on YouTube @itsmilmo on X @itsmilmo Instagram @itsmilmo LinkedIn @itsmilmo Facebook

Life in the military is full of change. PCS moves, deployments, and leaving the service can all come with a long list of decisions and a lot of pressure to make them quickly. In those moments, even smart, disciplined people can make financial choices that quietly set them back. In this episode, I talk with Stacy Miller about why money mistakes tend to happen during life transitions and how to navigate those moments with more clarity and confidence. We get into what's really going on behind those decisions, the most common traps to watch for, and simple ways to slow down and make better choices, even when life feels overwhelming. Visit the full show notes at https://milmo.co/podcast/life-transitions-derail-your-finances For more MILMO, follow at: MILMO.co ItsMILMO on YouTube @itsmilmo on X @itsmilmo Instagram @itsmilmo LinkedIn @itsmilmo Facebook

Money can start to feel like an either-or decision. Either you're doing the "right" thing and saving, or you're enjoying your life and spending. And for a lot of people, that tension never really goes away, especially when everything feels more expensive right now. That's why I wanted to bring this episode back. Here is the encore airing of Finding Your Financial Yin and Yang, a solo episode that's all about finding balance with your money, without guilt, extremes, and without feeling like you're always getting it wrong. It's a basic idea, but one that can completely change how you think about saving, spending, and what "doing well" with money actually looks like.

There's a VA benefit available to eligible SGLI and VGLI survivors that almost no one seems to know about. It's the Beneficiary Financial Counseling Service. It gives free financial planning during one of the hardest times a military family can face, yet too many people miss it entirely. In this episode, Certified Financial Planner Brian O'Neill and I, are talking about what this benefit is, who it's for, where the process is breaking down, and why better awareness could help protect survivors from costly mistakes and predatory financial products. Brian is a retired Air Force Colonel, former F-16 and F-35 pilot, and founder of Winged Wealth Management and Financial Planning. He has worked directly with this program for years, helping survivors navigate major financial decisions. Today, he's sharing what families need to know and how we can help spread the word. For more information, visit the full show notes at https://milmo.co/podcast/beneficiary-financial-counseling-service For more MILMO, follow at: MILMO.co ItsMILMO on YouTube @itsmilmo on X @itsmilmo Instagram @itsmilmo LinkedIn @itsmilmo Facebook

Money decisions are getting harder, not easier. There's more information, more tools, and now, more artificial intelligence telling you what you should do. It can feel like you finally have answers at your fingertips, but that doesn't always mean those answers are right. In this episode, I'm talking about AI and your money, where it can actually help, where it can get you into trouble, and how to use it without letting it make decisions for you. For more information, visit the full show notes at https://milmo.co/podcast/ai-financial-advice For more MILMO, follow at: MILMO.co ItsMILMO on YouTube @itsmilmo on X @itsmilmo Instagram @itsmilmo LinkedIn @itsmilmo Facebook

Starting a business can feel empowering, especially if you're looking for control over your earning ability. But a lot of entrepreneurs figure out that instead of building a business that gives them freedom, they've built an extremely demanding job that depends entirely on them. In this episode, Diana Jaquith shares how entrepreneurs can build a business that has real value beyond the owner. We talk about the financial signals that show whether a business is healthy, and why systems and delegation matter more than most founders realize. We also discuss exit planning and why thinking about the end of your business early can help you build something stronger today. Diana is a CEO, CFO, angel investor, and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA). She is the CEO of WISE Advise + Assist Team, a virtual growth agency she founded to empower military spouses and veterans, and a managing partner at Cor Leo Advisors, an exit planning firm. Diana has spent more than fifteen years helping entrepreneurs grow, scale, and prepare their businesses for long-term value. https://milmo.co/podcast/build-a-scalable-business For more MILMO, follow at: MILMO.co ItsMILMO on YouTube @itsmilmo on X @itsmilmo Instagram @itsmilmo LinkedIn @itsmilmo Facebook