Due to the lack in artillery missions, what type roles will I play while deployed?
(1) Your pay goes to your bank account. Open a joint checking account for a trusted person to take care of bills back home and set up either an automatic account transfer or payroll allotment to periodically deposit an allowance into the joint account. Do not allow anyone access to your primary account or you could lose it all no matter how much your trust/love that person. I recommend joint accounts with at least 3 trusted people (dad, mom, wife) to pay a bill or plan a surprise while away.
(2) Pay off high interest debt such as credit cards or other loans. See if you qualify for an interest rate reduction while deployed. Military friendly institutions like USAA often drop down to 6% to zero % while a warrior is deployed.
(3) If you are not 110% positive that you are staying active duty for 20 years, strongly consider opting-in to the new Blended Retirement System (BRS) in Jan 2018 so you can take advantage of matching funds. Invest at least 5% base pay, but preferably much higher, in the Thrift Savings Program (TSP) to max out the extra BRS matching contributions.
(4) If your deployment qualifies for the Combat Zone Tax Exclusion (CZTE) then invest in the Roth TSP so you can skip the taxman entirely. Its like getting a 25% bonus on your retirement savings. This is a long term retirement account and funds should not be removed before age 59 1/2.
(5) If your deployment qualifies for the Combat Zone Tax Exclusion (CZTE), strongly consider the Savings Deposit Program (SDP) during your deployment. Deposit as much as you can as fast as you can to take advantage of the guaranteed 10% interest rate. You can sock away as much as $10,000 and earn $1,000 interest in a year. This is a short term savings opportunity and all funds must be removed 90-days after you leave the CZTE.
(6) If you have a Roth TSP, consider investing in the L2050 Fund. The G Fund is a safe place but the low return basically keeps pace with inflation and does not grow your wealth much at all. If the stock market is crashing you can protect your money by transferring it to the G Fund, but otherwise be more aggressive with your investment; especially at your age.
(7) Set up an automatic transfer or other arrangement at your bank to put money into a higher paying account than your standard checking account. Maximize your return. At least get a high interest savings account but consider Certificate of Deposit (CD) accounts or other investments that will give you a bigger bang for your buck than the squat 0.01% checking accounts typically pay.
(8) Use a military friendly bank or credit union like USAA, Navy FCU, Pentagon FCU, etc. Avoid criminal banks like Wells Fargo, Bank of America, CitiBank, Chase, etc.
(9) Do not buy a bunch of crap while deployed. You can do without the gadget and why spend a fortune buying food when it is served free. Those little purchases add up.
(10) Do not buy a bunch of crap when you get home. Don't let the money burn a hole in your pocket. I've know far too many warriors that got home and partied away their money or bought an expensive toy (sports car, motorcycle, boat, etc) and wrecked it within the year.
(11) Avoid IRS Form 1040EZ. Many taxpayers pay too much with the 1040EZ. Consider the IRS Form 1040A instead and file the IRS Form 8880 if you have a TSP account.
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Deployment
13M: MLRS/HIMARS Crewmember
