OregonHerc

Love it. Sounds about right.

I tend to agree. It’s not always the case but usually it is beneficial to take a step back then move on from there. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Fact. And while we do/did get a lot of smoke blown our way about “moving directly into a leadership/middle management position”…that’s not necessarily the case for some. That said, it’s a big time job seekers market which is quite nice. Decent signing bonuses are quite common with increased salaries (to be sure: inflation is one factor). In non tech roles, have routinely heard of 6 figure cash and stock signing bonuses in my side of the world.

Definitely start de-militarizing your resume. Also figure out A: where you want to move, B: what you want to do and C network network network. I would personally recommend putting a civ picture/headshot on LinkedIn (if not going into a defense contractor type job). I’m not sure the line of work you’re thinking but don’t be afraid to think outside the box or think of different jobs you’d like. Stereotypically you hear a lot of “project management” or similar. I started as a data analyst then shifted to supply chain/logistics in my civ career. Also the difference in military and civilian salaries is one thing I wasn’t expecting. To make the same equivalent amount due to BAH, insurance etc, you actually have to make a fair bit more in civ world. One last thing that took me the better part of four or five years to realize is don’t be afraid to negotiate salaries. Or move jobs.

Don’t worry as much about memo ratings, VA loan stuff etc. You can get that on ebenefits. I highly recommend converting your SGLI to VGLI immediately upon retirement. No medical check if you do so within x days of retiring. If for some reason it’s not at $400k, do so before leaving. You can decrease it once out but not increase it. I’ve been out for about 8 years working in non mil related careers (medically retired as an O3). Please feel free to reach out directly and I can pass on whatever knowledge I have.

From my experience in the .civ world (both in large multi-national sportswear companies and a technology manufacturer), age doesn’t matter with regard to the “MBA entry level”. At least in my side of the world, everyone has a different career path and isn’t completely pigeonholed.

Yes.

Much better in my opinion. “Quiet professionals” seemed way too attention whore-ish.

Allegedly, www.optoutprescreen.com is what you'd use. Only reason I say allegedly is that mine still haven't stopped. Hell, my wife still gets them and she passed away over a year ago.

Oops my bad. Sorry about that.

Google DD Form 1351-2. It's the first hit.

I can't speak to the second part of this regarding the Guard, etc. That said, on the first part regarding the funding fee...my honest opinion is that I would be extremely surprised if a claim would be able to be finished in 60 days. It may happen, but it's really luck of the draw. However, the VA will refund your funding fee (after you apply for it) as long as the claim date (i.e. the date you filed) is before the closing date on your house. If you pay the funding fee in cash, you will receive a check. If you roll it into part of the loan, then it will come off the principal amount (but you'll still have the higher payment as a result of the higher original loan amount).

For what it's worth, my AMEX did show the commissary as a grocery store always, not a "warehouse club" etc

My opinion: there's a power struggle going on between large oil producers (Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, etc) and OPEC. Supplies have gone up due to increased drilling/new methods, but OPEC is not wanting to cut production (to try to raise prices), thinking that they can outlast the companies. Oil companies have reduced their exploration and production costs to a break even of around $45/barrel (according to some), which is much lower than OPEC's average (estimated at $55-60). As far as investments, I'm not a CFA, but I would utilize put options on oil company's stocks. I'm thinking we're going to see a pull back in their share prices, due to a squeeze on their profits.

No worries. For reference sake, it's in VA Pamphlet 26-7, chapter 8, pg 8-19. If the veteran has a pending disability compensation claim at the time of loan closing, the funding fee must be remitted as if the borrower was not exempt. Advise the veteran to contact the VA RLC to request a refund if it is later determined that the veteran is entitled to compensation retroactively to a date prior to loan closing.