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If WWII had been fought today... Sixty-seven years ago today Allied forces landed in Normandy and suffered terrible casualties through the fierce fighting against the Nazi defenders. Over the next several weeks the beaches that had been once stained with American blood, were occupied by an entirely different type of invasion - the invasion of the shoes.

Uh, do the numbers 3, 7 and 9 mean anything to you?

I enthusiastically second Vanguard. I used to have my investments with a full service broker until I read The Investor's Manifesto by William Bernstein. It is a great book and I highly recommend it to everyone. He explains in great detail about how it is possible for a full service broker can make more money off of your investments than you do. After reading the book, I did my own research and ended up agreeing with Bernstein that Vanguard is the best choice. Like USAA, it is an investor owned company rather than publicly traded, so it does not have to succumb to the short term demands of stockholders looking for a quarterly profit instead of a long term growth. Based on their MUCH lower operating costs and passively managed funds and assuming a historic return, Vanguard would make me around $300,000 more than my full service broker. Plus, it turns out they are actually easier to work with than my previous full service broker, so it is a win-win for me.

Dave Ramsey is good for getting out of debt. I used him and it worked. But as you get more knowledge, Dave Ramsey seems to lack sophistication when it comes to investing. While deployed, I found the Bogleheads Wiki page and started reading. Within a month, I was maxing out my TSP and moved all IRA money into a 6-fund ETF portfolio at Vanguard. I think my expense ratio is less than .20% over my entire TSP/Roth portfolio. It's easy, smart, and in the end, keeping money out of advisor's grubby hands means lots more money in your pockets in the end. Managing money doesn't need to be cosmic. You are intelligent enough to manage your own money...