flyjetz

I'm not an expert on this, but finance should be able to refund your taxes paid, after you pay back the gross. I know they refund taxes when they don't start your CZTE when deployed, so I would think they should be able to do it for your situation as well. Worth the phone call at least. If they can't do it, you will see it in the form of a tax refund when you file your taxes, as your taxes withheld will not be in proportion to your adjusted gross income. In effect, finance just gave themselves a $1400 interest free loan out of your paycheck. Bad deal all around. If you can't get this fixed, a good commander can often lean on the shoe clerks at finance to make it happen. Good luck!

I can't provide you much in the way of CFP. You can get a great deal of info on the CFA from analystforum dot com CFP is definitely the easier path. I would choose based on what interests you more. If you want to learn more about investing than you will ever find off of some bookshelf at Barnes and Noble, then sign up for the CFA. But be prepared for one of the most arduous academic journey you've ever faced. It's difficult because you only have one chance per year to pass a test that you've studied for the last 12 months for. When you fail a test (which you most likely will), it is one of the most demotivating experiences you will ever face. 12 months of hard study all for nothing. But picking yourself back up and forcing yourself to do it again and then passing and moving on to the next level is very rewarding. Pass rates for each level of the CFA test are approximately: Level I: 40% Level II: 43% Levell III: 49% Think about it. Of the 40% of the folks who pass Level I, only 43% of them will pass Level II. Of that even smaller subset, only 49% will pass Level III. These percentages include people who have already taken that level multiple times. You are competing against some of the best minds in finance. This is not an easy path. That is why it is so highly respected within the industry. I failed Level II on my first take. It is probably the most difficult level. I knew people taking Level II for the 5th or 6th time. Some people chase this goal for a decade or more. So before you pull the trigger on that path, make sure you have the time, the desire, and probably most importantly, the support from your home base. You will need to put in about 250-300 hours of study to pass each level. ...and by home base, I mean your family, not your duty station!

Found the following info via the Google-machine. I post some follow-up questions for consideration. I bolded a few sections for emphasis: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/638a 10 U.S. CODE § 638A - MODIFICATION TO RULES FOR CONTINUATION ON ACTIVE DUTY; ENHANCED AUTHORITY FOR SELECTIVE EARLY RETIREMENT AND EARLY DISCHARGES (a) (1) The Secretary of Defense may authorize the Secretary of a military department to take any of the actions set forth in subsection (b) with respect to officers of an armed force under the jurisdiction of that Secretary. (2) Any authority provided to the Secretary of a military department under paragraph (1) shall expire on the date specified by the Secretary of Defense, but such expiration date may not be later than December 31, 2018. (b) Actions which the Secretary of a military department may take with respect to officers of an armed force when authorized to do so under subsection (a) are the following: (1) Shortening the period of the continuation on active duty established under section 637 of this title for a regular officer who is serving on active duty pursuant to a selection under that section for continuation on active duty. (2) Providing that regular officers on the active-duty list may be considered for early retirement by a selection board convened under section 611 (b) of this title in the case of officers described in any of subparagraphs (A) through © as follows: (A) Officers in the regular grade of lieutenant colonel or commander who would be subject to consideration for selection for early retirement under section 638 (a)(1)(A) of this title except that they have failed of selection for promotion only one time (rather than two or more times). (B) Officers in the regular grade of colonel or, in the case of the Navy, captain who would be subject to consideration for selection for early retirement under section 638 (a)(1)(B) of this title except that they have served on active duty in that grade less than four years (but not less than two years). © Officers, other than those described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), holding a regular grade below the grade of colonel, or in the case of the Navy, captain, who are eligible for retirement under section 3911, 6323, or 8911 of this title, or who after two additional years or less of active service would be eligible for retirement under one of those sections and whose names are not on a list of officers recommended for promotion. (3) Convening selection boards under section 611 (b) of this title to consider for discharge regular officers on the active-duty list in a grade below lieutenant colonel or commander— (A) who have served at least one year of active duty in the grade currently held; (B) whose names are not on a list of officers recommended for promotion; and © who are not eligible to be retired under any provision of law (other than by reason of eligibility pursuant to section 4403 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993) and are not within two years of becoming so eligible. © (1) In the case of an action under subsection (b)(2), the Secretary of the military department concerned shall specify the number of officers described in that subsection which a selection board convened under section 611 (b) of this title pursuant to the authority of that subsection may recommend for early retirement. Such number may not be more than 30 percent of the number of officers considered in each grade in each competitive category. (2) In the case of an action authorized under subsection (b)(2), the Secretary of Defense may also authorize the Secretary of the military department concerned when convening a selection board under section 611 (b) of this title to consider regular officers on the active-duty list for early retirement to include within the officers to be considered by the board reserve officers on the active-duty list on the same basis as regular officers. (3) In the case of an action under subsection (b)(2), the Secretary of the military department concerned may submit to a selection board convened pursuant to that subsection— (A) the names of all eligible officers described in that subsection in a particular grade and competitive category; or (B) the names of all eligible officers described in that subsection in a particular grade and competitive category who are also in particular year groups, specialties, or retirement categories, or any combination thereof, within that competitive category. (4) In the case of an action under subsection (b)(2), the Secretary of Defense may also authorize the Secretary of the military department concerned to waive the five-year period specified in section 638 © of this title if the Secretary of Defense determines that it is necessary for the Secretary of that military department to have such authority in order to meet mission needs. (d) (1) In the case of an action under subsection (b)(3), the Secretary of the military department concerned may submit to a selection board convened pursuant to that subsection— (A) the names of all officers described in that subsection in a particular grade and competitive category; or (B) the names of all officers described in that subsection in a particular grade and competitive category who also are in particular year groups or specialties, or both, within that competitive category. (2) The Secretary concerned shall specify the total number of officers to be recommended for discharge by a selection board convened pursuant to subsection (b)(3). That number may not be more than 30 percent of the number of officers considered— (A) in each grade in each competitive category, except that through December 31, 2018, such number may be more than 30 percent of the officers considered in each competitive category, but may not be more than 30 percent of the number of officers considered in each grade; or (B) in each grade, year group, or specialty (or combination thereof) in each competitive category, except that through December 31, 2018, such number may be more than 30 percent of the officers considered in each competitive category, but may not be more than 30 percent of the number of officers considered in each grade. (3) The total number of officers described in subsection (b)(3) from any of the armed forces (or from any of the armed forces in a particular grade) who may be recommended during a fiscal year for discharge by a selection board convened pursuant to the authority of that subsection may not exceed 70 percent of the decrease, as compared to the preceding fiscal year, in the number of officers of that armed force (or the number of officers of that armed force in that grade) authorized to be serving on active duty as of the end of that fiscal year. (4) An officer who is recommended for discharge by a selection board convened pursuant to the authority of subsection (b)(3) and whose discharge is approved by the Secretary concerned shall be discharged on a date specified by the Secretary concerned. (5) Selection of officers for discharge under this subsection shall be based on the needs of the service. (e) The discharge or retirement of an officer pursuant to this section shall be considered to be involuntary for purposes of any other provision of law. BREAK BREAK I take away the following from this: 1) If you have been selectively continued, that means squat. The SECAF can still decide to force shape you. 2) The 18 year sanctuary is in effect, however, it does not mean that you are guaranteed a 20 year retirement. They can force you into an early retirement at 18-20 years. Are you folks reading this the same way? I had been pretty much ignoring everything related to SERB and ESERB because I thought I was in the sanctuary (18.5 year Major). That may not be the case.

Yes you do need 4 years of financial experience. It's supposed to be 4 years, full time experience. As of 1 Feb, I will have owned my RIA business for exactly four years. With the tests passed, and the four years of experience, I plan to apply. I'm not sure if I pass the full time test since I'm also on active duty. However, I do put a crap load of time into the job. If I'm denied, I can at least walk into any financial firm and say "If you hire me, you'll have a CFA in four years". There is no expiration on the tests. They are good for life. CFP is definitely more known to the average person. 9 times out of 10 when I told people I was studying for the CFA, they had to ask what that was. But within the financial industry it is well known. It is considered the doctorate level of investing. Nearly all hedge funds are either headed by CFAs or have several CFAs working for them. I chose CFA over CFP because it was more challenging, and it suited my interests more. No offense to the bottom 33% of society, but I didn't want to be building budgets for people with zero financial skills and call it a career for the rest of my life.

No. I called the TA shop on base and they said it wasn't a certification. If it were CFP (CERTIFIED Financial Planner) or CPA (CERTIFIED Public Accountant) it would qualify, but CFA (CHARTERED Financial Analyst) was not considered a certification. Wanted to call BS, but what do you? On the flip side, I used the income from the Registered Investment Advisory Firm that I opened to pay for the certification and marked it as a business expense, so I really wasn't out any money.

Yes. My first test was in December 2010, which I passed. I had to take Level 2 twice (Summer 2011 and Summer 2012). Then passed Level 3 Summer of 2013. Probably the most difficult thing I've ever done educationally. Believe it or not, my educational background is not in finance. (USAFA Human Factors type.) Back in 2010, I wasn't sure I believed the hype behind the airlines hiring, so I set out to gain a second skill set in something that interested me. I'll be retiring in about a year, and still hoping for an airline job, but know I've got other options if that doesn't pan out for some reason.

I'm an active duty major, and I've passed all three levels of the CFA exam, and will be eligible for the CFA designation next month. I own a Registered Investment Advisory firm. I'm currently deployed, so I am not taking on any new clients until I return (June or July). I typically don't offer financial planning (that's more for the CFP types), but if you need help with portfolio management, feel free to PM me, and I'll send you my info.

1) What goes solo, stays solo 2) I will deny having said that when your SIB comes asking 3) A pre-UPT kid could not have picked a worse screen name. I hope the bros in your unit don't see this thread.

C'mon Herk "FE", you're not fooling anyone.

Bomber bases: Minot - 100% Barksdale - 73% Ellsworth - 80% Dyess - 67% Whiteman - 58% Total - 70% Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4

Geez, here we go again. If you have read every post then apparently comprehension is not your strong suit. What AIB? There was no AIB. (Post #117). Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4

Have you even read this full thread? Reference post #10 where Day man said AMC/CC was briefed privileged safety information and also used information given at the FEB that was given under a grant of immunity to justify his decision to overturn the recommendation of the FEB. The only assumption I'm making is that Day man is telling the truth. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4

Wrong. Check 91-204: From the Witness Promise of Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement: "c. I understand that my confidential statement(s) (written and/or verbal) will not be made public and it will only be used by authorized officials solely for mishap prevention purposes. Additionally, my confidential statement will not be used as evidence to support any claims, litigation, disciplinary action or any adverse administrative action such as a Flying Evaluation Board, line-of-duty status determination, pecuniary liability determination, or elimination from military service. I understand, however, that my statement can be released pursuant to a valid court order on behalf of the defendant in a criminal trial. I further understand that if my statement contains an intentional misrepresentation, then my statement will no longer be considered confidential and can be used to support disciplinary and/or administrative actions against myself and/or others." Also, Day Man said he was given a referral OPR. 91-204 addresses this as well: "3.3.2.1. Adverse administrative actions include, but are not limited to, letters of reprimand, counseling, or admonishment, referral EPRs/OPRs, promotion propriety actions (not qualified for promotion, delay and/or denial), administrative separations, selective reenlistment denials, or evidence before any evaluation board and other similar actions. Commanders and supervisors will use other sources of information which are not privileged to take punitive or adverse administrative actions." Day Man, if I were you, I'd wait 5-10 years, then drag all this info back for a second try at the BCMR process, and ask for retroactive promotions, back pay, and interest. If I read 91-204 correctly, the way Privileged Safety Information was used against you was a "leak" of Privileged and an investigation of that leak should have occurred. It sounds like your due process rights were violated.

Leadership at ANY level using privileged SIB info for an FEB or any disciplinary reason is jacked up. I saw the same thing happen in my community in 2003, when I sat on a Class A SIB. Concurrent with our investigation, a CDI was also initiated. We did NOT share any info with the CDI. There were a LOT (dozens) of witnesses (on three separate continents) to interview. Every single witness we talked to, answered all of our questions, after we gave them the SIB immunity. Those same witnesses were asked to speak with the CDI team. Only one person chose to do so. While our SIB report was fairly damning to a lot of individuals, the CDI report was not, because they could not gather any evidence of wrongdoing. We briefed the SIB findings all the way up to the COMACC, including the 8th AF Commander, who was the convening authority on the CDI. Even though the CDI recommended no punishment, because it could not find any individual fault, the 8th AF CC used our SIB findings (and even stated that he was doing so) to justify grounding one individual permanently, and killing the career of an O-6 on the fast track. I really lost faith in the AF Safety system when I saw that happen. To see it happen again, makes me question whether or not I'd ever speak to a SIB if I was put in that situation. I know that's the wrong attitude and will do nothing to progress the role of safety, but when 3-Star and 4-Star Generals blatantly ignore your promised and sworn rights under immunity, what other choice do you have? Day Man, I'm not a C-17 pilot, and don't recall ever reading your mishap's report, so I'm not about to start second guessing your actions. But I highly commend you for the willingness to stick out your neck publicly on a board full of anonymous posters. Good luck as you exit this career.

Thought I'd jump in to add my two cents to the financial advisor bashing. BTW, I own a Registered Investment Advisory Firm, (and I'm a BUFF pilot). Most everything being posted on the last few pages is TRUE. Firms like Edward Jones are looking for salesmen and saleswomen first, then teach them just the basics of investing so they can sound somewhat competent. While having life insurance is an important piece to the total investment portfolio, most of the insurance policies being pushed by these firms are done to rack up heavy commissions. The best advice I can give you is that if you are looking for professional investment advice, do a search for "independent, fee-only registered investment advisors". Under this model, there are never any commissions, and you are only charged a small percentage of assets under management. 1% to 1.5% annually is pretty standard. The more money the advisor makes for you, the more money the advisor makes too, keeping your interests aligned. Not going to advertise my firm here. You can PM me if you should want that info.

I can't find any mention of this on the portal. Do you have a link? I did find this article from last year saying that this would happen in 2013: Http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/alaorg/earlyretirement.pdf Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk HD

Nope. Passed over Major. Not a factor. Years of service includes credit for each full month of service as one-twelfth of a year.

I signed a 3 year ADSC in order to get back into the cockpit before retirement. I hit 20 years in May of 2015. My ADSC commits me through Dec of 2015. Is it possible that an 11B can get a waiver to retire at 20 (6-7 months short of my ADSC)? If so, what's the process? Thanks. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk HD

I'm an officer, pilot-type, who for 17 years, never had the good fortune of directly supervising any enlisted troops. In my current job, I am the OIC of a particular function, and I have one NCOIC who works directly for me. He is a SSgt pinning on TSgt in the near future. The kid is a fast-burner, (already working on his Masters), and makes my job really easy. I feel like I should do more than just pat him on the back and say congrats for the promotion. So my question is two-fold. Is it appropriate to give him a gift of some sort, and what's an appropriate gift? Anyone else ever been in a similar situation? I have a few ideas, but wanted to hear some advice from the crowd.

I just wanted to follow up on a VA Refi that I am working with Dave Devine, from NBOKC. I closed on the above loan seven months ago, and Dave called me last week to run some numbers by me on a VA Refi. He got me a deal that lowers my rate from 3.5% to 3.0%, with total out-of-pocket closing expenses of $1355 (which is rolled back into the new loan). So while my principal will increase by $1355, my monthly payment will go down $108 per month. This equates to a payback time of a little over 12 months. However, I do get to skip a month's mortgage payment (roughly $2183). So if I considered that, the net result of this new loan is $828 credit to me, no change in principal, and a $108 lower monthly payment. If you currently have a VA loan at 3.5% or higher, I'd highly suggest you give Dave a call (1-800-375-8096 ext 6417), and tell him Flyjetz sent you.

Don't quit your day job.

Probably boot polish

I'm not sure whether or not it would be considered a perforated ear drum. You'd have to ask your flight surgeon. My guess is that they would consider it as such. I'm going to repeat my previous advice. I STRONGLY suggest you demand to be referred to a neurotologist. ENT's have a limited "bag of tricks" when it comes to ear issues. When I first saw the ENT, he prescribed dramamine, for motion sickness. When that didn't work, he wanted to go straight to surgery, by inserting a "silverstein wick" in my ear, and dropping steroids into my ear every few weeks. I was not too keen on this approach, and did some research, which led me to the discovery of the neurotology field. Most of these doctors started out as ENTs, then went on for advanced training dealing exclusively with inner ear disorders. My neurotologist put me on diuretics, and the problem was solved. About two weeks before my PHE, he will prescribe prednisone, which helps reduce the hearing loss temporarily. If you tell me where you are based, I can do some research on the meniere's forums to find you a doctor.

Do some research on Meniere's Disease or Meniere's Syndrome. The four classic symptoms are tinnitus, hearing loss, feeling of pressure or fullness in the ear and occasional vertigo episodes. After 13 years of flying for the AF, I started to have similar issues with my left ear. Over a ten month period, I had 7 vertigo attacks with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that would last from 2-4 hours. It was horrendous. I was DNIF'd and run through a battery of balance tests and MRIs. Visiting an ENT is a good first step, but I highly recommend that you insist on seeing a NeurOTOlogist (not a neurologist). They specialize in inner ear issues. I was placed on a diuretic (Maxzide), and all the symptoms went away except for the tinnitus and slight hearing loss. The AF then made me show 12 months of symptom-free history before I was returned to fly. Bottom line, this is a serious issue that you CANNOT afford to fly with, and if you fly with a crew, you would be endangering other people. However, try hard to keep the words "Meniere's Disease" off your medical records. Find a flight surgeon, and a neurotologist that will treat you for MD, but are willing to stay vague in your medical report with terms like "vertiginous episodes". Believe me, this road sucks, but you need to get help for this.

Just thought I'd add my experience to this thread. I was already partially committed ($50 app fee + $300 good faith deposit) on a new home purchase ($400K VA loan) with USAA, when I found this thread. I ran the numbers, which I will share below, and decided it was well worth it to sacrifice my $350 already spent and switch from USAA to NBOKC. After reading these posts, I called Dave Devine, and he has been so easy to work with. You'd think that with me living in Omaha, working with a bank in Kansas City, and buying a house in Louisiana would be hard to do. Not at all. Everything has been over the phone, and through email. I close in 3 weeks, but so far, it has been flawless. Here's a breakdown of what Dave offered me, vs what USAA's comparable loan would be: - I paid $1511 in points to get a 3.5% loan; USAA was charging $8057 in points for the same rate on the same day. (Savings = $6546). (I might point out that a 3.75% rate was offered in which I'd get several thousand back in points, but the seller is paying some of my closing costs, so I took the lower rate). - Filing fees $90; USAA filing fees $438 (Savings = $348) - Origination charge = $0; USAA origination charge = $685 (Savings = $685) - Appraisal Fee = $400; USAA appraisal fee = $425 (Savings = $25) - Credit Report = $14; USAA credit report = $15 (Savings = $1) - Flood Certification = $5.25; USAA Flood Certification = $14 (Savings = $8.75) There were other differences in cost but in my limited knowledge of these documents, I thought they were uncontrollable by the lenders (such as transfer taxes, government recording charges, etc.) I attribute the differences to estimation errors, so I won't list those differences. TOTAL SAVINGS = $7613.75 Giving up my $350 to USAA and switching to NBOKC was a no-brainer. Wish I had gone with them when I bought my current house.