[Nords]

Welcome to the board, J-Lu!

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Lu Also, this will coincide with DH's Military retirement.

Take a look at putting away as much as possible now in low-cost tax-deferred accounts. Your spouse can put up to 100% of his pay in the TSP (to the IRS' $15K limit) and the two of you can put an additional $8K in Roth IRAs. The TSP pretty much covers the spectrum of asset allocation at expense ratios that beat even some Vanguard funds.

If/when you get to the decision point, don't take the REDUX cash. Stick it out for the high-3 retirement plan. Post or PM if you have more questions about this one...

While it's great to look ahead 10 years to an active-duty retirement, that's one heckuva long-term mental burden if the current job sucks. If I have one regret from my 24 years it's that I didn't learn about the Reserves much earlier in my career and then take it one tour at a time. Do what makes you happy (not necessarily the assignment officer) and don't hesitate to pull the plug if it helps you sleep better at night.