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P.O.C: YOUR RECRUITER or OTHER ARMY RECRUITING STATIONS

Note to all who visit this page and other pages on this website...Soldiers & Recruiters working in and for these United States, as well as the entire world, for the United States Armed Forces are here to serve you. They are interested in helping you...to meet your needs...when you enlist in the Army or any other branch of the Armed Services. You can depend on them to do their best for You (and Your Family) as you embark on Your Future as AN ARMY OF ONE or better still BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE. These pages are created to be used as a resource. May they help you get you enlisted in their branch and possibly what you may want out of the Armed Forces as a whole...whatever that end may be. This website was initiated by SFC Willie Banks of the for a Recruiting station in the Kansas City Recruiting Batallion. It was named the Army Connection when he retired in 2009. He has moved on from Army Recruiting. It is known that Recruiters like to do more for the American People, besides recruit...they are soldiers...just like you and others like you are wanting to become. Take Care. Best wishes to you in your bright, beautiful future as an Armed Forces enlistee in the Army, Navy, Air Force and/or Marines! (Updated 31 AUGUST 2023.)

5 Tips to Invest Now and Relax Later SavvyMoney This content is provided courtesy of Savvy Money. It is important to plan for the future today, including knowing how and where you should invest your money to have a comfortable future. The following simple steps can help make your transition and your future more comfortable. 1.Create a Plan: Good futures don’t come by accident -- people plan and work for them. Make sure your investment plan has the essential elements: desired retirement age, your cash needs for retirement, required annual contribution to reach your goal, and the types of investments needed to meet your desired retirement age. You can find good retirement planners online that can do this math for you. 2.Build an Emergency Fund: Life is uncertain and at times it can be especially uncertain for people in the military. Redeployment can cost money to get settled in new housing and transitioning to civilian life can be difficult with high rates of unemployment. Most financial experts recommend that you set aside 3-6 months of living expenses. 3.Save 10 percent: Although 20 years of military service will qualify you for a pension, you shouldn’t count on this as your entire retirement. First, despite your current intentions, you may later decide not to serve the full 20 years. Second, your monthly pension amount may not be enough to fund the lifestyle you’d like in retirement. Given the uncertainty, build in a cushion by saving 10 percent. Even if you over-save on retirement, you can use this for college costs, etc. 4.Pay Yourself First: Have 10 percent of your paycheck automatically transferred into an investment or savings account. The reason this strategy is so successful is that it’s much easier to not spend money that you never had. If you count on meeting your goal with the money you have left over at the end of the month, you likely be disappointed. Below are two types of accounts that we recommend: a . Thrift Savings Plan: Available to government employees, this low-cost tax-advantaged retirement savings plan is similar to other defined contribution plans like the well-known 401(k). You can contribute up to a limit of approximately $17,000 in 2012 in pre-tax dollars. This money can be invested tax-free in a variety of investment funds and is taxed when the money is withdrawn. b. Roth IRA: Roth IRAs have more flexibility than a TSP, because the investor can generally choose from a greater variety of stocks and mutual funds. The taxation of money into and out of the Roth IRA is the reverse of the TSP—money is taxed at the taxpayer’s current rate before the contribution, but is not taxed when withdrawn. If your tax rates are the same now and when you retire, there’s really no difference in the impact, but if you think your tax rate will go up in the future, you may wish to pay now rather than later. Contribution limit is $5,000 per year. 5.Don’t treat your home as an investment: You’ll need somewhere to live when you retire, so don’t count on using your home to fund your retirement. Most people under-save for retirement, so it’s best to keep your home value out of your calculations. If you need to tap into equity later, you can do so without putting yourself on the street. Brought to you by SavvyMoney.com, the leading online debt payoff program.

Q.1: How are annual pay raises determined? A: ECI is the Employment Cost Index, which is a measure of the increase in private-sector wages and salaries. It is calculated by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics and updated every three months. The ECI, reported each October, is used to determine the pay raise for the next fiscal year. The raise was set at ECI + 1/2% for 2000 through 2006. The FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) established that the military pay raise will be equal to ECI after 2006. Of course, Congress can enact raises that exceed these percentages as they did for 2008 and 2009. Q.2: Does this affect Federal civilians? A: The provision for military pay increases set to the ECI does not necessarily pertain to Federal civilian employees. The pay tables for Federal civilians may be seen at the Office of Personnel Management web site. Q.3: Do these future pay raises affect retirees? A: No. Retiree Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) are based on the increase of inflation, which is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), not ECI. Retirees receive an annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA). Q.4: What's the difference between CPI (used for retiree increases) and ECI (used for active duty raises)? A: CPI, Consumer Price Index, measures inflation. The purpose of using CPI is to generally preserve the purchasing power of retired pay. ECI, Employment Cost Index, measures private-sector wage increases. Q.5: What is the effect of the executive ceiling upon the pay raises? A: Pay is still capped for some individuals by law to certain executive pay levels. The cap for basic pay for O-7 to O-10 is limited to Level II of the Executive Schedule. Basic pay for O-6 and below is limited to Level V of the Executive Schedule. This web site is published by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Military Pay & Benefits is at http://www.defenselink.mil/militarypay/ or click on the 'Military Pay & Benefits' link on the right.       Financial Literacy Maintaining financial fitness decreases stressors and ultimately contributes to mission readiness. We are excited about the many opportunities available to educate our Soldiers, Families, and military communities on financial literacy. During the first week of our all year round Military Saves Campaign, we received commitments from over 7,000 new Army savers. The month of April will be even more positive as we climb back into recovery. A variety of venues are available to assist us in reaching our financial goals and achieving financial freedom. At the request of the installation Army Community Service Center, Director, we are able to bring Financial Forums, Road shows, radio/and TV personalities, or design a special venue for your area all free of charge. Visit your local ACS Center and speak with the Financial Readiness Program Manager to see if the time is right for your community to get started.