010: "There's only a benefit when there's a survivor." Season Finale of The Spouse Benefit Plan with Jen Amos and Scott R. Tucker Jen Amos returns for the overdue season finale of The Spouse Benefit Plan by US VetWealth podcast! This show started around two years ago as a spin-off of Holding Down the Fort by US VetWealth podcast to help military spouses make informed decisions about the Survivor Benefit Plan. Jen discusses how the show came to be and her own journey of learning about the SBP. Now, she invites her husband and Founder of US VetWealth, Scott R. Tucker, to announce their newest re ..read more

009: How many years does a surviving spouse have to live before they receive the lifetime value of the Survivor Benefit Plan? Jen Amos immediately continues her talk about the probability that a surviving spouse is going to outlive the retiree to receive the Survivor Benefit Plan from "Ep. 008: What is the actual probability of receiving the SBP? (Case Study: O5 retiring at 20 years with the Survivor Benefit Plan)." She reveals the responsibility of a surviving spouse before they can receive the SBP, what happens if the spouse predeceases the retiree, what the annual benefit of the SBP should ..read more

007: Is the cost worth the benefit? (Case Study: O5 retiring at 20 years with the Survivor Benefit Plan) Now that we've calculated Lt. Col. Rick Howard's Estimated Retired Pay, Jen Amos walks us through the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) Subsidy Program to calculate what could happen to him and his spouse should they keep the SBP. She also elaborates more on new terms: Today's Dollars, Future Dollars, and opportunity cost. To get the most out of this episode, be sure to follow along by viewing the High-3 Calculator and the SBP Subsidy Program. Resources (in the order mentioned): Navigate your mi ..read more

006: What's your Monthly Barrel of Wine worth? (Case Study: O5 retiring at 20 years) Jen Amos turns our winery analogy into real dollars by doing an in-depth walkthrough of calculating the Estimated Retired Pay for Lt. Colonel Rick Howard - an O5 retiring at 20 years with the High-3 Calculator. If you haven't written down your numbers yet, this is the perfect opportunity to calculate the following: Annual Retired Pay Monthly Retired Pay (i.e. your Monthly Barrel of Wine) Total Retirement Benefit (i.e. what your winery 'could' look like) Present Value (i.e. what your winery looks like 'today ..read more

004: If you had to choose between 100 cups of wine vs. 55 cups of wine, which one would you pick? How important is it for you and your family to protect the military pension? Jen Amos recaps how the military pension is more than a retired monthly pay by reiterating the wine analogy. Remember to refer to the last episode to learn how to calculate your Estimated Retired Pay, Total Retirement Benefit, and Present Value. Jen continues to explain what these numbers mean and how they relate to understanding the Survivor Benefit Plan. Additional Notes: "Eligible Dependents" and "Beneficiaries" are s ..read more

003: Here's what to say the next time someone says, "Thank you for your service." Jen Amos takes a detour from the Survivor Benefit Plan to talk about the most important thing it protects: your military pension. She explains the basics of the military pension, how to calculate your Estimated Retired Pay, and introduces financial terms: the "present value" and an "annuity." Lastly, she shares a clever way to respond the next time someone says, "Thank you for your service." Resources (in the order they were mentioned) Show Sponsor, US VetWealth https://usvetwealth.com/ FREE MONTHLY LIVE ZOOM DI ..read more

002: I wish you didn't have to care about this topic Happy 2022! Jen Amos kicks off the new year with a commentary on her upcoming, yet-to-be-named book! She reads the transcript of the introduction, which talks about how she arrived to hosting The Spouse Benefit Plan, her background as a Gold Star family member, her award-winning podcast show Holding Down the Fort, why it's difficult to talk about the Survivor Benefit Plan, who this show is for and NOT for, and a hint to the next episode's topic. Resources In the Order They Were Mentioned: Your Life and Military Retirement: Strategies on how ..read more

001: Death doesn't have to be a morbid conversation Jen Amos, creator and co-host of the award-winning podcast Holding Down the Fort, introduces its sister show, The Spouse Benefit Plan. She brings light to the challenges that military spouses face, how her background as a Gold Star daughter inspires her work today, and touches upon the responsibility of a spouse to confidently keep or opt out of the Survivor Benefit Plan. The Spouse Benefit Plan is a developing project. Check out our growing list of resources at our website thespousebenefitplan.com or contact Jen at thespousebenefitplan@gmail ..read more

COMING SOON: The Spouse Benefit Plan - Helping military couples keep or opt out of the Survivor Benefit Plan Check out our growing list of resources at our website thespousebenefitplan.com or contact Jen at thespousebenefitplan@gmail.com Connect with us on social media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-spouse-benefit-plan/ https://instagram.com/thespousebenefitplan https://www.facebook.com/thespousebenefitplan/ https://twitter.com/TheMilSpouseBP https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMUaLQy_PjUy8KjsoAcl0VOH61D_cJJZa The Spouse Benefit Plan has been featured in ShoutoutSoCal and The Ros ..read more