Amex Pop-Up Jail, TSP Contributions, Combining Accounts, Low Fee Investments: Reader Question & Answers #142

The Military Money Manual Podcast

In this mailbag episode, Spencer and Jamie answer various listener questions about investing, credit cards, and military-specific financial topics. They provide insights on compound growth, TSP options, Roth vs. Traditional accounts, credit card strategies, and investment return estimates.

Questions discussed: - Is there a benefit to combining multiple investment accounts? - Should I move out of TSP for lower fee investments? - How do I choose investments for a spouse's 401(k)? - Is contributing 6% to TSP good for an E4? - Are there ways around Amex family restrictions for credit card bonuses? - Are traditional reservists eligible for annual fee waived cards? - What are go-to cards for regular spending while stationed overseas? - How do I get out of Amex pop-up jail? - What happens to fee waivers after separating from active duty? - How should I estimate returns for my investment portfolio?

Resources mentioned: - MLA (Military Lending Act) database - Chase Sapphire Reserve - Amex Platinum, Gold, and Green cards - Hilton Honors Aspire card - Vanguard funds (VTI, VXUS) - TSP funds (C, S, I) - Personal Capital (now Empower) - Kubera.com - Investor.gov compound interest calculator

For a limited time, Spencer is offering one-on-one Military Money Mentor sessions! Get your personal military money and investing questions answered in a confidential coaching call.

Check out the Confident TSP Investing course at militarymoneymanual.com/tsp to learn all about the Thrift Savings Plan and strategies for growing your wealth while in the military. Use promo code "podcast24" for $50 off. Plus, for every course sold, we'll donate one course to an E-4 or below- for FREE!

If you have a question you would like us to answer on the podcast, please reach out on instagram.com/militarymoneymanual or email [e-mail].

If you want to maximize your military paycheck, check out Spencer's 5-star rated book The Military Money Manual: A Practical Guide to Financial Freedom on Amazon or at shop.militarymoneymanual.com.

I also offer a 100% free course on military travel hacking and getting annual fee waived credit cards, like The Platinum Card® from American Express, the American Express® Gold Card, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card in my Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3.

The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card waive the annual fee for active duty military servicemembers, including Guard and Reserve on active orders over 30 days. The annual fees on all personal Amex cards are also waived for military spouses married to active duty troops.