By Steve Repak
If someone would ask you, “what would you expect to learn from the military?”, most likely smart money management wouldn’t make it in your top ten list as one of your answers.
Certified Financial Planner, Steve Repak knows the military and he knows smart money management. Having spent 12 years in the Army, he has successfully translated his military training to putting people through financial boot camp to learn smart money management skills. His message is simple: it isn’t how much money you make, but how you think about money that determines wealth – and all it takes is a few simple steps.
“In the military no matter which branch you enter,” explains Repak, “each recruit goes through some type of basic training or boot camp. That instruction is a process of mental and emotional retraining so the recruit can operate in an environment very different from the civilian world. They are taught to think and react differently in order to be prepared for any situation. I believe many of the skills and traits you learn in the military can be used to manage your money more effectively.”
In an educational and insightful interview, Repak can set your readers on the right track to financial stability by discussing:
- The 10 things the military can teach about smart money management
- His unorthodox 10-10-80 rule: why you should give first, save next and then live off the rest
- A plan for your paycheck: a step-by-step guide to where your money should and shouldn’t be going each month
- His personal experience of racking up over $32,000 of credit card debt while serving in the military, and the steps he took to change his own finances, get out of debt and build his wealth
Steve Repak is the author of
Dollars & Uncommon Sense: Basic Training For Your Money.