Life After Serving - Vets & First Responders

03/21/2023

Free & Low Cost Tax Filing Services….Talking on programs & discounts offered for filing your taxes as a Military/ Veteran/ First Responder. Depending on your income level, there are programs available to provide tax filing at no cost or low cost. The current threshold for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) & Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) from what I could find is $66,000 or below. I have provided the zip locator link below to allow a search by zip code on those services. The IRS Free file Guided Tax Preparation currently has an AGI limit of $73,000 or less. The filing deadline date for 2023 is set for April 18, 2023.

IRS Free File / Veteran Info:
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/information-for-veterans
https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free

VITA/TCE Zip locator
https://irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep/

Free Service for Veterans & First Responders:
http://filingforfreedom.org/

Active Duty E-1 to E-9 Free Tax Filing:
https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/online/military-edition.jsp

Military One Source / MilTax program:
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/taxes/miltax-free-tax-services-the-essentials/?inheritRedirect=true&redirect=%2Fweb%2Fmos%2Ffinancial-legal

USAA Discounts:
Turbo Tax: https://mall.usaa.com/me____.htm?gmid=3067

H&R Block: https://mall.usaa.com/me____.htm?gmid=1759

Subscribe to my channel and get more videos on resources for Veterans & First Responders: 👉https://bit.ly/LifeAfterServingYT

Active Military/Veterans or First Responders, join our private Facebook group:
👉https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeafterserving

👉Website: https://www.LifeAfterServing.com/
👉E-Mail: [email protected]

Please share the word on this group and invite anyone you may know from our Veteran or First Responders community!

Socials
👉TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/
👉Twitter: https://twitter.com/LifeAfterSer
👉Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/life_after_serving/

Our Veteran Owned Small Businesses:
https://www.REIAutomationSquad.com/
https://www.EasyButtonREI.com/

03/14/2023

In this video we go over the different selections available on the tool. If you are using Post 9/11 (Ch33), Fry Scholarship (Ch33), Montgomery Bill (Ch30), Select Reserve GI Bill (Ch1606), Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) (Ch31) this tool will be able to provide a comparison.

GI Bill Comparison Tool: https://www.va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool

GI Bill Rates & Requirements: https://www.va.gov/education/benefit-rates/post-9-11-gi-bill-rates/ -rates-for-school-and-trai

Subscribe to my channel and get more videos on resources for Veterans & First Responders: 👉https://bit.ly/LifeAfterServingYT

Active Military/Veterans or First Responders, join our private Facebook group:
👉https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeafterserving

03/09/2023

The Post 9/11 Bill is a benefit is an amazing benefit for Military/Veterans to acquire higher education at zero to little cost. While many civilians are graduating with thousands to hundreds of thousands in student loan debt, you could have these same degree with zero debt!

In this video I talk how my and Wife and I have used it to acquire our MBA's. Due to the monthly housing allowance (MHA), I was able to receive almost $3,000 a month tax free. My classes were covered 100% of cost, and $1,000 towards the books.

If you're looking to start your own small business, like I did...think what an extra $2-3,000 a month could do to seed your business!

Gi Bill Rates & Requirements: https://www.va.gov/education/benefit-rates/post-9-11-gi-bill-rates/ -rates-for-school-and-trai

Gi Bill Monthly Housing Allowance comparison tool: https://www.va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-too

Subscribe to my channel and get more videos on resources for Veterans & First Responders: 👉https://bit.ly/LifeAfterServingYT

03/02/2023

Always wanted to have a shadow box made from the two uniforms…never seen another like it online. After being retired 9 years, I like it!

What are your thoughts?

02/07/2023

01/19/2023

This weeks topic and one of our 10 pillars is small business. On this video we are specifically talking about starting a farm. We are located in Wisconsin, so the resources will be based on that location.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a farm as “any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold or normally would have been sold during the year.”

It’s important to note what the IRS views as a business vs hobby around this topic. I’ve provided a link below that was given to us in making our own determination. The short of it is the intent to produce profit. It’s doesn’t need to make a profit every year or right away…but show intent to make to make a profit.

Having a separate business account & profit/loss are some additional things that will show it’s being ran as a business. A local credit union would be my first choice on a business account. Should you need a loan/funding, they much more likely to work with you. If you’re looking for a larger bank, Chase does offer reduced fees and no minimum balance to Veterans/Military.

A simple free cloud based platform called WaveApps can be used to produce a profit / loss statement. After connecting your bank account, you or a bookkeeper can go through transactions and tag them appropriately as income or expenses.

What can be considered a “farm” is going vary by county and state. Additionally what crops, animals, etc you plan on raising or producing may require a certain acreage or zoning. Our property and pasture where farming takes place is zoned A-2 agricultural. We have made improvements such as an electric fence, automatic waters, and shed for livestock. The 15 acre pasture is setup to produce organic hay. The hay is typically cut and bailed 2-3 times in a season and sold. Additionally we have 50x80 pole barn with livestock stalls and area for cold storage to assist in farm operations and storage of assets.

When running a farm, assets such as tractors, skid steers, mowers, UTV’s may be required as part of the daily operation. These tools not only drastically cut down on time/labor, but also assist in being more efficient. Efficiency is definitely part of profitability. Any business owner that plans appropriately each year will be aware of areas where these types of expenses reduce the tax liability. It’s important to research these types of purchases ahead of time and definitely consult with a CPA first. That said as an example our skid steer is used to load the hay bails on the trailer allowing the sale of hay. Certain UTV’s qualified for the 179 deduction due to the dump bed.

The last point I’d like to bring up is grants and funding. If you search your state and farm fund or grants, you will be surprised what available. There are grants for livestock, crops, equipment, and energy efficiency to name a few. One example below is grants providing up to 40% of the cost to install things like solar, windows, insulation, hvac in the name of energy efficiency.

Link my CPA gave me to review hobby vs business farm: https://extension.usu.edu/ruraltax/tax-topics/farm-losses-versus-hobby-losses #:~:text=In%20general%2C%20the%20IRS%20considers,include%20depreciation%20of%20capital%20assets

WaveApps: www.WaveApps.com

Starting a farm resources: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/AgDevelopment/BeginningFarmerResources.aspx

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/SmallBusiness/Resources/AgriBusiness.html

https://www.farmers.gov/your-business/beginning-farmers

https://homesteadwisconsin.com/blog/2020/7/17/finding-funding-as-a-beginning-farmer

Grants:

https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/energy-programs/rural-energy-america-program-renewable-energy-systems-energy-efficiency-improvement-guaranteed-loans/wi

https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/Grants.aspx

Subscribe to my channel and get more videos on resources for Veterans & First Responders: 👉https://www.youtube.com/?%20sub_confirmation=1

Active Military/Veterans or First Responders, join our private Facebook group:
👉https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifea...

👉Website: https://www.LifeAfterServing.com/
👉E-Mail: [email protected]

Please share the word on this group and invite anyone you may know from our Veteran or First Responders community!

Socials
👉TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/
👉Twitter: https://twitter.com/LifeAfterSer
👉Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/life_after_...

Our Veteran Owned Small Businesses:
https://www.REIAutomationSquad.com/
https://www.EasyButtonREI.com/

01/18/2023

Local to our communities area

*****RECOVERED******

The City of Elkhorn along with several communities in the Walworth County area have been hit with subjects going through vehicles and stealing items left in the vehicle. Today, the City actually had a stolen vehicle from the area of Gerard St/Options School area. If anyone in that area has any cameras that may have caught some suspicious activity, please let us know. Please take this as a reminder to lock your vehicles and remove any valuables from your vehicles. You can call the Department at 262-723-2210

Owners are working on getting a more current photo. Photo shown is a stock photo of a 2012 Ford Explorer similar to theirs. A white, 2012 Ford Explorer, WI PLATE of M0N10A. If you see this vehicle please contact local Law Enforcement.

01/18/2023

Creating hope and possibility from the “residue” of police service.

01/13/2023

🧯Podcast Episode Dropped! - 🚒First Responder Financial Freedom ...I was a guest last month & we chatted on aspects of life, failing & getting back up, life after serving in the military, building a business, and current projects. If you're in the community and looking to use real estate towards your financial goals/freedom, make sure you subscribe to their podcast.

Take a listen here: https://sites.libsyn.com/401567/episode-45-donald-ross-an-ex-marine-who-uses-automation-to-help-other-veterans-run-their-businesses-powerful-platform-for-increasing-sales-in-90-days

01/13/2023

Are you transitioning out of a career in the Military or First Responder community?

We are Veterans providing resources we wish we had during our career move / retirement. It allowed my wife and I figure out who we wanted to be when we “grew up”.

Our intent is to provide some insight on how we got her, some wins, some losses, and everyday struggles (we don’t have it all figured out). The resources and topics we cover are areas that I wish we had more information on during our transition.

Pillars to be covered:
1) Mindset
2) Goal Setting
3) Mental Health
4) Retirement / VA Benefits
5) Service Animals
6) Finances - Credit - Credit Repair
7) House Buying
8)Resume Writing
9) Small Business (setting up/marketing/growing)
10) Life Planning

01/12/2023

Networking provides the following and more:

-access to others who have done what you’re trying to accomplish

-access to resources within your industry or community/tribe

-partnership opportunities

-referral leads

-low cost marketing when bootstrapping

-insight from others who are in the industry to make your product/service better…beta/test group

-exchange ideas on standard operating procedures (SOP’s), key performance indicators (KPI’s), personnel hiring, retention, etc.

-build your brand

-build confidence and become an industry expert

-build a tribe of others seeking your product/service

Examples:
1) Networking Events such as meetups or industry trade shows

2) speaking at events

3) being on podcast or producing podcast

4) masterminds - typically paid groups/events to meet up a few times a year and discuss wins & issues/stuck points

5) Social Media groups & Forums

6) Having a referral program that pays others to share your product/service with their tribe/community

Building a referral/networking relationship allowed our small business to go from a handful of users to a couple hundred in a year. Although it’s a great low cost marketing channel, it should NOT be your only channel. Take the time understand and supplement with channels you control.

Examples:
1) paid Google Ads - Pay Per Click (PPC)
2) Facebook Ads
3) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
4) Writing a book & selling on Amazon
5) TV or Radio Ads

The above allows you to control your companies destiny when you have ebs and flows or referral leads.

Subscribe to my channel and get more videos on resources for Veterans & First Responders: 👉https://www.youtube.com/?%20sub_confirmation=1

Active Military/Veterans or First Responders, join our private Facebook group:
👉https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifea...

👉Website: https://www.LifeAfterServing.com/
👉E-Mail: [email protected]

Please share the word on this group and invite anyone you may know from our Veteran or First Responders community!

Socials
👉TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/
👉Twitter: https://twitter.com/LifeAfterSer
👉Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/life_after_...

Our Veteran Owned Small Businesses:
https://www.REIAutomationSquad.com/
https://www.EasyButtonREI.com/

01/10/2023

Networking & Your Network
“Show me your friends, I’ll show you your future “

We talked on setting goals and having measurable points of success. In my opinion who you associate/network with is just as important. Hanging out with others that have achieved or are working to achieve similar goals is something your mind needs. Believing you can do something is part of the equation, but also knowing it’s possible opens a whole new door.

I think many of us have heard the story on the 4 minute mile. Until it was done, most thought it was impossible. It was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister, at age 25, in 3:59.4. It’s now been done by over 1,000 people.

This particular trip is one the destination trips they put on. The families get together for a life experience, but also the kids get emerged in this way of thinking. The mastermind group Freedom Fuel / Investor Fuel (fellow business owners) met up in West Yellowstone, Montana. We did things like Yellowstone National Park tour, Dog Sledding, and Skiing. Besides hanging out at these events, we had dinners, and nightly hangouts at the cabins. We talked on what we we’re currently working on, stuck points, and even possible vehicle write offs.

If you’re just getting started, there is no shame in searching for groups of like minded people online (this Facebook group as example). Your local chamber of commerce might hold meetings for local small businesses.

01/09/2023

12/31/2022

How my Wife and I built a multi-million dollar business with consistent simple action.

Goals/Vision
As we go into News Years Eve 🥳, many will be creating New Years Resolutions.

There are a few things I can recommend to ensure it’s more than a thing you write down and forget in a week or two. I’d sit down and write ✍️ (hand written) what your ideal day, week, month would look like and at the end of the year what that allows for … your “why”

-create a vision board with pictures that are part of you ”why”.

-create 1 year goals (3-5) & then break them down to 90 day, 30 day, and 7 day. The day your week starts (typically Sunday) sit down and plan your week. Break your goals down and ensure each day a little bit is done to completely by end of week.
***hint, you will have days or weeks that don’t go as planned, adjust and get back on track***

-get yourself a notebook/journal

-setup a Morning Routine ☀️ that looks something like this:

Write the following
1) what your thankful or grateful for
2) what’s important to you today
3) what your intentions are today
4) 3-5 To Do’s
5) 30 min reading

-setup a Evening Routine 🌙 that’s something like this:

Write the following
1) Are you making progress towards your goal? How can I do better
2) What challenges did I face
3) How can I overcome them
4) what can I improve on

It’s equally important that your goals are able to be measured and tracked. Just writing things down won’t get you there. The writing down everyday gets it in your subconscious. Successfully completing the goals will build the momentum and mindset needed to get the end of a year and be proud of your accomplishments.

For those who are App types… look into Goals Wizard or Strides App

12/26/2022

Priory Wellness Campaign…giving an outlet to talk. often feel, “They’re the helpers so they don’t feel like they should be the ones getting help. They bury it down and over time these symptoms start to manifest whether it’s anxiety, stress, or PTSD”

Emergency responders - whether they’re police, firefighters, or paramedics - are exposed to potentially traumatic situations. That’s why a new north country non-profit is offering them mental health resources.

12/25/2022

Merry Christmas 🎄 & Happy New Year!

12/24/2022

Merry Christmas 🎄 & thank you to those working the holiday

The channels mission is provide insight/intel on life after serving. Many times Veterans and First Responders have a rough time transitioning to a life after...

12/24/2022

Heartbreaking to see another in our community. If you ever just need someone to talk to, please 🙏 reach out

An off-duty Chicago police officer was found dead in an apparent su***de Thursday morning, making him at least the third officer from the department to take their own life within a week.