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Monday, December 13, 2010

Report Ranks Best Places For Veterans To Retire, Launch Second Career

James Johnson, a 22-year Army veteran, talks with Pat Cooke, left, a recruiter for the Clearwater, Fla. police department, at a veterans job fair in New York. (AP)

James Johnson, a 22-year Army veteran, talks with Pat Cooke, left, a recruiter for the Clearwater, Fla. police department, at a veterans job fair in New York. (AP)

There are around 2 million military retirees in the U.S. Many are looking for second jobs and want a strong support structure as they transition into civilian life.  The military financial services company, USAA, and military.com have ranked the top ten places to retire if you’re in the military.

June Walbert joins us to explain the report.  She’s a certified financial planner with USAA, she’s also Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserves.   She tells us that Waco, Texas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and College Station, Texas top the list.

Other stories from Monday's show

We welcome comments from all of our listeners. Post below. Please stay on topic and be civil. Comments may be moderated by us, but you are solely responsible for the content of your comments.

  • Patrick Flynn

    How sad that the primary consideration for this group’s list of ideal places for military veterans to retire seems to be where they can avoid the most taxes. Did the interviewer not notice the irony in the image of government retirees flocking to tax havens? From where does USAA think military pay comes? Please, could Hear and Now refrain from contributing to the all-taxes-are-evil campaign?

    Sincerely,
    Patrick Flynn
    Kansas City, Missouri

  • Kate

    Patrick Flynn, military pay comes from federal taxes. There is nowhere in the US that you can retire exempt from federal taxes.

    Considering the tax implications of your retirement home is only smart. Certainly states offer certain tax advantages: Delaware has no sales tax, Florida has no income tax, etc. Each state gets to decide how to structure its income stream and income taxes are one of the choices that the state may choose to use. Do you criticize people who live in Florida because it has no state income tax?

  • Ivy

    I perked up my ears when she said PA didn’t have a state income tax and waited to listen to the audio when it was posted to see if I misheard. I did not.

    PA has had a state income tax for a very long time. I would be concerned about a financial planner who made a statement like that with such certainty, having cited three PA cities as places to consider.

  • Patrick Flynn

    Yes Kate, I do understand where funding for the military comes from. Thanks for the civics lesson though. And no, I don’t criticize the residents of Florida for the way they fund their state. However if you chose to move there for that sole purpose, I might criticize you.

    Patrick Flynn

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