Your Texas Military Retirement Doesn't Have to Feel Like Free Fall
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Thank you for helping me reach 200 subscribers. Having you here means a lot, and I'm grateful for every veteran and family who engages with this mission.
Two hundred of you.
That's two hundred warriors, families, and faithful servants who've chosen to join this conversation about money, meaning, and what comes after the uniform.
It humbles me. Because I know your inbox is sacred territory. Personally, I unsubscribe from everything. So having you here, well, it's fantastic!
The Question That Stopped Me Cold
Last week, a retired senior Air Force NCO (I don't know what they call them; the Army equivalent is Command Sergeant Major) and his wife sat across from me in my Weatherford office. Combined, they'd saved $1.2 million. TSP maxed. Retirement pension flowing. VA disability rated. Texas property tax exemptions secured.
They'd done everything right.
But the question they asked made my chaplain's heart ache:
"Are we allowed to enjoy the money we've worked so hard for?"
Allowed.
Think about that word for a second.
This couple — who'd sacrificed through multiple deployments, PCS moves that uprooted their kids five times, and decades of service to our nation — were asking for permission to enjoy their own retirement.
The Weight Veterans Carry Into Retirement
You know what I saw in that moment?
The same confusion I witnessed in the chapel at Fort Jackson. The same uncertainty I counseled through at Fort Lewis. The same identity crisis that happens when your whole life has been:
Mission first. Sacrifice always. Personal needs last.
Twenty years of muscle memory don't just vanish when you get your DD-214.
The uniform comes off, but the programming stays.
And suddenly you're sitting on a nest egg in Coppell or Keller or Mansfield, Googling "retired military benefits in Texas" at 2 AM because you don't know if you're doing this right.
You've led soldiers through combat. You've managed million-dollar equipment. You've made life-or-death decisions under fire.
But this? This civilian financial world where everyone's trying to sell you something?
It feels like walking through a minefield with no map.
Three Scenarios That Changed Everything
Back to my CSM and his wife.
I pulled out a blank sheet of paper. "Let me show you three futures," I said.
Scenario One: The Scarcity Script Keep living like you're still an E-4 trying to make it to payday. Never touch the principal. Die with $2 million in the bank and a lifetime of untaken trips.
Scenario Two: The Burnout Spend it all in five years trying to make up for lost time. No plan. No purpose. Just a reaction to two decades of restriction.
Scenario Three: The Permission Path Strategic enjoyment balanced with purposeful giving. Take that trip to see the grandkids. Support that veteran's ministry. Buy the boat — but buy it smart. Because you know what B.O.A.T. stands for.
"Here's your permission slip," I told them, sliding the paper across the desk. "But more importantly, here's your plan."
The tears came then. Not from sadness. From relief.
Why Texas Makes This Harder (And Easier)
You chose Texas for a reason.
No state income tax on your military retirement. Property tax exemptions if you're VA-rated. A culture that actually respects your service.
Fort Hood (Fort Cavazos - whatever). JBSA. The Naval Air Stations. We're surrounded by warriors who've transitioned before us.
But here's what nobody tells you about retiring military in Texas:
The benefits are incredible if you know how to claim them.
The tax advantages are real if you structure them right.
The retirement communities are welcoming if you know where to look.
I talked to a retired Colonel last month who'd been in Plano for three years before learning about the 100% property tax exemption for disabled veterans. Three years of overpaying because no one connected those dots for him.
Another family in Southlake just discovered they'd been missing out on the Hazlewood Act benefits for their kids' college.
This isn't incompetence. It's overwhelming.
When "military retirement communities in Texas" returns 47,000 Google results, where do you even start?
The Identity Tax Nobody Talks About
You know what the real cost is?
It's not the missed benefits or the tax confusion.
It's the identity tax.
That grinding uncertainty that comes from losing your rank, your unit, your daily mission. The 0500 wake-ups continue, but now they lack purpose—the leadership muscles atrophy. The sense of serving something bigger feels distant.
And money becomes the scoreboard for a game you never learned to play.
Do you think my path from chaplain to financial planner was Windex clean? Bright and shiny like Army Recruiter dress shoes? It was messy, confusing, and filled with fumbles. Who was I to talk about money when my calling was souls?
But then I realized: they're connected.
Every soldier I counseled who was stressed about finances couldn't fully focus on family. Every veteran struggling with retirement benefits couldn't find peace in transition. Every military family worried about their future couldn't live with purpose today.
Your Texas Retirement Clarity Starts Here
Let me be direct with you, warrior to warrior.
You've earned these benefits. You deserve this clarity. You're allowed to enjoy this season.
But you need a battle buddy who speaks both languages — military and money.
Someone who understands that "Does Texas tax military retirement?" isn't just a financial question. It's an identity question. A values question. A "what now?" question.
I see you checking those benefits websites at midnight. I see you wondering if that financial advisor really gets it. I see you wanting to be generous but afraid to be foolish.
You're not alone in this.
What This Looks Like Practically
For my CSM and his wife, we built what I call a "Mission-Focused Money Plan":
Year One: Establish the enjoyment fund (that Europe trip they'd postponed for 20 years)
Year Two: Create the generosity strategy (their church's veteran ministry)
Year Three: Lock in the legacy (grandkids' education funded, tax-efficiently)
We turned their $1.2 million from a source of anxiety into a tool for impact.
No more 2 AM Google searches. No more guilt about spending. No more confusion about Texas benefits.
Just clarity. Purpose. And yes — permission.
An Invitation, Not a Sales Pitch
Look, I know you've got options.
Every advisor from here to Houston claims they "support veterans."
For example, I just got off a call with a senior Army Recruiting NCO. He worked with a First Command advisor. Can you call yourself a financial advisor when you lead with insurance products?
Another example: I spoke with a retired senior nuclear submarine engineer last week. You know, that type of naval officer. I asked him, "What do you think when I say 'financial advisor'? He didn't hesitate, "You're trying to sell me life insurance."
I'm not here to sell you something.
I'm here to serve you — the same way I served soldiers in the chapel, just with different tools now.
If you’re tired of the confusion…
If you’re ready for clarity on your Texas military benefits…
If you want someone who gets both the numbers and the nuance…
Book Your Free Texas Military Retirement & Benefits Assessment (We will review VA disability benefits, cash flow challenges, and specific retirement questions.)
No sales pressure. Just clarity, strategy, and sensitivity.
They just sent me a photo from Rome - the Europe trip they'd postponed for 23 years.
For the 200 Who Believe
To each of you who opens these emails, who shares them with battle buddies, who trusts me with your questions:
Thank you.
You're not just subscribers. You're fellow travelers on this path from service to significance.
Together, we're proving that financial planning doesn't have to be soulless. That retirement doesn't mean retreating. That your best mission might be ahead, not behind.
P.S. — That couple with $1.2 million? They're in Europe right now. First time in 23 years of marriage. They sent me a photo from Rome with two words: "Permission granted." That's what this is about.
Joshua Brooks is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with Exponential Advisors. This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered personalized financial advice.
Any examples or client stories mentioned have been modified or are hypothetical composites to protect client confidentiality. Individual circumstances vary, and you should consult with a qualified financial professional regarding your specific situation. Securities offered through Altruist, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Exponential Advisors, a Registered Investment Adviser. The information provided is not intended as tax or legal advice and may not be relied upon for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties.
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