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Military Benefits

Retirement Planning Advice for Vietnam Vets

2015-11-11

In light of Veterans Day, Forbes posted an article today on the topic of financial retirement planning for Vietnam Veterans. With large numbers of these veterans hitting retirement age now, Richard Eisenberg, a writer for Forbes Personal Finance, interviewed AAFMAA Assistant Secretary Carlos Perez for his expertise and experience in military financial planning. In the article, Perez brings attention to financial facts and strategies that these former servicemembers should consider.

Perez's overarching advice for applicable readers is to always remain aware of every single government benefit and entitlement that could apply to their situation. Unfortunately, with the Department of Veterans Administration (VA)'s size alone, veterans won't automatically get every benefit they have earned.

"You have to ask for them," Perez explained.

Luckily, there are plenty of online resources - including the VA website - that explain the process for requesting or claiming the financial resources that Vietnam veterans have earned from military service.

Another important piece of advice from Perez for all veterans: Make sure all your service-connected documents, including your Record of Service Form 214, is in a secure and accessible place. If you aren't sure where it is, or you have lost it in a move, you can apply for a copy at the National Archives website: http://www.archives.gov/research/order/standard-form-180.pdf. It is important that your family members and beneficiaries also know where to locate all these important documents.

For the full article on Forbes online, "Retirement Planning Advice for Vietnam Vets," visit: http://www.forbes.com/sites#/sites/nextavenue/2015/11/11/retirement-planning-advice-for-vietnam-vets/.