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Here's the thing, delaying the start of your earning years really hurts because you aren't losing the first low earning years, you're losing the last high earning years and you aren't able to start saving as early.
Say you start out at 22 making $40K out of college and you get a 3.5% raise every year until you hit 65. You'll earn $4049533. However if you wait until you're 26 and work until 65, you'll only earn $3382011, a difference of over $667000. And, that is only the sum of the earnings - it doesn't take into account the compound interest you would have gained investing in 401(k) and Roth IRAs starting at an early age.
Delaying your working years is a killer for accumulating wealth.
If I could, I would do whatever it takes (bribes, threats, etc) to get him into and then out of college and into the working world as soon as possible.
He can and should do both. I say this as someone who was military. If he really wants to join, he should get his degree and then join as an officer. It's a much better option.
My 18 YO son just enlisted in the Army National Guard. He will go to college for criminal justice while he is in
My 19 yo stepson is currently considering enlisting in the military. At the moment he is living with his dad, me and younger brother as he and his mom were not getting along. I'm not gung-ho about the idea of him enlisting (more worried than a lack of enthusiasm) but will support him if he decides to move forward with this.
I am a veteran myself, and normally I would encourage young people to enter military service.
However, the military is not what it used to be. It has become a real magnet for sick people who enjoy torturing and killing people. Just google for the recent "kill shot" photos that were the subject of much controversy and see for yourself what is going on over there.
I read JUST YESTERDAY where one unit in Afghanistan would throw candy in front of their military vehicle so they could run over the children that went to collect it.
The military is experiencing more suicides than EVER BEFORE IN HISTORY because of this kind of thing. Not to mention that the government IS putting chemicals in the soldiers' food that alters their personality and desensitizes them about killing and cruelty.
If he were my son, I would encourage him to become a VISTA or Peace Corps volunteer instead. There are a lot more important things than the GI Bill for education. Like his sanity and his life. Just sayin'
I agree that he should be commissioned as an officer. His father was, grandfather was not, and his father benefited more IMO.
Believe me, I wish I could stay out of it. My SS confides in me and my husband was inappropriate in asking me a question if he didn't want the answer. I appreciate all the military info, I really do. Also hoping for responses in terms of stepfamily dynamics. There's no Stepfamily 101 and even after 16 years married I am still at a loss sometimes. I mostly just listen to my SS, I don't want to get burned by mom or dad; it's happened in the past. But when the husband asks me in private, not in front of SS, I did feel inclined to answer. At least I did then, sure as h*ll would not have done it now had I known. It's like I hit a glass ceiling in these situations, so to speak. It's ok to do this, that and the other thing with MY son, but don't do this or you will feel the wrath.
It's annoying when my husband pretty much feels he has the right to comment on things pertaining to my daughter, her college, whatever problems are going on. Always has. The dynamics of this are messed up to me. I'll talk to him about it, he'll knock it off for awhile, something new crops up and he's back at it. I really would have preferred the your kid/my kid thing would have gone by the wayside but it hasn't.
I would love to bribe him to at least hold off on the military. Not sure it would bode well for me, ultimately. Right now I'm hoping he'll finish school and then consider serving. I think I will also try to stay out of the line of questioning in the future. At best it's probably not a conversation that will be much of a benefit to anyone.
20 years: the candy thing is terrible, a travesty....sick. My FIL would agree the military had changed vastly since he served.
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