Solid advice

Solid advice

 

Thanks to the exciting new relationship between The American Legion and USAA, June and I now have the opportunity to answer your personal finance questions on a daily basis at legion.org and each month in The American Legion Magazine.

Before we get to that, we thought we'd use this opportunity to briefly introduce ourselves. Ladies usually go first, but I'll take my shot and then turn it over to June. I'm Joseph Montanaro Jr. - thus J.J. - and have been a Certified Financial Planner at USAA for the last eight years. The son of a Navy Pilot, I graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and spent five years on active duty before entering the financial services industry in 1993. I continued to serve in the Army Reserve, spent a year in Afghanistan, and in 2009, I retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Army Reserve. Through the years, I've helped hundreds of individuals and families get a handle on their finances. I continue to work with USAA members on a daily basis and am always encouraging folks to make sound financial decisions.

June?

And I'm June Walbert. I'm not your average financial planner - not to say that J.J. is, but I've done everything from training folks as a firearms instructor to teaching clients about options strategies as a stock broker before taking my spot as a financial planner at USAA. As a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, I've served in a variety of roles, from Oklahoma City to Kuwait and currently in Japan. I'm really excited about being here at the Legion, because while I continue to work with USAA members, I get the biggest kick out of trumpeting smart finances to large audiences ... whether it's CNN, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal or in the Legion's own "Magazine for a Strong America." You should know I have a special place in my heart for dogs and spend a lot of time volunteering at the Animal Defense League. So, mention your furry friend, and you'll get extra special care from me.

Whether it's how to tackle your debt dilemma or ramping up for retirement, we look forward to hearing from and helping you answer any of those nagging questions regarding your finances. We'll be here on the Legion website, under the title "Financial Footlocker," putting our combined 31 years of financial experience to work for you who have served our great nation so proudly. We'd love to hear from you, so submit your question online at here.