u/obusier_fait_maison

Hi team,

I just had a quick question regarding TSP. I am new to America and the retirement system differs heavily from my home country (Australia) which does a flat 15% employer contribution for retirement.

I am an 09S starting state OCS next year. Currently just drilling with a unit in the meantime. My civilian job pays well, and does a 401k matching.

Can I select TSP and have it all in the C fund? Or is it for military pay only?

Second question: I’m maxing out the Roth IRA thing, is there a military equivalent?

Current order of ops:

401k matching
Max out Roth ira
Vanguard investment $200 a week
Money to Australia to pay Aussie mortgage and build offset
House deposit for USA home

Does this sound about right?

Hi team,

I’m 27 and recently relocated to the US in late 2025. Before landing here, my expat journey took me through Sweden, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait.

If anyone is currently preparing for a move to any of these countries, or if you just have questions about what it’s like to live there, I am happy to help.

Hi team,

I come to the brain trust to sense check my strategy.

27m. I own a property in my home country (Australia). Bought for 465k AUD in 2024, 335k AUD mortgage. I live in the US now (dual citizen). It is currently rented out and has a 0% vacancy rate since I bought it. It is cash flow neutral or slightly negative (1-3k AUD per year).

Salary is $110k. I have been in the US for 8 months so I am building my credit score.

I will aim for minimal down payment for a 550k property in the next 12 months. My income is likely to rise to around $125k. Currently just building a nice buffer.

Questions:

1. I joined the Army (National Guard) the moment I moved here. Is it possible to start with a FHA loan then convert to a VA loan once I am eligible to get it?

2. I intend to house hack to manage cash flow and once I am more settled in the US. Can I provide executed lease agreements or interest in renting the place if I can present that to the bank?

If you have any general tips about buying in the US, please share!!

Thank you

Hi team,

I come to the brain trust to see if you had any tips on managing both full time work and full time study.

I am new to USA, and day job is 40-45 hours as a Program Manager. I got a scholarship doing a masters degree in Cybersecurity.

If anyone had any general tips on managing this that would be great. Thankfully the assignments and such are due on the weekends and the course is online.

I firstly entered all dates into my calendar to provide an overview. I use trello to manage weekly tasks and have a passion planner (paper based planner) to manage my weeks.

Basically goal is to build a 4 week lead now in terms of readings and assignments and try maintain that lead over the course of the semester. this will help account for any unexpected events (longer hours at work, illness etc.).

Unfortunately I excel when I am under pressure so this is how it will be. I did this for my bachelors and it boosted my career significantly.

Please share your tips!

Hi team,

I come to the brain trust because I would value some candid feedback on the trajectory I have mapped out for my next few years in the US. My path here has been anything but linear. I’m from Australia, where I built my early career in government consulting and program management, before spending a period living in the Middle East. Recently, I made the deliberate decision to relocate to America for both adventure but that I felt something was critically missing from life (I was super bored in Australia and felt stuck). I am 27.

I moved to America and immediately joined the Army (National guard), I did this to tick off a bucket list item as well as to get leadership xp and a security clearance. I am leveraging my military education benefits to pursue a Master in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance. My objective is to fuse this incoming technical expertise with my existing background to pivot into that here.

Essentially my 2 year plan is to 1. Pivot into consulting in USA, 2. Finish my master by 2028 3. Commission as a LT in 2028 and buy a home in America.

I’m navigating the challenges of a new country (social life, meeting people, etc) but this isn’t my first rodeo. I’m feeling generally good but I’m cognisant I’ve signed up for a chapter (army contract) in USA now which is good because I think I needed to commit to something. I’ve been bouncing around for too long.

Any initial thoughts please share, also if you have any advice re life in America please share!