JJ Montanaro

Joseph "JJ" Montanaro is a certified financial planner professional (CFP^®). He is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, and earned his bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York. He also holds a master’s degree in personal financial planning from Kansas State. JJ is a director on the USAA Military Advocacy team.

Montanaro has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is a regular contributor to Military.com and also writes monthly personal finance columns for American Legion and Military Spouse magazines. Before entering the financial services industry, he served in the Army for six years on active duty, and in 2009, he retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve.

Latest Articles

Four stacks of coins with the digits of 2025 on top increase in size from left to right until arriving at a white piggy bank.

Your Year-End Financial Action Plan, Part 4: Maximizing Retirement

Use this year-end evaluation as an opportunity to discuss and get aligned on your retirement goals and portfolio.

A silhouetted person pushes the letters of the word debt off a cliff

Your Year-End Financial Action Plan, Part 3: Tackling Debt

While you may not be able to dig all the way out of debt in 2024, you can clearly chart a path that will allow you to get...

A blue binder features a handwritten label on its spine, "Tax preparation," set on a wood desk amid office supplies.

Your Year-End Financial Action Plan, Part 2: Stay Ahead of the Tax Man

By proactively managing your taxes at the end of the year, you can avoid surprises and ensure that your finances are in top...

Situated diagonally, a US $100 bill takes up about the left half of the frame, while a generic month of the December calendar page takes up the right half.

Your Year-End Financial Action Plan, Part I: Setting the Stage

A year-end financial review, when done right, acts as a recalibration for the goals that matter most to you and your family.

In tones of light blue and red, a piggy bank in a Santa cap, a calculator, gifts and a tree decoration make up an arrangement.

4 Steps to Maximize Your Holiday Budget

By planning ahead and sticking to these four tactics, you can enjoy the spirit of the holidays without the stress of...

The frame is divided diagonally with U.S. bills arrayed chaotically on the top left and multicolored fall leaves on the bottom right.

Why Thanksgiving Is the Perfect Time for Important Financial Conversations in Your Military Family

In military families, where change is constant and the future is sometimes uncertain, Thanksgiving offers a rare and valuable...

Through a two-piece gap in a blank white jigsaw puzzle looks the face of a U.S. president on a bill.

When Is a Good Time to Change Your Thrift Savings Plan Investments?

If an investor is feeling a lot of stress regarding their investments, that could indicate that it’s time to reevaluate their...

The eyes of a president on paper money peek through the rip in a piece of brown paper.

Keep Your Military Money Nightmares at Bay

More dreadful than a haunted house tour in a hearse, tales of financial doom aren't fiction. They're painful realities. But...

Fingers of a skeleton hand reach into the frame to touch a scattered pile of $100 bills.

Fraud, Debt, Car Prices and More: Here Are 2024's Scary Statistics

Here are 2024's facts, figures and fodder for examining trends in personal finance.

Graphics of an ascending arrow and golden glow overlay a photo of hands on a tabletop sorting a stack of coins.

4 Bad Excuses to Opt Out of the Military's Thrift Savings Plan

Here are four themes driving service members' decision not to contribute to the military's Thrift Savings Plan and why I...

A Marine in cammies and a black T-shirt holds his preschool-age daughter. They both have brown hair.

How the Fed's Interest Rate Cut Could Affect Military Families

From deployments to frequent moves and everything in between, the military experience doesn't always directly match the...

Do Military Households Have Misconceptions About Retirement? Here’s What They Said in a New Survey

From building a solid financial foundation to preparing for emergencies and planning for retirement, the results of a recent...

A golden piggy bank wearing glasses appears against a black background

More Options, Better Predictability: What Military Households Want from Their Retirement Plans

If a new survey is any indicator, building a plan for the execution stage of retirement is clearly on the mind of the...

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Military Families Less Likely to Dip into Retirement Savings, Survey Says -- with One Big Exception

Those who wear or have worn the military uniform, based on this particular survey, appear less likely to have tapped their...

U.S. Marines with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, stand in formation during a retirement ceremony on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Aug. 16, 2024. (Lance Cpl. Xavier Alicea/Marine Corps)

New Survey Confirms Military Service Is a Financial Differentiator

The results of the 2024 Retirement Confidence Survey confirmed what I have long believed: Military service is a...

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