Retired Nevada Guard officer writes financial advice book

The same values and discipline acquired from military service can be used to achieve personal financial freedom, writes retired Nevada Army Guard Lt. Col. Kurt Neddenriep in his soon-to-be released book, “Combat Finance.” The book is set to hit bookstore shelves Tuesday.

Neddenriep describes “Combat Finance” as a financial self-help book that examines the uncertainties of life’s financial battles and clarifies economic topics in an understandable manner to help people achieve personal financial freedom. Subjects broached include mortgages, savings, insurance and portfolio diversity.

The 224-page book includes anecdotes and experiences drawn from Neddenriep’s 23-year career in the Nevada Army Guard. He retired from the Nevada Guard last year after serving as the commander of the 1/221st Cavalry for three years. Neddenriep previously was the executive officer during the 1/22st Cavalry’s deployment to Afghanistan in 2009-10.

The memories of conversations with chaplains during his military career prompted Neddenriep to write the book upon his retirement in February.

“I heard repeatedly that relationships and financial issues are easily the top two stressors for service members, whether they are deployed or at home,” Neddenriep said. “Anybody can pick up the book and it can assist them, but I was cognizant a key audience for the book would be military members.”

Neddenriep’s experience in the financial world matches his long military career. After graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1994, he became a financial services consultant for a major Wall Street firm. Two decades later, he is a senior vice president and wealth adviser in the firm and maintains offices in Elko and Reno.

In the book, Neddenriep writes that both military and financial strategies require plans, processes and discipline.

“I wrote ‘Combat Finance’ to help instill the values, principles and discipline it takes to succeed financially,” Neddenriep said. “By following fundamentals and maintaining self discipline, getting your finances under control is easy when you have a plan and a process – it doesn’t have to be like getting a root canal.”

The nine chapters of the book roughly link basic military tenants to financial topics, starting with Basic Training (which emphasizes living within one’s means) and continuing with Choosing Your Forward Operating Base Wisely (how to make housing decisions) and on to Build Your Armed Forces, Not a Gun Collection (the importance of asset allocation).

The book also contains several in-depth interviews with well-known national and Nevada Guard Soldiers and Airmen, including retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Ken Preston, retired Brig. Gen. Bob Fitch and retired Col. Steve Spitze.

The book, including the preface and acknowledgement sections, are chock full of references to current and retired Guardsmen. Neddenriep makes it clear that his 23 years in the Nevada Guard provided much of the foundation for “Combat Finance.”

“Without the spirit of initiative and constant self-improvement that the Wildhorse Squadron and the Blackhorse Regiment instilled in me, I would not have had the experience necessary to write ‘Combat Finance,’” Neddenriep said.

“Combat Finance” is published by John Wiley & Sons. It can be purchased from online from several retailers, including Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, for about $18 (about $14 for a Kindle edition).

Neddenriep said a portion of the sale from every book sold will go toward financial education for military service members. He said he envisions a financial course similar to the National Guard’s Strong Bonds relationship-enhancement program, in which individuals and couples can receive financial instruction in a retreat-style atmosphere.