In this episode of the Service and Wealth podcast, Ted sits down with Marine Gunnery Sergeant Christian Esparza on the 250th birthday of the Marine Corps to talk about money, mistakes, and building a life after the uniform. Gunny shares his story of dropping out of high school, getting in trouble with the law, and still finding his way into the Corps, Iraq, Afghanistan, drill field duty, and eventually the Naval Academy. He talks about why he decided to fully separate instead of going the safer JROTC route, and how he and his wife are planning his upcoming retirement with confidence instead of panic.
Christian explains why he calls his spouse his biggest investment and how their teamwork has turned one paycheck into multiple income streams. They bought their first home near Camp Pendleton at age 22 using a VA loan and later turned it into a rental that now brings in strong monthly cash flow. A second VA-backed rental in Nampa, Idaho has also appreciated sharply, giving them equity and steady rent through property managers. He is honest about missed opportunities too, like walking away from a house near the Naval Academy that later jumped hundreds of thousands in value, and blowing deployment money on a lifted truck instead of stocks or Bitcoin.
The conversation dives into his investing journey: going heavy into Disney, Ford, and Alibaba, then rolling those gains into Bitcoin and holding through brutal drawdowns until it exploded in value. Christian explains why he treats crypto as “money he does not need” and why a real emergency fund is non-negotiable before anyone starts chasing returns. Ted and Gunny walk through concrete numbers on his rentals, how much he bought them for, what the mortgages are, and what they rent for, to show Marines what long-term ownership can actually look like. They also break down the Thrift Savings Plan, how a captain forced Christian to move from 1 percent in the G Fund to 10 percent in the S Fund, and why too many staff NCOs are still contributing zero. The episode closes with practical guidance on using VA loans, thinking long term about TSP vs IRA vs solo 401(k), and how senior leaders can model financial readiness instead of just lecturing young Marines about “not buying dumb cars.”
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Quick takeaways
• Your spouse and your team are your first “investment.”
• VA loans plus older, well-chosen homes can create real rental cash flow over time.
• Don’t invest money you might need next year; build a security cushion first.
• Long-term holds in stocks, real estate, and even crypto beat short-term trading.
• TSP only works if you actually contribute and pick growth funds, not default G or L funds.
• Senior leaders need to show real numbers and examples, not just give generic “save your money” briefs.
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