New Release
Financial Survival for Law Enforcement
A Practical Guide to Money, Risk, and Long-Term Security for Those Who Serve
By Ryan Skaggs · Master Patrol Officer & K9 Handler · Founder, The Shield Finance
Available on Kindle · Paperback · Hardcover
“Financial control is, in a very real sense, a form of officer safety.”
— Ryan Skaggs
About the Book
The book nobody handed you at the academy.
The academy covers use of force, report writing, and the law. It doesn’t cover the financial conversation that will define the second half of your life.
Officers retiring with less than they expected. Veterans going back to work within sixty days because the pension alone won’t cover the mortgage. Colleagues whose financial plans consisted of hoping things worked out. These aren’t edge cases — they’re the pattern.
Financial Survival for Law Enforcement covers the financial landscape from academy graduation to the retirement door — written by a cop who’s also a fiduciary financial planner.
What’s Inside
Five parts. Every stage of the job.
Part I
Hidden Financial Risks of the Job
Career-specific risks that don’t show up in standard planning — shift differential traps, overtime dependency, and line-of-duty disability exposure.
Part II
Cash Flow, Debt & Surviving Today
Budgeting for people who work shifts and earn income that doesn’t fit a standard model. Emergency funds, debt payoff, and cash flow that actually works.
Part III
Insurance & Legal Readiness
Disability coverage, life insurance, estate planning, and the steps most officers put off until it’s too late.
Part IV
Building Long-Term Wealth
Retirement systems without the jargon, investing on limited time, tax strategy around overtime, and a full chapter on the Social Security Fairness Act.
Part V
Career Transitions & After the Badge
Lateral moves, early retirement, disability retirement, and what the financial picture looks like when the shift ends for good.