KateHorrell

Helping Military Families Make The Most of Their Money

How To Budget With Overseas Housing Allowance


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When you live overseas, off-base, you receive an Overseas Housing Allowance. OHA pays for your rent (up to a limit) and also provides you with an allowance for your utilities. There are two tricky things about OHA. The amount of dollars paid changes every month, with the exchange rate, and the bills it is supposed… | Read More…

Advance Basic Allowance For Housing (BAH) – Yes, It’s a Thing!


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One little-known aspect of the military pay and allowance system is the ability to request advance payment of your Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). While this opportunity has been around since 1999, you will still find that most admin folks and senior leadership are completely unaware that it even exists. And, unfortunately, even those who… | Read More…

The Simplest Reason Why Renting Will Save You Money


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“Renting is too expensive, so I’m going to buy a house.” I hear some variation on this statement at least once a week. This perspective worries me, because further discussion usually uncovers some misconceptions about the cost of owning a home. Airman Mildollar, the author of the currently-on-hiatus-but-hopefully-coming-back-one-day Military Dollar blog, introduced me to a… | Read More…

2022 Military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) Rates


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They’re out!  Go see!  The Department of Defense has announced the 2022 military basic allowance for housing rates! As usual, there will be some big winners and some big losers. (If you are on an iPhone and reading this on Facebook, you may need to open this page using the three dots instead of clicking… | Read More…

Five Things You Need To Know About The New BAH Rates


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Military families across the country are waiting anxiously to see what their Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates will be in 2022. (The new bah rates are usually announced on or around 15 December.) With housing prices going up significantly in many areas, many have fingers crossed for a big increase for next year. Here… | Read More…

BAH Rate Protection (or The Grandfather Clause)


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As the Department of Defense (DoD) gets ready to release the 2022 Basic Allowance for Housing rates, this is a perfect time to review BAH rate protection, or “the grandfather clause.” (Rates are usually announced on or around the 15th of December.) Each year, the DoD does a thorough study of the actual costs to… | Read More…

How Much Should Military BAH Pay For?


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I was at a really great military spouse event a few years ago and someone mentioned that the military’s Basic Allowance for Housing (military BAH) doesn’t always cover the cost of housing. It’s true that a lot of military families spend more than their BAH on housing. I hear things like this all the time,… | Read More…

How To Get A Refund Of The VA Home Loan Funding Fee


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Home mortgages guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are a valuable benefit of military service. One of the characteristics of a VA-backed home loan is that you have to pay a funding fee when you get the loan. However, some folks are exempt from the funding fee. If you pay the funding fee,… | Read More…

Everything About Military Moving Inconvenience Claims


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Moving has challenges. (If that isn’t the biggest understatement ever.) And just when you think that you’re past the hard part, sometimes your stuff gets delayed. Maybe there was a problem at the warehouse, or your truck driver quit, or the ship broke. But to you, the reason doesn’t really matter, because you just need… | Read More…

From the Mailbag: Dislocation Allowance FAQ


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Ah, dislocation allowance, aka DLA! Such a huge benefit, and such a source of frustration. Here are some of the DLA questions I’ve answered recently. (As always, things change. Talk to your finance folks to find out the exact rules for your branch this week.) Learn more at Everything About Dislocation Allowance. Can I Get Dislocation… | Read More…

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Disclaimer

Kate does not represent the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any government agency. This blog is strictly for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content on this site should not be considered professional financial or legal advice. I may receive compensation through affiliate or advertising relationships from products mentioned on this site. All reviews on this site represent the personal opinions of the author. All references to third party products, rates, and offers may change without notice.