KateHorrell

Helping Military Families Make The Most of Their Money

49 Things You Need To Know Before Military Retirement


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While the Horrell tribe is still a few years from retirement, I’ve been putting together a list of things that already-retired folks tell me that they wish they had known. Take advantage of their wisdom! The Transition Assistance Program The in-person Transition Assistance Program class is your primary source of information about the process. Use… | Read More…

Be Sure You Are Keeping Up With These Retiree Newsletters


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It can be hard to keep up with changes in benefits, laws, and programs. One of the best ways to remain informed is to read the various retiree newsletters published by each branch of the military and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS). I recommend you read them all, because none are comprehensive and… | Read More…

Military Retiree Medical: Tricare Prime, Select, or USFHP?


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One of the big questions during military retirement is: Which Tricare health care coverage should I choose? Or maybe you’ve been retired for a while, and you’re wondering if the Tricare health plan you’re using is the right one for your situation? Or you’re moving to a new area and need to figure out your… | Read More…

Should You Sell Back Your Military Leave, or Take Terminal Leave?


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One hot topic in military finance is the selling of leave. Generally, these are folks who are separating or retiring, and they’re trying to figure out what to do with their leave. I used to have a single answer, and then I opened my mind a little, discovered that there are a lot of variables… | Read More…

Need A Little Help With Your SBP Decision?


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This is a guest post from my good friend Daniel Kopp at Wise Stewardship Financial Planning. Daniel and I have talked extensively about the struggles with the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) decision, and he has decided to offer a special financial planning package just for this oh-so-important choice. Because I believe so strongly in the… | Read More…

Commissioning? Understand Your Blended Retirement System Options


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May and June are the biggest commissioning time of year. Not only do all the service academies graduate then, but thousands of ROTC students also graduate and enter their active military service. This years’ group of newly commissioned officers face a unique question: should they opt into the military’s new Blended Retirement System (BRS), or… | Read More…

What Is A Transition Fund, And Why Do You Want One?


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If you’ve hung out around The Paycheck Chronicles long enough, you may have heard me talk about having a transition fund. I think I may have made up that term…maybe not. But I sure am fond of it. So what exactly is a transition fund, and why would you want one? What Is A Transition… | Read More…

How To (Maybe) Fix A Blended Retirement System Opt-In Mistake


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You may remember that last January, there was a flurry of concern about folks who had accidentally opted-in to the military’s new Blended Retirement System (BRS) when they were just trying to check their Leave and Earnings Statement (LES). While that particular problem seemed to have decreased as the year went on, there were other… | Read More…

BRS Interview with Doug Nordman


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Welp, I’ve (finally) learned how to edit video enough to make a video that starts and ends at the right place. In this video, I talk to Doug Nordman about the military’s new Blended Retirement System (BRS). Doug is the author of The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Early Retirement, the founder of The… | Read More…

The Blended Retirement System Decision: Part Math, and Part Life


This post may contain affiliate links, from which I may earn revenue to support this free site. All opinions are my own, and I only promote products that I use and love!

Well, it’s 11 December – military service members eligible to choose between the old, legacy retirement system and the new, Blended Retirement System (BRS) have just under three more weeks to make their decision. With so much information out there, and with so many opinions, how do you make a smart choice? It is important… | 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.