KateHorrell

Helping Military Families Make The Most of Their Money

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


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!

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…

Blended Retirement System: How To Choose Between The Military’s Retirement Systems


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!

This post was sponsored by USAA as part of the military personal finance bloggers #BRSBlitz education campaign. As 2018 comes to a close, there is a lot of stuff going on. We’re preparing for various holidays, some people are moving, and there is a general last minute rush to get things done before the end… | Read More…

50+ Places To Learn About The Military’s New Blended Retirement System (BRS)


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!

Every single day, I meet a service member or spouse who either doesn’t know about the military’s new Blended Retirement System (BRS), knows wrong information about BRS, or doesn’t know enough about BRS. It’s worrying and frustrating and concerning all at the same time. For anyone who is eligible to opt-in to the BRS, this… | Read More…

Vision Insurance for Military Families (Currently Serving and Retired)


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!

Starting in 2019, military and retiree families will be able to purchase vision insurance through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). Depending on your family’s situation, vision insurance can be a great way to lower your out-of-pocket spending on vision care, glasses and contacts. If you’re interested in taking advantage of a… | Read More…

2019 TSP and IRA Contribution Limits


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!

The IRS has announced the 2019 contribution limits for tax-advantaged retirement plans. Don’t forget that you can contribute to both a 401(k)/TSP type employer-sponsored plan and an Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA), and that non-working spouses can have IRAs, too. 2019 Limits for Employer-Sponsored Plans like 401(k)s and TSP The elective deferral limit, which is the… | Read More…

The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) “Payback” Period


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!

Learning about SBP? You definitely want to read Everything About The Survivor Benefit Plan and 10+ Places To Learn About The Survivor Benefit Plan. One of the common complaints about SBP is that the survivor will never live long enough to get back “all that money” that they’ve paid into the program. The math just doesn’t support that… | Read More…

How To Pick A New Retiree Dental Plan


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!

*This post is part of a membership campaign for MetLife FEDVIP Dental Plan. I am receiving a fee for this post; however, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I am in no way affiliated with MetLife and do not earn a commission or percent of sales.* With the changes in the retiree… | Read More…

Kate Rants: TSP Is Not The Right Tool For Timing The Market


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!

Usually, my rants are on subjects that I know inside out. Today’s rant is going to be on a subject about which I know just enough to make an idiot out of myself, and I’m OK with that. Lately, I’ve been running into more and more people who are using their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)… | 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.