KateHorrell

Helping Military Families Make The Most of Their Money

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…

Pilot Program Will Help Pay For In-Home Childcare For Military Families


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Struggling to find workable childcare in five of the largest military communities in the United States? The Department of Defense is creating a pilot program to offer fee assistance for in-home care. As with all things DoD, there are a myriad number of requirements and rules to follow. First things first: No date has been… | Read More…

Do I Need A General or Specific Power of Attorney?


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If you ask around about powers of attorney, you will hear all sorts of information, and lots of it contradicts itself.  So, what is the real deal?  When do you need a power of attorney, what kind do you need, etc?  Every person has a different situation, so every person has a different answer.  The… | Read More…

How To Renew Your Driver’s License When You’re Out-of-State


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Military families move around a lot, and that can make many things complicated.   Thankfully, most states let you retain your out-of-state driver’s license if you are living elsewhere only because of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders.  But what happens when your driver’s license is expiring?  How can you renew it without traveling to… | Read More…

Home of Record and State of Legal Residence: Things You Need To Know


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The military can be confusing, with all its special terms and acronyms. One of the terms most often mis-used is home of record. The term comes up in questions about taxes and driver’s licenses and final moves. On rare occasion, when talking about final moves, it’s being used properly. The other 99.9% of the time,… | Read More…

Unemployment Benefits for Military Spouses Who PCS


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In many cases, military spouses who give up their jobs due to Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders may be eligible for unemployment benefits. At this time, 46 states offer unemployment benefits to military spouses who must leave their job due to a military move. The states that don’t offer this benefit are Idaho, Louisiana,… | Read More…

How To Get Your First Military Dependent ID Card


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When your spouse joins the military, there’s a lot going on! You’re separated while they are at their basic military training, and they’re learning new things, and then there’s the military world to figure out. Or, your new spouse is already in the military and you’re learning a whole new life all at once! One… | Read More…

Understanding The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act and How It Applies To State Taxes


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I am republishing this article to be more clear about the 2018 updates. The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (MSRRA) is an important law, but it is very misunderstood. Passed in 2009, it is actually an amendment to the Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to provide certain specific protections to some military spouses. It was… | Read More…

Military and Divorce: Stuff You’ve Got To Consider


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While a divorce is essentially a civilian matter, there are certain aspects of military pay and benefits that need to be considered when dealing with a marital separation or divorce where one or both members are in, or retired from, the military. All too often, I hear from one party who got the short end… | Read More…

Social Security for Military Spouses – What You Need To Know


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There’s a lot of misinformation available out there – particularly when you’re getting your information from friends and the internet. One of the places where I see the most mis-information is about social security benefits for military spouses. Which is sort of weird, because there are no special rules for military spouses, the rules are… | 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.