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Helping Military Families Make The Most of Their Money

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The Very First Step in Taking Control of Your Money

20 March 2020

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!

When I talk to people about their finances, most of them have concerns, and many have questions. The single most common question is, “I don’t know where to start.” Okay, it isn’t technically a question, but it is still a question.  Thankfully, it is an easy one. So, where should you start? Whether you are… | Read More…

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Filed Under: Personal Finance

Simplify Your Life By Using More Bank Accounts

14 March 2020

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!

Most people are looking for ways to improve their financial management. Maybe they need a complete overhaul, or maybe just a few small tweaks, but there is usually room for some improvement. Though it seems counter-intuitive, I’ve found that maintaining multiple bank accounts helps me to keep my finances much more organized and it helps… | Read More…

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Filed Under: Pay, Personal Finance

Five Things To Check On Your LES Each Month

25 February 2020

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 month, each military member has a Leave and Earnings Statement that shows pays, allowances, deduction, allotments, retirement contributions, insurance premiums, and leave balances. Because these are available online, it’s easy to skip over the important step of reviewing and saving it each month. However, this document is the key to all your financial, retirement,… | Read More…

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

28 January 2020

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!

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…

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Filed Under: Spouses, Taxes Tagged With: driver's license, military, military spouses residency relief act, msrra, spouse, taxes

Kate Rants: If Your Rental Is Not Making Money, Stop Saying “It’s A Good Investment”

13 January 2020

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!

As a financial educator, and a military landlord myself, I spend a lot of time talking to military families about their rental houses. In almost all cases, these are houses that the family bought at a duty station, and then rented out when they PCSed away from the area. Maybe that was the plan all… | Read More…

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Filed Under: Housing, Landlord Tagged With: buy house, military, mortgage, rent

Employment Resources for Spouses of Veterans

8 January 2020

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!

Many families struggle with the transition out of the military and into the civilian world. It’s natural – it is a big change! Thankfully, there are a world of resources available to both the veteran and the spouse. A recent Facebook conversation encouraged me to pull together some resources available to spouses of veterans who… | Read More…

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Filed Under: Spouse Careers

Favorable Tax Rules for Military When Excluding Capital Gain from Sale of Principal Residence

25 November 2019

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!

I asked my smart friend Paul Allen if he could possibly explain the capital gains exclusion in another way, especially the part about partial exclusions. I’ve always been confused by them. Even though I’ve written about this here, I was still baffled about that part. And Paul came back in a big way. I am… | Read More…

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Filed Under: Housing, Taxes Tagged With: military, rental, sale, taxes

You’re Richer Than You Think: A Review of David Bach’s The Latte Factor Book

20 September 2019

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!

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might not like where you end up.” In his latest book, The Latte Factor, bestselling financial author David Bach tells the fictionalized story of Zoey, a hardworking 20-something who is struggling to stay afloat financially. She meets Henry, who teaches her about his three secrets for… | Read More…

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Filed Under: Personal Finance Tagged With: david bach

Be Sure You Are Keeping Up With These Retiree Newsletters

26 August 2019

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!

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). This stuff isn’t just for retirees – there is useful information… | Read More…

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Filed Under: Retirement Tagged With: benefits, military, news, newsletter, retiree, retirement

Why Does My Mortgage Payment Change From Year To Year? How Mortgage Escrow Works

1 August 2019

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!

One of the most confusing parts of having a mortgage is understanding how the payment on your fixed rate mortgage can change, usually every single year. In order to understand why your payment changes, you need to know your escrow account works. An escrow account is an account that pays different bills related to the… | Read More…

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Filed Under: Housing Tagged With: escrow, mortgage

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WELCOME!

Hi! I'm Kate! Accredited Financial Counselor®, Navy spouse, and mom of four.

Here at the blog, I talk about the financial issues that affect military families - pay, allowances, and benefits. Plus college stuff, landlording, moving, taxes. We cover a little bit of everything.

My goal is to give you the tools to make the best decisions right now, so you'll be confidently prepared for whatever comes next - whether that's a PCS move, transition to civilian life, or retirement.

So grab a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever makes you happy, and let's get to know each other.

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Affiliate Disclosure

This site does contain advertising and affiliate links. If you click on an advertisement or link, I may be compensated. I only promote companies that I love and trust. Kings High Media/KateHorrell.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

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.

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