KateHorrell

Helping Military and Veteran Families Be Confidently Prepared for The Next Stage of Life

Moving My Investments From USAA/Victory Capital


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 of you are asking about USAA’s transfer of their investment products to Victory Capital and/or Charles Schwab. There is a lot happening, and it is confusing. Here’s the short version: USAA was just not big enough (really!) to be a competitive investment management company. In the interest of their customers, they transferred management of… | Read More…

Every Paycheck A Fortune


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 paycheck a fortune.” I love that phrase. It brings to mind a wide variety of ideas, but usually all the ways we’ve made it untrue. With every increase in income (another fortune!), we tend to increase our standard of living so that it doesn’t actually feel like that much more. Do you remember your… | Read More…

Understanding Depreciation Recapture Taxes on Rental Property


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!

My friend Forrest has shared his article about depreciation recapture: What Military Landlords Should Know About Section 1250 Depreciation.  Sometimes it’s helpful to hear things from two different voices 🙂 You’ve owned a rental property for a few years, and it’s worked out pretty well.  You’ve made a little bit of money most years, and you’re… | Read More…

Parents, Don’t Set Your Kids Up For Failure By Encouraging Too Much College Debt


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’s no secret that college is expensive, and that excessive student loans are creating a lot of hardship for many people in the United States. I see a big trend towards blaming the colleges and the loan companies for this situation, but I see it differently. I’ve been mulling over the post for a couple… | Read More…

The Very First Step in Taking Control of Your Money


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…

Simplify Your Life By Using More Bank Accounts


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!

Who knew that more bank accounts could make your life simpler? Most people are looking for ways to improve their financial management. Maybe they need a complete overhaul, or maybe just a few small tweaks. There is usually room for some improvement. Though it seems counter-intuitive, I’ve found that maintaining multiple bank accounts helps me… | Read More…

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


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…

Employment Resources for Spouses of Veterans


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…

Validate Your TSP Contact Information Or Risk Being Locked Out


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 December, Thrift Savings Plan online access will require two-factor identification. Be sure your account details are up to date, or you might found yourself locked out of your account. You know the TSP board – always making things safer. And sometimes more difficult. I appreciate their commitment to cyber-security, but sometimes I don’t… | Read More…

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


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…

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.