KateHorrell

Helping Military Families Make The Most of Their Money

What Is A Certificate of Non-Availability?


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I’m working up some big posts about Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances for Temporary Lodging Expense and Temporary Lodging Allowance, and I realized that not everyone might understand about Certificates of Non-Availability (CNA) and how they work. Military members are almost authorized some temporary lodging while executing a PCS move. It is intended that lodging… | Read More…

The Per-Trip Cost of Your Daily Driving Might Surprise You


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With the recent drop in gas prices, my husband and I have been talking about how that impacts our fuel costs and driving habits. I drive a highly fuel efficient Prius, he drives a less fuel efficient sedan, and we have a gas-guzzling mid-sized SUV for those rare occasions when all six people in our… | Read More…

Military Spouses Residency Relief Act – The Actual Text


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Passed in 2009, the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (MSRRA) offers military spouses certain protections while moving around on Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. Unfortunately, it is an imperfect piece of legislation. It doesn’t address many of the issues that military spouses would like to see managed, such as what to do if you… | Read More…

Trees For Troops Distribution Schedule Released


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Every year, the Christmas Spirit Foundation coordinates the Trees for Troops program, bringing trees to servicemembers deployed overseas, and free trees to military families in the US. The distribution schedule for the 2014 Trees for Troops program has been published. It includes dates from 2 December to 12 December, at military bases across the United… | Read More…

Wednesday Worksheet: Deal With Debt


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It might not be fun to face your finance situation, but you can’t move forward until you know where you are now. And digging through files and tracking down lost passwords is not a recipe for situational awareness. That’s why this week’s worksheet is all about debt: what debts you have, their interest rates, charges… | Read More…

Keep Your Costs Down On An Overseas PCS


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Each year, thousands of military families execute a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move to a location that is outside the Continental United States (OCONUS.) Despite a generous array of allowances, there are still plenty of out-of-pockets costs. Careful planning can help you to ensure that you keep those non-reimbursed expenses to a minimum. Learn… | Read More…

Changing Direct Deposit for VA Benefits


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I receive a lot of emails asking how to change the account to which benefits are paid from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This includes disability, education, and survivor benefits. There are three ways to change your account:  online, via telephone, or via the mail. Changing direct deposit for VA benefits will make sure… | Read More…

Retirement Savings Are Important For Military Spouses, Too


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Most couples have one adult who is the “primary wage earner,” and one adult who either does not work, or who has significantly less income than the primary wage earner. One frequent result of income inequality is inequality in the retirement savings of the two adults. The main earner may be vested in a retirement… | Read More…

Housing Want vs. Housing Needs: What’s Really Important?


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Identifying your housing needs is a great first step in the process of finding a place to live. Just be sure not to blur the line between need and want. A friend-of-a-friend recently posted something very similar to this on Facebook: We’re moving to the Tampa area, and we are looking for a house with… | Read More…

How Do You Define Wealth?


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In the last few days, I’ve stumbled across the word “wealth” used in a variety of different ways. Each time, I stopped for a moment to think about the way the word was being used, and if I agreed with that usage. It has me thinking: what does wealth really mean? How might my definition… | 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.