KateHorrell

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

Smart Money Moves For Your Child Tax Credit


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As you are probably following, Congress has increased the Child Tax Credit for 2021, and partial payments of the credit will be deposited into bank accounts starting this week. Eligible families will be receiving payments each month from July through December. This extra money is a tremendous opportunity to make some smart money moves that… | Read More…

Using Credit Cards Overseas


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Traveling to another country is a great experience, but it can also be complicated and frustrating.  Military families spend a lot of time overseas, whether they are stationed there, on deployment, or just for fun.  In many cases, credit cards are the easiest and most economical way to pay for things while in traveling.  Credit… | Read More…

Buying or Selling, BookScouter Will Help You Get The Best Price for Your Books


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Colleges are ramping up for the fall semester (whatever that is going to look like), and students are scrambling to find the right textbooks at the right price. Right now is exactly the right time to sell those books back, get top value, and move that extra weight out of your lives. Alternately, if you’re… | Read More…

Kate Rants: You Don’t Deserve It, You Deserve More


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So there’s this thing that has happened in the world, and I think it’s a problem. It’s the mindset that “I deserve it.” I’m sure you’ve heard it, and maybe even said it: “I work hard. I deserve this new purse.” “She deserves a vacation.” “We deserve a nice night out.” Don’t get me wrong… | Read More…

Observations From 6 Days After Military Retirement


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Well, the Horrell household is six days post-military retirement, and the to-do list still feels just as large as it did six months ago. And, if this gives you any sense of how things are going, this post’s title started out as “Observations From 5 Days Before Retirement.” If retirement is in your future, perhaps… | Read More…

Eleven Real Estate Lessons I Learned as an Accidental Landlord


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This is the story of my first house, which my wife and I bought in our twenties. Things worked out in the end, but there are some lessons that we learned that I would like to share with our military audience. You might find great success in your real estate transactions (although the successful people… | Read More…

USAA Members Benefit From The Move To Schwab


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One of the hot stories in the military personal finance world in 2020 was the transfer of USAA investment assets to two companies, Victory Capital and Charles Schwab. I knew people felt under-informed about this transition, but I didn’t genuinely understand the depth and breadth of their frustration. So, I have been working with Charles… | 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. Because every military family I know has a budget, and keeping wants and needs in different columns is a key to finding the right housing… | 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…

The Basics of Military Retirement Plans


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Military retirement has always been a misunderstood topic, but the introduction of the Blended Retirement System (BRS) has increased the confusion. A lot. It’s been in effect for 5 years now, and I still hear people conveying flat-out wrong information about it. This helps no one. First, let’s start with the basics of all retirement… | Read More…

Confidently Prepared!™

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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.