KateHorrell

Helping Military Families Make The Most of Their Money

BAH Rate Protection (or The Grandfather Clause)


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As the Department of Defense (DoD) released their 2019 BAH rates, this is a perfect time to review BAH rate protection, or “the grandfather clause.” Each year, the DoD does a thorough study of the actual costs to rent a house in each military housing area. They use that information to adjust BAH, with some… | Read More…

Have I Mentioned How Much I Love Ebates?


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 do a lot of my shopping online, because I loathe shopping in stores.  One tiny thing has saved me several hundred dollars over the years:  I start all my online purchases at the Ebates website.  It is so simple, and it works! How Ebates Works Ebates provides cash-back bonuses on shopping done through participating… | Read More…

The Blended Retirement System Decision: Part Math, and Part Life


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!

Well, it’s 11 December – military service members eligible to choose between the old, legacy retirement system and the new, Blended Retirement System (BRS) have just under three more weeks to make their decision. With so much information out there, and with so many opinions, how do you make a smart choice? It is important… | Read More…

Blended Retirement System: How To Choose Between The Military’s Retirement Systems


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!

This post was sponsored by USAA as part of the military personal finance bloggers #BRSBlitz education campaign. As 2018 comes to a close, there is a lot of stuff going on. We’re preparing for various holidays, some people are moving, and there is a general last minute rush to get things done before the end… | Read More…

50+ Places To Learn About The Military’s New Blended Retirement System (BRS)


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 single day, I meet a service member or spouse who either doesn’t know about the military’s new Blended Retirement System (BRS), knows wrong information about BRS, or doesn’t know enough about BRS. It’s worrying and frustrating and concerning all at the same time. For anyone who is eligible to opt-in to the BRS, this… | Read More…

2018 and 2019 Active Duty Military Paydays – With Printables


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!

During this interim time while we wrap up 2018 and head into 2019, I’ll have both the 2018 and 2019 printable calendars here. I’ll delete the 2018 ones once we get into 2019. As always, please let me know when you see an error – there is bound to be at least one 🙂 While… | Read More…

Kate Rants: Why Is Tricare Still Messed Up?


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I’m feeling a little crankly this morning. This whole Tricare open season has me stressed about whether to switch to Tricare Select, and I’ve been spending a ton of time comparing the costs and benefits and trying to figure it all out. Which is ridiculous, because this is already my full-time job and I should… | Read More…

How Much Should Military BAH Pay For?


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 was at a really great military spouse event on Wednesday (thanks, USO!) and someone mentioned that BAH doesn’t always cover the cost of housing. It’s true that a lot of military families spend more than their BAH on housing. I hear things like this all the time, something along the lines of “I don’t… | Read More…

Credit Card Benefits Free For US Military and Spouses


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This is a guest post from my friend Spencer at Military Money Manual. He’s really savvy when it comes to taking advantage of the credit card offers available to the military. I hope you find some useful nuggets in here! Thanks to recent changes in 2017 with Chase’s military policy, military servicemembers and their spouses… | Read More…

Vision Insurance for Military Families (Currently Serving and Retired)


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 2019, military and retiree families will be able to purchase vision insurance through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). Depending on your family’s situation, vision insurance can be a great way to lower your out-of-pocket spending on vision care, glasses and contacts. If you’re interested in taking advantage of a… | 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.