KateHorrell

Helping Military Families Make The Most of Their Money

We Did The T-Mobile Military Deal. It’s Amazing.


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T-Mobile offers 20% off a single line, 50% off family lines for military and veterans. You may have heard me say that I think cellular phone service is outrageously priced in America. After 5 years of living in Europe, where we spent maybe $30 a month on cell phone service, I was shocked when we came… | Read More…

10+ Places To Learn About The Survivor Benefit Plan


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The choice whether to purchase the military’s Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) coverage may be the largest financial decision of your life. As I’ve discussed extensively, it is a very individual decision and there is no best answer for every situation. While I’m trying to hit on every possible consideration, it is important that you get… | Read More…

From The Mailbag: Term Life Instead of SBP


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The Survivor Benefit Plan is a very important topic in financial planning for the retired military family, and it’s awfully complicated. There is no single right answer, and even the exact same situation can be viewed from multiple perspectives. While this seems like a question that can be answered simply by math, there is also… | Read More…

Printables to Make Your PCS Move Smooth and Organized


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Alright, folks…it’s been a long time coming, but here is my shockingly long guide to packing up your house and life for a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move!  It is so long that I’ve actually had to make a table of contents to help you navigate.  If you can’t see a full table of contents… | Read More…

Financial Advice for New Military Spouses (and the rest of us)


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Occasionally, I’m fortunate enough to get to talk to some new, or new-ish, military spouses.  There’s so much to know about money in general, and money and the military can be particularly tricky.  I usually have a limited amount of time, and I struggle to decide on the most important topics to discuss.  I want… | Read More…

Understanding The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act


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The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (MSRRA) is important law, but it is very misunderstood.  Passed in 2009, it actually amends the Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to provide certain specific protections to military spouses.  It can provide great benefits to military spouses, particularly in the area of state taxes, but there is lot of… | Read More…

How To File For An Income Tax Extension, Military-Style


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Get a simple, free tax extension to get more time to file your federal tax return. The deadline to file your federal income tax returns is Tuesday, 18 April 2017.  Each year, more than 10 million Americans aren’t ready to submit their returns on that date, and file for an automatic extension of the tax… | Read More…

Save Money With Military Benefits On Your Credit Cards


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!

Imagine checking your mailbox and finding a check from your credit card company.  How cool would that be?  Pretty cool.  And it could be you! There’s a lot of conversation, and confusion, about the Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and how it applies to interest on credit cards.  In large part, the confusion is because many… | Read More…

Retiring Military: Should You Choose SBP?


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!

The decision whether to choose Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) coverage is very personal, and very important. Military retirement pay ends with the death of the retiree.  The SBP allows you to purchase an annuity that provides lifetime, inflation-adjusted income to an eligible survivor. This (relatively) irrevocable election occurs at retirement, and requires the agreement of… | Read More…

My Military Moving System Fix


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!

Last month, NPR republished a story on how the military doesn’t have much control over the system that handles moving household goods of service members who receive Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders.  I think we’d all agree that is a relatively true statement.  Or complete understatement.  Either way.  The generally consensus is that the… | 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.