Personal Finance for Military, Veterans, and their Families
Use this VA Loan Calculator to estimate your monthly mortgage payments. Simply insert your military status, purchase price, downpayment, and any tax and homeowner’s insurance information, if you have that information handy. VA Loan Calculator VA Loan Type Home PurchaseInterest Rate Reduction RefinanceCash-Out RefinanceManufactured Home LoanLoan Assumption Home Value $ Down Payment (20.0%) $ Set […]
Filing a VA Benefits claim can be a complicated process that can take months, or even years, to resolve. And sometimes, the VA’s decision doesn’t go the way you want it to. Does the following sound familiar? You filed a claim for disability compensation with your Regional Office (RO) of Veterans Affairs. You logged on […]
Earning a military retirement can be complicated, especially when your service status changes throughout your career. Complicating factors can include changing branches of the military, transitioning between active duty and the Guard or Reserves, or earning your commission after starting your career as an enlisted member. Several service members have contacted me regarding the qualifications […]
The Department of Defense (DoD) frequently reassesses and updates the areas that qualify for Imminent Danger Pay (IDP). Imminent Danger Pay is a benefit given to troops serving in locations that are deemed to be hostile or dangerous. The benefit provides troops in imminent danger areas a payment of $7.50 per day, up to the […]
Starting on January 1, 2020, a large group of veterans and military caregivers will now have access to military facilities, including the Commissary, Exchanges, and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) locations. The Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018 called for expanded benefits for veterans with service-connected disability ratings, veterans who have […]
The 2020 Cost of Living Adjustment for VA disability compensation of 1.6% is the largest COLA increase since 2012. This rate increase followed rate increase of 2.8% in 2019, 2.0% in 2018, 0.3% in 2017, and no rate increase in 2016. The following article explains VA Service Connected Disability Ratings, how VA disability compensation works […]
This is the first look at the proposed 2020 military pay charts. President Trump’s $750 billion defense bill includes a 3.1 percent cost-of-living pay increase for military members, the largest increase in 10 years. Until the bill gets House and Senate approval and the president’s signature, the pay increase is just a proposal. But assuming the […]
If you’re a current or former member of the US military, you have access to some of the very best education and education assistance programs in the country. There are many different programs, both for those on active duty and honorably discharged veterans. That will give you the ability to participate in the program that […]
Active duty service members, Reserves and Guard members, eligible veterans, and retirees are well covered by military insurance. Whether it’s life insurance, health insurance, or dental insurance, each type of coverage comes with several different program options. You can choose the one that offers the best combination of cost and benefits for you and your […]
Military healthcare is among the best coverage available anywhere. It’s as close to no-cost health insurance as you’ll find, and it covers virtually everything. Perhaps the biggest problem with military healthcare is that, like most military insurance plans, it can be difficult to understand. In this article, we’ll provide the basic information, and give you […]