Kate Horrell

Kate Horrell is an Accredited Financial Counselor®, Chartered Financial Consultant®, and Military Qualified Financial Planner® who helps the military community make the most of their pay and benefits. With more than 15 years working with thousands of military families, she helps currently serving, retired and veteran families.

She has been married to a now-retired sailor for 32 years, corralling four girls and two cats across four OCONUS tours and a handful of homes in the U.S. She’s navigated landlording, Overseas Housing Allowances, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Survivor Benefit Plan decision, and transition to civilian life.

Latest Articles

Montage of a pile of cash, a stethoscope and a calculator.

Tricare Premiums vs. Enrollment Fees: Here's Why the Difference Matters

Being aware of your Tricare catastrophic cap can help you plan your medical budget and make smart decisions about carrying...

A stethoscope lies on top of fanned-out US $100 bills.

Understanding Your Tricare Catastrophic Cap

Being aware of your Tricare catastrophic cap can help you plan your medical budget and make smart decisions about carrying...

Two recent graduates of Hohenfels Middle High School at U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, Germany, pose for a photo during the school's graduation ceremony June 6, 2025, at the school's football field. (Bryan Gatchell/U.S. Army photo)

How to Change Tricare Coverage After a Qualifying Life Event – and Which QLEs Count

Many service members experience one or more qualifying life events, or QLEs, each year, unlocking opportunities to change...

Advisers stand behind a table and talk to U.S. Air Force members.

When to Be Wary of Free Financial Advice, Plus Alternatives Available to Military Households

Financial companies offering free financial advice usually make their income by selling financial products such as insurance...

Why Service Members Need to Be Wary of Financial Advice on TikTok

While the app is full of energetic creators who present fun content, the financial guidance circulating on the platform is...

Numbers and symbols appear on Ben Franklin's currency face.

How Stock Turbulence Has Affected Thrift Savings Accounts, and How You Can Strategize

The value of Thrift Savings Plan funds has been volatile over the past year, reaching new highs and producing some big dips...

A mans arms are pictured taping shut a cardboard moving box.

Personally Procured PCS Moves Are Changing. Here’s What You Need to Know.

If you’re considering a personally procured move (PPM) this year, how can you keep any potential out-of-pocket costs as low...

Preschoolers around a low table play with big Legos.

Think You'd Like to Work as a Family Child-Care Provider for the Military?

If you're good with kids, becoming a family child-care provider can be a great way to support your fellow military families...

An orange and black lawn mower pictured from above crossing green grass.

Can I Pack This? The Items You Should and Shouldn't Ship with Your Household Goods This PCS Season

Knowing what can and can’t be shipped, and what probably shouldn't be shipped, can make your move easier.

A lot of printed bills, presumably representing debts, along with credit cards appear on a table top with a man's torso in the frame, arms shuffling papers.

Here’s a Tool to Easily Calculate Your Debt Repayment Strategy

PowerPay lets you enter your debt information and how much money you have to put toward debt repayment each month, then helps...

What a Government Shutdown Looks Like for the Military and Veterans

A federal government shutdown can have a direct impact on U.S. service members and military families.

State Tax Filing Options for Military Households: What You Need to Know

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act grants special protections to military service members and their spouses so that they don...

Pictured from inside the back of a moving truck, a mover rolls a stack of boxes inside on a dolly.

How to Prepare for Your 2025 PCS Move Amid New Contractor Changes

How can you be prepared for the uncertainty of this summer's military moving season?

State of Legal Residence vs. Home of Record

When talking with military families about taxes, residences and driver's licenses, one thing keeps coming up: the misuse of...

In a large room photographed from the back, people are pictured sitting in chairs looking up at a rising graph projected on a screen.

Investing for Junior Troops: A Guide to Making Your Money Multiply

If you have a lot to learn about investing, be aware that some of the information out there is not so good. Where should you...

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Most Popular Military News

Members of the Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team complete a physical fitness test

Coast Guard to Launch Service-Wide Physical Fitness Test for All Members Next Year

Coast Guard men and women must take a preliminary assessment by the end of this year and a mandatory PFT starting in 2026.

Recruits take the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America during a naturalization ceremony inside the Recruit Memorial Chapel at Recruit Training Command (RTC) on Aug. 6, 2025. (John Suits/U.S. Navy)

Immigration Detentions of Military Family Members Spark Lawmaker Probe

As stories of military family members being detained by immigration authorities pile up, dozens of Democrats are launching an...

President Donald Trump speaks about the relocation of U.S. Space Command headquarters

What Effects Could Losing Space Command Have on Colorado’s Growing Aerospace Economy?

The aerospace industry has long been a shining star for Colorado’s economy — and now state leaders are worried about the...

Trinidad and Tobago Leader Praises Strike and Says US Should Kill All Drug Traffickers 'Violently'

Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has praised a U.S. strike on a boat suspected of carrying drugs...

Rain soaked memorials for those who died in a mass shooting sit along the roadside by Schemengees Bar & Grille

Survivors of Maine Mass Shooting and Victims' Relatives Sue US Government Alleging Negligence

Survivors of Maine’s deadliest mass shooting and relatives of victims are suing the federal government, alleging that the U.S...

military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II held in front of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing

China's Military Parade Reveals New Hypersonic Missiles, Drone Submarines and ICBMs

There was no shortage of pageantry at Wednesday’s military parade in Beijing, but beyond the spectacle, it also provided the...

Latest Military Videos

Secretary of State Rubio Announces US to Designate 2 More Gangs as Foreign Terrorist Groups

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the United States is designating two Ecuadorian gangs as foreign...

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Urges Nations to 'Raise the Cost of Aggression for Russia'

Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister, Mariana Betsa, urged the world’s nations to step up pressure and sanctions on Russia. (Sept...

Rubio Defends Deadly Strike as US, Mexico Reaffirm Security Cooperation Amid Sovereignty Concerns

Mexico and the United States on Wednesday agreed during U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to keep collaborating...

Putin Hails Trump's Sense of Humor and Says They're on 'First-Name Basis'

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke highly of U.S. President Donald Trump at a news conference in Beijing Wednesday, despite...

Investigations and Features

In One of the Marines' Most Iconic Jobs, a Stunning Pattern of Suicide

Marine Corps drill instructors are a national symbol of discipline. But for some, their imposing persona belies a dark...

Army Capt. Jeremy Kuykendall and his wife Kate, cradle their daughter

Unsupervised: Military Child Care Centers Slow to Report Abuse with Little Oversight

A Military.com investigation into military day care centers revealed that service branch rules generally prioritize...

Army News

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a news conference

Trump's Promised Immigration Crackdown in Chicago Could Last About Six Weeks, Suburban Official Says

Leaders of a Chicago suburb that houses a federal immigration processing center say they were told that the Trump...

Kansas State players run onto the field before an NCAA college football game against North Dakota.

Army and Kansas State Face Off in Football Saturday Night with Military Pride on Both Their Minds

Army and Kansas State have a special connection, even though they've only played twice before in football.

Navy News

Rep. Ronny Jackson during the 2024 Republican National Convention

Navy Demotion Reversed for GOP Congressman Who Government Watchdog Found Abused Subordinates

Jackson was quietly demoted to captain in 2022, three years after his retirement from the Navy, following an inspector...

Trinidad and Tobago Leader Praises Strike and Says US Should Kill All Drug Traffickers 'Violently'

Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has praised a U.S. strike on a boat suspected of carrying drugs...

Air Force News

Col. Edward Segura, director of manpower, personnel and services, Air Force Reserve Command, speaks

Space Force Opens Applications for Air Force Reservists to Sign Up for Part-Time Service

Applications have opened for certain Air Force reservists to join the Space Force under its new one-of-a-kind, part-time...

U.S. Air Force Col. Stephanie Figueroa, Commander for the 233rd Space Group, gives a speech

Mobile Missile Warning System Retired, Air National Guard Expected to Have Jobs for Airmen

After about 40 years of standing ready to provide missile warning in the event of a war, the one-of-a-kind Mobile Ground...

Space Force News

Space Force Opens Applications for Air Force Reservists to Sign Up for Part-Time Service

Applications have opened for certain Air Force reservists to join the Space Force under its new one-of-a-kind, part-time...

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle discusses the decision to relocate U.S. Space Command headquarters to Redstone Arsenal

US Space Command Can Be Running in Huntsville Before Trump Leaves Office, Official Says

U.S. Space Command headquarters can be fully operational before President Donald Trump leaves office, a Redstone Arsenal...

Marine Corps News

The sign at the entrance at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

Camp Pendleton Officer, Wife Sue Military Housing Company over Crash That Killed 8-Year-Old Son

A Marine Corps family whose 8-year-old son died last year after he was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle on Camp...

Marine Veteran Charged with Threatening to Shoot Schoolchildren Now Out of Jail

Once held on $1 million bond for livestreaming threats to shoot elementary school children, a military veteran is now out of...

Coast Guard News

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) (left) sits moored next to U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) at Coast Guard Base Seattle

Coast Guard Begins Upgrades to Puget Sound Homeport for New Polar Security Cutters

The U.S. Coast Guard announced that it will spend up to $137 million to modernize its Base Seattle to homeport new, larger...