Kate Horrell, AFC®

Kate Horrell is an Accredited Financial Counselor® and personal financial educator who helps the military community make the most of their pay and benefits. She shares the most up-to-date information in understandable terms, and highlights how rules, programs, and laws will directly impact our personal finances. With over 10 years working with thousands of military families, she understands the concerns of currently serving, retired, and veteran families.

Kate has a B.A. in history from the University of Maryland. She is currently studying for the Chartered Financial Consultant designation and preparing to take the Certified Financial Planner exam. She has a professional background in financial counseling, mortgage banking and taxes. She also volunteers with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and is a member of the MOAA Currently Serving Spouses Advisory Board.

Kate has been married to a sailor for 27 years, corralling four girls and two cats across during four OCONUS tours and a handful of homes here in the US.

Latest Articles

a photo of hands making progressively taller stacks of coins with some graphics overlaid

Use the Military's Pay Structure to Grow Your TSP Retirement Savings

The military's compensation structure has several built-in ways to make it easy to increase your Thrift Savings Plan...

Fingers type on a wall-mounted security number pad

How to Cancel a Home Security Contract When You PCS: New Law

A new law makes it easier for military members and their dependents to cancel home security contracts when they move or...

an arrangement of desktop items featuring the words capital gains tax

How to Reduce Capital Gains Tax on a House You Sell After Less Than 2 Years

You may be eligible for a partial exclusion of capital gains tax if your employer transfers you to a new location that is at...

for Tricare Select beneficiaries, it is often cheaper to go to an out-of-network provider.

Take Control of Tricare Select Costs by Knowing the Provider Types

The more you understand about the types of Tricare providers, the better you can control your costs.

a graduation cap perches on a stack of cash

Stretch Your VA College Benefits by Getting to Know This Person

Your college's school certifying official can answer your benefits questions and make sure you're not missing anything...

100-dollar bills are folded into the shape of a house

Tax Tips for First-Time Landlords

Taxes on rental properties aren't simple, but these tips will help you understand what factors into them and may help you...

SPCA Grants Help With PCS Pet Costs

The military will not pay to move your pets during a PCS, and the cost can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Military Members and Spouses Could Avoid State Income Taxes Thanks to New Law

Changes are here, and they could mean thousands of dollars more, or less, in taxes for military families.

A stock image of a paper on a clipboard reading "IRA" and "Individual Retirement Account" on a table with other papers.

You Still Have Time to Make IRA Contributions for Last Year

Keep in mind that you can still make 2022 contributions to an individual retirement account (IRA) until April 18, 2023.

How BAH Is Calculated

How is military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) calculated? We know the answer.

Understanding SBP Payments to an Incapacitated Child

One feature of the military's Survivor Benefit Plan is the ability to assign benefits to a child, including an incapacitated...

Military tax tips to help you file your taxes

What Are Estimated Taxes and Who Should Pay Them?

Self-employed and small business owners must pay estimated taxes every three months or face penalties.

Three generations of men walking through autumn scene

Federal Long Term Care Insurance Suspends New Enrollments

The popular program will not allow new enrollments for at least two years.

How to Avoid Slipping into the Debt Trap Again

Debt can be like quicksand, pulling you down. How do you avoid slipping into it again after digging your way out?

5 Ways to Save on Holiday Travel

Traveling during the most expensive time of the year? Read our hints on saving money.

Military News

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. Right in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice.

Thank you for subscribing!

View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page.

One last step.

Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to:

Most Popular Military News

United States Ambassador to Germany Amy Gutmann, left, and U.S. Air National Guard Director Lieutenant General Michael A. Loh

US Sends 2,000 Guard Troops, 100 Aircraft to Unprecedented NATO Exercise Aimed to Deter Russia

Germany is preparing to host the biggest air deployment exercise in NATO's history, a show of force intended to impress...

A man passes old memorial crosses on the side of a church building.

Researchers Say Military Service Is the 'Single Strongest' Predictor of Violent Extremism

The new analysis comes as the Pentagon and the services try to grapple with the idea of extremism within the ranks.

Fire and maneuver range at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

Cutting Weight: Marine Infantry Battalions to Shrink 10% by End of the Summer

The service's "Force Design 2030" initiative will shave the current infantry battalion size from 900 down to 811 by September...

U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys land during a helicopter raid course.

Feds Sue for Millions in Damages After Osprey Incident at San Diego Airport

More than three years after a civilian skydiving aircraft collided with an MV-22 Osprey sitting on a San Diego runway, the U...

Operators from the 20th Special Forces Group during a training exercise.

Green Berets Have Struggled for Years with Recruiting, Internal Data Shows

As Green Beret recruiting has faltered for years, the Army has also been chipping away at the size of its elite units.

The seal is affixed to the front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington.

Conservative Group Launches Website to Help Vets Find Health Care Outside of VA

Officials with Concerned Veterans for America say the nongovernmental site is needed to fill a void in the Department of...

Latest Military Videos

Video Shows Russia Blew up a Tractor Instead of Tank

A grainy black-and-white video Russia released this week to bolster a claim its military blew up some of Ukraine's...

Kherson Residents Defiant as City Flooded by Dam

Residents of Kherson who faced months of Russian occupation flowed by months of Russian shelling are sticking it out...

Vucic and Murmu Hold Joint Briefing in Belgrade

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic thanked Indian President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday for respecting Serbia’s territorial integrity. (June 8) AP

Drone Video Shows Ukraine Dam Devastation

Drone footage of the collapsed Ukrainian dam and surrounding villages under Russian occupation show the ruined structure falling into...

Investigations and Features

The Threat from Extremist Groups Is Growing. Service Members and Vets Are Getting Sucked into the Violence.

The U.S. intelligence community deemed racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism -- with adherents such as white...

They Said the Rise in Military Suicide Is a Mystery. Traumatic Brain Injury May Be an Answer.

Veterans who have had a head injury are at higher risk for suicide, but these deaths can be prevented, experts say.

Army News

Army Says Its Long-Troubled Tuition Payment System Might Finally Be Getting Fixed

The University of New Mexico stopped accepting provisional Army tuition payments for its students last month after the...

Marine Corps honor color guard rehearse in Washington amid layer of smoke.

Bad Air: Military Across East Coast Deals with Smoke Pollution from Canada

Springtime winds carried the massive trail of smoke across parts of the continental U.S. -- and directly over several large...

Navy News

Sailors aboard amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) man the rails as the ship returns to Naval Base San Diego

4,500 Sailors and Marines Return to San Diego After Seven-Month Deployment to Indo-Pacific

The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group conducted joint exercises with partners and allies, including large-scale training in...

Guam National Guard soldier helps remove debris after Typhoon Mawar.

Air Force and Navy Pause PCS Moves to Guam as Island Recovers from Typhoon

Military families and other island residents were still without power this week after Typhoon Mawar, a massive Category 4...

Air Force News

Air Force and Navy Pause PCS Moves to Guam as Island Recovers from Typhoon

Military families and other island residents were still without power this week after Typhoon Mawar, a massive Category 4...

Sign for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Home to Glenn, Armstrong and Wrights Perfect Spot for Space Command HQ, Ohio Lawmakers Tell Biden

Congressional delegates from Ohio are promoting Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton as the location for the new Space...

Space Force News

Alabama Senator Says Space Command Prefers Huntsville for HQ, But Command Has No Comment

Tuberville's tweet, which his office also issued in a press release, is the latest twist in the ongoing brawl over where U.S...