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

Amid U.S. $100 bills, letter tiles spell "education."

Can You Receive Post-9/11 GI Bill Payments and Other Financial Aid at the Same Time?

Rules that dictate how the Post-9/11 GI Bill works together with other forms of financial aid often prevent those other forms...

Military Households May Deduct Moving Expenses From Their Taxes: Here’s How

Military families may not have any unreimbursed PCS moving expenses, but if you do, you can deduct those expenses on your tax...

Temporary signs in the window of a tax office.

When Do Military Service Members, Spouses Need to File Taxes in 2 States?

Protections Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act can simplify your tax requirements and quite possibly save you money...

Understanding All the Deductions on Your 2026 Military Leave and Earnings Statements

Understanding what deductions are coming out of your pay is key to knowing where all your money is going. More importantly...

Should You Let the Military Set Aside Allotments from Your Pay?

Can a military allotment help you manage your money? Probably. Is it the right tool for you? That depends.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Judah Rice, a honor guardsman assigned to the 628th Air Base Wing, gives a facing movement command during military honors simulation for an active-duty funeral, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.

Monthly Benefits for Survivors of Fallen Active-Duty Service Members

When combined, the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) can offer a steady stream of...

Airmen from the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard and a bugler from the U.S. Air Force Band’s Ceremonial Brass conduct military funeral honors for U.S. Air Force Capt. Wade Holmes in Section 57, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

Lump-Sum Benefits for Survivors of Active-Duty Military Members

Even military families often don’t know what benefits are available to the surviving family of an active-duty service member.

Two airmen carry a heavy dog crate between them.

The Military's New Pet Transportation Policy: What It Means to You

Military service members will be reimbursed for some of the costs of moving one dog or cat when moving on permanent change of...

4 Ways to Get Your Money Back When Military Orders Cancel Travel Plans

If military orders, or world events have canceled your travel plans, here's how you might be able to get a refund

US $100 bills, bent into four sections resembling paper airplanes or birds, fly in a V through the blue sky.

Should You Borrow from Your TSP Account?

Financial experts don’t recommend taking out loans against retirement accounts such as the military’s Thrift Savings Plan...

Six men and women, most in uniform, stand in a row in front of an American flag draped as a backdrop.

4 Things 'Gray Area' Reservists Need to Do When They Turn 60

Finally receiving that hard-earned military retirement pay at age 60 is a big deal, and you definitely want to get that...

MILITARY STAR Card Questions & Answers

The MILITARY STAR Card is an in-store credit card for qualified, authorized military exchange patrons.

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...

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.

How to Spend the Money Left in Your DoD Health FSA by Dec. 31

You have plenty of ways to spend DoD Health Care Flexible Spending Account money on eligible expenses. Here are some...

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Most Popular Military News

New recruits take the oath of enlistment at the Advocate Center for the Eleventh Annual Chicago Bulls Special Recruit Division Enlistment Ceremony in Chicago. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Camilo Fernan)

Could the US Bring Back the Draft? Who Would Be Called First — and Who Qualifies

Could the U.S. bring back the draft? Here’s how Selective Service works today, who would be called first and why only about...

VA Study: Ozempic, Other GLP-1 Drugs May Fight Addiction Across Every Major Substance

For the more than 48 million Americans with substance use disorders, including a disproportionate share of veterans, GLP-1...

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US Navy Sends Submarines Under Arctic Ice for 100th Time in Milestone Exercise

The U.S. Navy has reached a Cold War-era milestone in the Arctic, deploying two Virginia-class submarines beneath the polar...

Bonnie Carroll, founder of TAPS, hugging a survivor (Photo courtesy of TAPS).

After the Knock on the Door: How TAPS Supports Military Families for Life

After a service member dies, families face a lifetime of grief. TAPS founder Bonnie Carroll explains how the organization...

Exclusive: John Ripley, the Marine Who Blew Up the Dong Ha Bridge, to Receive the Medal of Honor

More than 50 years after hanging beneath a Vietnam bridge to stop a North Vietnamese armored invasion, Marine Col. John...

Latest Military Videos

Most Americans Say US Military Action Against Iran Has Gone Too Far

Most Americans say US military action against Iran has gone too far, poll finds.

Iranian Military Statement Mocks US for 'Strategic Failure'

Iranian military statement mocks US for 'strategic failure', suggests no negotiations over 15-point plan.

Kim Maintains Hardline Stance Towards South Korea

Kim maintains hardline stance towards South Korea as he vows to secure North's nuclear status.

US Central Command Chief Argues Iran ‘Operating in Sign of Desperation’

US Central Command chief argues Iran ‘operating in sign of desperation’.

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

At Least 1,000 US Troops from 82nd Airborne Set to Deploy to Mideast, Sources Say

The U.S. military is preparing to deploy at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, according...

Savino Anguiano, right, with San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (Submitted)

Spring Training with the Padres: Student Veteran Lives Baseball Dream

Former soldier Savino Anguiano, a lifelong baseball fan, enjoyed quite an experience with the San Diego Padres, but it wasn't...

Navy News

U.S. Navy veteran John Wells is honored on March 20 with the DAR Medal of Honor by the Louisiana Society of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) during its 117th state conference held in Alexandria, La. (DAR)

Navy Veteran Who Helped Service Members Affected by Agent Orange Honored

Navy veteran John Wells has given to his country, and to his fellow men and women. His legal work helped result in landmark...

Milton 'Rip' Ripple (left) with "Rosie" Delphine Klaput and WWII veteran Robert Hartline. (Pacific Historic Parks)

Milton 'Rip' Ripple, One of Last WWII and Bikini Atoll Atomic Veterans, Dies at 98

The Navy veteran, who served aboard USS Pollux in the Pacific, rendered a final salute at Pearl Harbor's 84th commemoration...

Air Force News

This year's USO 2026 "Service Members of the Year." (USO)

'Exceptional Courage': USO Announces its 2026 Service Members of the Year

This year's crop of USO honorees saved motorcycle crash victims, rescued bodies underwater, saved civilians from a building...

Air Force Veteran Kay Perkins Wins Right to 'Double-Dip' for VA education benefits (Kay Perkins).

Rulings Over Veterans’ Education Benefits Allow for ‘Double-Dipping’

Over 1M veterans may qualify for extended VA education benefits after a federal appeal withdrawal clears the way to use both...

Space Force News

'Exceptional Courage': USO Announces its 2026 Service Members of the Year

This year's crop of USO honorees saved motorcycle crash victims, rescued bodies underwater, saved civilians from a building...

How Nuclear Waste Can Save Military Satellites and Lunar Exploration

Russia and China can black out military satellites in seconds. A Latvian startup says nuclear-waste generators using 5x less...

Marine Corps News

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina meets with U.S. service members during a visit at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, April 15, 2023. Graham visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to meet with Team PSAB service members and show support. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Stephani Barge)

Senator References Bloodiest Battle in USMC History While Urging Attack on Kharg Island

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., drew sharp criticism from fellow GOP lawmakers after invoking the Battle of Iwo Jima while...

'Exceptional Courage': USO Announces its 2026 Service Members of the Year

This year's crop of USO honorees saved motorcycle crash victims, rescued bodies underwater, saved civilians from a building...

Coast Guard News

'Exceptional Courage': USO Announces its 2026 Service Members of the Year

This year's crop of USO honorees saved motorcycle crash victims, rescued bodies underwater, saved civilians from a building...

Service members move through a TSA Honor Lane at a U.S. airport, as security systems face increasing pressure amid a Department of Homeland Security funding lapse (DVIDS).

Rising US Casualties in Iran Put New Strain on Homeland Security

As U.S. casualties rise in Iran, a DHS shutdown is stretching homeland security—exposing growing strain between war abroad...

Kate Horrell

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