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

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...

A commissary worker puts pasta on a shelf.

5 Spending Strategies to Fight Bill Creep From Inflation

How do you maintain a spending plan when your bills are creeping up each month?

An arm places a can of oatmeal on a shelf.

Start Preparing for the Next Government Shutdown Now, Before It’s Too Late

Having a plan can make a pay or benefits disruption an inconvenience instead of an emergency.

Tricare Demo in Two Cities Lets Users See a Specialist Without a Referral

Through the demonstration, beneficiaries will receive care through the CareSource provider network instead of the Humana...

Manage Household Utility Costs at Your New Base by Avoiding These Pitfalls

Being stationed at a location with a hot summer or a cold winter may make it harder to pay large energy bills. Budget billing...

Children that attend the Defense Supply Center Richmond Child Development Center place pinwheels in the ground after a Pinwheel Parade at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia

How to Plan for an Extended Government Shutdown

Well, it’s finally happened. After years of reporting on what to expect if the government shuts down and military pay is...

There are steps you can take to survive a government shutdown and potential military pay delay.

What to Do in a Government Shutdown: Don't Panic! Be Proactive

Panic seems like the natural response to the prospect of missing a paycheck due to a government shutdown. But a better idea...

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...

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...

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...

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Most Popular Military News

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Mujuni Menani, a senior drill instructor with Fox Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, recites the drill instructor creed on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Jan. 31, 2026. These drill instructors will be responsible for training and mentoring their recruits during the 13 weeks of recruit training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jordy Morales)

The Recruiting Surge Was Engineered. Can It Last in a War with Iran?

The military’s recruiting surge didn’t happen by accident. New programs drove gains, but as the war with Iran grows...

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...

A U.S. Army armored vehicle equipped with advanced targeting and air defense systems maneuvers through a training range, reflecting the service’s push to integrate AI-driven capabilities and rapidly field combat-ready technology. (U.S. Army Materiel Command)

Army Speeds AI Warfighting Push as US Troops are in Active Combat

An Army test used AI tools to hit 15 targets in one hour, signaling a rapid shift in how battlefield decisions are made and...

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...

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...

Latest Military Videos

UN Human Rights Chief Calls for Protection of Children After Strike on Iran School

UN human rights chief calls for protection of children after strike on Iran school.

Judge Weighs Whether Venezuela Can Pay Maduro's Legal Costs

Judge weighs whether Venezuela can pay Maduro's legal costs in US drug trafficking case.

Speaker Johnson Says Iran Should ‘Take Note’ of the Troop Buildup in Middle East

Speaker Johnson says Iran should ‘take note’ of the troop buildup in the Middle East.

Colombia Investigates Military Plane Crash that Killed 69

Colombia investigates military plane crash that killed 69 as doctors identify victims.

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

The Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael R. Weimer awarded eight meritorious service medals and two Purple Hearts to cadets from Old Dominion University Army ROTC during a private ceremony on March 22, 2026. The cadets from ODU were recognized for their bravery and sacrifice during the March 12 shooting incident in their ROTC classroom. U.S. Army photo by Ian Ives. Source: DVIDS.

Honor Under Fire: ODU Cadets Receive Army Recognition for Bravery and Sacrifice

Army ROTC cadets at Old Dominion stopped a campus shooter and later received Meritorious Service Medals and Purple Hearts for...

Army Speeds AI Warfighting Push as US Troops are in Active Combat

An Army test used AI tools to hit 15 targets in one hour, signaling a rapid shift in how battlefield decisions are made and...

Navy News

USS Ross Departs Naval Station Norfolk

The destroyer is part of the George H. W. Bush carrier strike group, which is likely relieving the overdue Gerald R. Ford’s...

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...

Air Force News

Brother and Sister Are Charged After an Explosive Device Was Found Outside a Florida Air Force Base

A brother and sister have been charged after an explosive device was found outside a gate at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

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...

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

D. R. Howe (Glencoe, MN) treats the wounds of Private First Class D. A. Crum (New Brighton, PA), Company H, 2nd Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment, during Operation Hue City. (USMC Photo)

'Like Dante's Inferno': One Marine’s Experiences in Vietnam and the Battle of Hue

Cpl. Charles McMahon was on a convoy entering Hue when the NVA seized the city. He spent the next month fighting through it...

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...

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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