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

What Would Life Look Like If You Were Widowed?

It is always sad when a family suffers a loss, and it is doubly sad when the family then faces challenges because they weren...

From The Mailbag: Survivor Benefit Plan Questions

You have to understand SBP to make a smart decision about whether to participate in this income-continuation plan for the...

Do You Really Need to Pay Somebody to Do Your Taxes for You?

Free tax help is available to military members and veterans. Here’s when you might want to hire a professional

3 Ways To Save On Halloween

Halloween can be that holiday that sneaks up on you. Depending on your family situation, how you feel about the holiday and...

Here's How Much Extra Pay Military Retirees Are Likely to Get with the COLA Increase

The increase also covers disability payments and survivor benefits.

Housing Allowances When Living Apart

Have you ever wondered what happens with your service member’s basic allowance for housing (BAH) if you aren’t living...

7 Ways to Do Your Next Military Ball on a Budget

The ways you can spend money on a military ball are just amazing to me. Thankfully, there are ways to attend a military ball...

Tricare for College Students: How Long Can Children Remain on Your Tricare Policy?

Health insurance is expensive. Take advantage of this great benefit while you can.

What Does the President's Payroll Tax Announcement Mean for Military?

The new payroll tax deferral could impact military members both now and when it's time to repay.

Tenant-Landlord Questions: What Does Your Lease Say?

When determining if your landlords can do what they are threatening to do, ask yourself these two questions.

How to Keep Costs Down On College Dorm Stuff

If you're preparing to send a kid to college, you'll want to learn these ways to save money and still send them with the...

In this Jan. 3 photo, a realtor sign marks a home for sale in Franklin Park, Pa. The partial federal government shutdown is complicating even more the process of getting and managing mortgages. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Options When You're Underwater on Your House

What to do when you owe more money on your mortgage than your house is worth.

Does Insurance Cover Your Household Goods While Moving?

Who pays if something is damaged?

Why Changing How You Define Success Helps You Succeed

How do you measure success? Sometimes, it is really hard to see it, let alone measure it. It is hard to see that you are...

A Few Hidden Costs of a PCS

Two days until the main packers come, and the bills are already piling up. Convenience food, new luggage, it all adds up.

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

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...

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...

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.

USS Falcon crewmen suit up 2 Navy divers during the rescue operation following the sinking of the USS Squalus.

How the Men on a Navy Submarine Survived After Sinking 240 Feet in the Atlantic

Trapped 240 feet beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, Lt. Oliver Naquin could not ensure the crew of the USS Squalus...

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, arrives to meet with Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa at the presidential palace in Quito, Ecuador

Rubio Says US Is Designating 2 More Gangs as Foreign Terrorist Groups

The two new designees, Los Lobos and Los Choneros, are Ecuadorian gangs blamed for much of the violence that began since the...

Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, chief of Navy Reserve, is piped aboard during a change of command ceremony where Rear Adm. Luke Frost relieved Rear Adm. Mike Steffen as commanding officer of Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command aboard Naval Station Norfolk on June 27, 2025.

All Services Now Issue Form DD214-1 to Departing Reservists

The military's reserve components now issue departing reservists a new record that summarizes their periods of active and...

Latest Military Videos

Trump Signs an Executive Order Renaming the Department of Defense the Department of War

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War —...

Trump Issues Warning to Venezuelan Military, Vows US 'Help' for Ukraine in War with Russia

President Donald Trump said Friday the U.S. will work out security guarantees for Ukraine. (Sept. 5) AP

US Employers Added Just 22,000 Jobs Last Month Amid Uncertainty over President Trump's Policies

U.S. employers added just 22,000 jobs last month as the labor market continued to cool under uncertainty over President...

Smoke Seen Rising over Gaza Strip as Israel Continues Aerial and Ground Attacks

A large plume of smoke was seen rising over the Gaza Strip from southern Israel on Friday. (Sept. 5)...

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

Members of the Georgia National Guard stand guard

Georgia Governor Sending 300 National Guard Troops to DC amid Trump’s Crackdown

Gov. Brian Kemp, who has worked to repair strained ties with the president after years of political tension, framed the...

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...

Navy News

Venezuelan Jets Confront US Warship After Trump Orders Strike on Cartel Boat

CBS News, citing multiple Defense Department officials, had reported earlier that the incident involved two armed Venezuelan...

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...

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

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

A Coast Guard recruit from Company Oscar 188 does plank exercises during incentive training at Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J.

How to Prepare for the Coast Guard’s Mandatory Physical Fitness Tests

The service announced this week that all military personnel will be required to undergo mandatory physical fitness tests, or...

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...