August 19, 2009
Elsewhere at Military.com, Ask June answers a question about Social Security and military retirement. It seems to be a popular question, so find out the answer from Military.com's resident expert.
May 27, 2009
Lots of good financial information from this week's Military Report:
Tuition Top-Up Program 05-25-09
Value-Added Whole Life Insurance for the Entire Family
Exchanges Cancel Money Order Program
ThanksUSA Scholarships for Military Families
Military OneSource Expands Counseling
AF Clubs Offer Free Membership
Military 'Portable Lifestyle' Website
There is so much to learn and read - thank goodness Military.com puts it all together in such a neat little package.
March 20, 2009
If you overpaid taxes last year, you're getting a refund sometime this spring. That chunk of cash can quickly disappear out of your bank account if you don't have a plan for using it wisely. So, what should you do with your tax refund? Here are the five smartest moves, in order:
photo by: AComment
Build an emergency fund. What is an emergency fund? It is a small (or large) chunk of cash that you can get to within a few days. Savings accounts, CDs and money market accounts are all good places to keep your emergency funds. Why do you need an emergency fund? Because you never know what life is going to throw at you. Emergency funds can make things like car repairs, tickets home to see a sick relative, or exploding hot water heaters seem like small problems instead of huge catastrophes. How much of an emergency fund do you need? Well, that depends on you and your life. A single soldier living the barracks is going to need a lot less than a married airman with four kids and a 40 year old house. Try to imagine the worst possible month, financially, then make that your goal for an emergency fund. For me, that would involve a leak in my house, repairs to a car, a dead computer, and dental work that wasn't completely covered by insurance. That's a lot of money. For other people, it might be as simple as money for car repairs or plane tickets. How can I ever save that much money? Start small. Your tax refund can be a great beginning to a healthy emergency fund. Consider setting up an automatic transfer from your checking account to a savings account each month. I find it works better if it is a savings account that I can't easily access, but that is my own personal preference.
With some preplanning, your tax refund can be providing benefits for years into the future. Take a few minutes before your tax refund arrives to plan the smartest choices for your life.
March 12, 2009
I have had the most interesting week. With my husband deployed, I can't easily ask him to call the financial institutions if I have a question about something in one of his accounts. We do have several accounts that aren't joint, including retirement accounts and credit card accounts. It is a conscious choice to keep separate credit card accounts, but sometimes it can be a pain.
Since I'm the Chief Financial Officer at our house, any questions or issues come through me first. If it deals with my husband's accounts, I usually ask him to "call this number and ask/tell them this." In confusing situations, he'll just ask them to please talk to me, and usually we can get things straightened out pretty easily. Except when he's deployed, then I've got to whip out the Powers of Attorney every time I need to contact a financial institution about one of his accounts.
This week has been full of financial transactions: gathering tax records, moving money, and changing stuff to best suit our family's situation while he is gone. Right now I'm feeling a little frustrated because the two banks with which we do most of our business have such widely differing policies on handling Powers of Attorney. In fact, neither of them is awful, but they are so very different and I hadn't planned ahead to accomodate their individual rules.
Navy Federal Credit Union wants me to fax the Power of Attorney before every time I call about an account in my husband's name. I don't actually have a fax machine set up in my house so it is a half hour process to plug it in, put a couple of phone lines together, stretch them across the house to a phone jack, and get the papers faxed. Inconvenient, but fine.
On Monday, I called USAA to ask some non-account specific questions about their credit cards. They didn't really understand or want to help me in that way and said that I should fax in my POA so that they could talk to me about the specific account. I wasn't at home and said that I would call back to get the phone number. I just called, got the phone number, and asked if they would call me or if I should call them. I was informed that it could take up to 14 business days to process the POA. What? That's nearly 3 weeks! The representative did say that once I had the POA attached to the account, I wouldn't have to send it in again - it would remain on file. Had I known that initially, I would have sent them the POA two months ago. I just assumed (yes, I know about assuming) that they would be able to process it a little quicker than 3 weeks.
I think the lesson here it is to ask before you need to know. While I've only dealt with these two situations (recently), I do know others who have run into similar problems. Like Andi from SpouseBUZZ, whose lender required a specific power of attorney for her transaction. As Andi says, the Fedex camel doesn't always come by on a schedule! If you anticipate any need to use your Powers of Attorney, start asking questions early, and ask them often. Maybe you can avoid some of the surprises that I've had this week.
3/16 Update: I faxed my POA to USAA on Friday, March 13th. I called after faxing the POA, concerned that perhaps two of the pages had stuck together and wondering how I would know if that had happened. The representative on Friday informed me that I should have access to the account in 24-48 hours, and to call back on Monday.
I called today, Monday, March 16th. The first representative told me that the POA had been received, it was under review, and I should call back on Thursday. Since this made no sense to me (and she didn't really sound like she knew what she was talking about,) I immediately called back to see if I would get a different answer from a different representative. The second representative today (fourth total) told me that 14 days was correct, and that I could call back in a week to see if maybe they had gotten it processed more quickly.
So here we are, a week since I first started, and I'm still being told two more weeks. I appreciate the comment, usaarep, but perhaps you could explain it to the rest of the company?
photo by: Leonid Mamchenkov
February 19, 2009
Yesterday, I attended part of the Financial Roadshow at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Due to family commitments and lousy weather, I wasn't able to participate in the entire event, but I'm going to let you know what I experienced to help you decide whether attending an upcoming event would be helpful for you.
I've heard a variety of names used to describe this event. Yesterday's folder was labelled "Thanks for taking the Financial Readiness Challenge!" and "Personal Finance and Transition." I've also heard it called Financial Roadshow and Finance Challenge Event. All these terms are talking about the same thing (as far as I can tell.)
When I registered for yesterday's event at Military HomeFront, the agenda said that it would run from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. I knew that I wouldn't be able to make it there at 7:30 since my children don't leave for school until 8:15 and I live nearly an hour away. I was able to find a babysitter to stay with my kids after school so that I could stay until the end of the event. The schedule listed several speakers in the morning and early afternoon, then breakout sessions on individual topics in the later afternoon. There was also ample time to visit the exhibits and the opportunity to have personal financial counseling.
After much internal debate about the weather, and a slow drive through some snowfall, I arrived at the event around 9:30.
They were running a bit behind schedule and were beginning a break, so I the chance to sign in. The sign-in sheet was several pages long and it looks like they had a lot of people pre-register for the event. They were also allowing walk-in, which is good to know if your schedule is unpredictable. Once I entered the theater, I was surprised to see that there were only about 40 people attending, and it seemed (from the shiny name badges) that many of them were part of the presentation team.
I had missed the first speaker, John Sileo, speaking about identity theft. From his biography, it sounds like it was a really good session and I'm sorry that I missed it. The second speaker was Rod Griffin, Director of Public Education for Experian, whose talk was titled "Truths & Myths of Credit Reports." Mr. Griffin spoke for over an hour about all aspects of the credit reporting process and credit scores. He was an interesting speaker who engaged the audience and encouraged questions throughout. I took four pages of notes, which is pretty amazing since I already know a good bit about credit reporting due to one of my previous jobs. I'll be doing a post on his speech later this week.
The breaks are long so that participants will have time to visit the various exhibits. Unfortunately, the exhibits were set up in another building. It was walking distance but it was raining and I didn't know the distance before I started. Because the exhibits weren't readily available, the breaks were too long for a quick drink and not long enough to see the exhibits.
The third speaker was Susan Abentrod, who seems to work with the Military & Family Life Consultants program. Her topic was "Take Complete Control of Your Finances - Avoid Drowing in Debt." I found her presentation to be the most basic type of personal finance advice ("don't spend more than you make") and I had difficulty finding a sense of organization in her presentation. I did pick up a few good tips but she also presented a couple of pieces of misinformation (in my opinion.)
After the third speaker, there was a break for lunch and to visit the exhibitor hall. The lunch time was being shortened because the morning events had run over their allotted time. I wasn't sure where to eat lunch so I drove to the exhibitor hall. As I said, it could have been walked had I known that it was close, but it was several blocks and raining so it worked out okay. Fortunately, there was a sports club type place attached to the Community Center with the exhibits, so I could get lunch there too.
The exhibitor hall had about 15 tables set up with various exhibits about personal finance, as well as a well stocked table from MilitaryOneSource and a large area devoted to TurboTAP, the military.com administered Transition Assistance Program Website.
Exhibitors included the Andrews Airman and Family Readiness Center, Andrews Federal Credit Union, the Military & Family Life Consultant Program, Personal Finance & Transition, Military One Source, the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, SaveAndInvest.org, the Better Business Bureau, The Federal Trade Commission, Freddie Mac, the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, the Maryland Insurance Administration, the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, and the GSA's Federal Citizen's Information Center. At first, I thought that many of these exhibits seemed a little odd - what was I going to learn from the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking? I was very surprised how much really useful and relevant information was provided at each of these tables. Much of the material was very military specific, which was great, and even the individual state representives had lots of good general wisdom. I picked up an entire backpack full of material which I will be sharing with you during the next week (or two.) Everyone was so helpful and pleasant but they were a little bored (and disappointed) because there wasn't much traffic through the exhibit hall.
The center of the exhibit hall was set up with Personal Financial Planners and other counselors who were demonstrating the online TurboTAP program. TurboTAP.org is the Department of Defense's official website providing information for servicemembers on transitioning from military service. TurboTAP.org is intended to supplement the services offered by the Transition Assistance Offices and other groups. The DoD Transition Assistance Program was developed to assist in the transitioning of military personnel and family members leaving the service. Returning to civilian life is an exciting time, but is also a complex undertaking. There are many steps to take, with questions to be answered. The DoD Transition Assistance Program is here to help. TurboTAP is administered by Military.com and I have heard nothing but wonderful reviews about it.
I was having such a good time talking to all the exhibit representatives that I decided to forgo the Keynote Speaker, Larry Winget, "The Pitbull of Personal Development". I usually enjoy motivational speakers, but something about his biography put me off. Faced with the choice of remaining in the exhibit hall (and eating lunch) or driving back to the theater to listen to him, I chose to remain in the exhibit hall. Under different circumstances, I might have made a different choice, but the combination of grey weather, ambivilence about the speaker, and hunger prevailed.
The keynote speaker was scheduled for an hour and a half, with a half hour break after him before the concurrent breakout workshops were scheduled. There were five interesting topics:
They all sounded interesting but I had chosen to go to the Deployment workshop because it was the closest to fitting my current situation. The workshops were being held on different location around the base but they weren't listed on the agenda. I was able to find an employee who told me that the Deployment workshop was being held next to the exhibit hall - perfect!
What I found was that after 45 minutes of exhibit strolling, a quick sandwich, and another 45 minutes of exhibit strolling, I had completely exhausted my interest in the exhibits. It was still an hour until the breakout sessions were scheduled to begin and I was bored. I decided that I would head over to the Airman & Family Readiness Center to drop off some Military.com materials and chat with a few people. That only took about 15 minutes and I was debating what to do when the radio in my car had a traffic update. It reported several accidents on my way home and though I wanted to attend the deployment workshop, I decided that I should probably be responsible and head for home. (I'm glad I did because I couldn't find my way off of Andrews Air Force Base and wasted a lot of time driving around in circles. The good news is that the accidents had been cleared by the time I got to them.)
Overall, I'm glad that I attended this event and I've just signed up for the event at Fort Meade on March 10th. I picked up a ton of resources and learned a lot. I would encourage you to check the list and see if there are events being held in your area. Registration is now being accepted for events through March 10th, and additional events are in the planning stages.
February 7, 2009
It's that time of year again...the new pay charts have gone into effect, and everyone enjoyed a nice little jump in their pay last month. This is exactly the right time to increase or start your TSP contributions. If you are already contributing to a TSP account, how much could you increase your contribution? Even one percent makes a difference over time. And it is easy to do. Just log onto MyPay, click on the Thrift Savings Plan option, and increase your contributions.
You haven't yet started a TSP account? Now is the perfect time to open an account, before that extra money is absorbed into your regular spending. Check with your finance office or log onto your MyPay account. You may choose a percentage of your base pay, plus a percentage of your allowances, special pays and bonuses.
Like I said before, even a small contribution will add up over time. If you start with a small percentage now and increase it every January, you will eventually accumulate a nice amount in the account.
January 31, 2009
Like many of you, I always struggle to prioritize my saving/spending/debt repayment. My husband has recently deployed, and I spent today figuring out the best way to use our money while he is gone. It took me a while, but I think that I finally came up with a plan.
Here's how the thought process went:
I had five ideas for how to use our money. I made a list with the pros and cons of each option. (My list wasn't this fancy. In fact, you probably wouldn't even have been able to read it.
Once I'd made this list, it was obvious that paying off my Home Equity Line of Credit wasn't a very high priority. It has a low interest rate, it is tax deductible, I'm already making a huge payment every month, and I wouldn't be able to pay it all off. So I scratched it off the list.
Then I looked at paying off the credit card debt faster. I'm already on track to pay it off before the end of the deployment and it is at a low interest rate. I decided that paying it off faster than currently planned wasn't a very high priority.
That left me with TSP, emergency funds, and the Savings Deposit Program. The SDP is pretty amazing - you can't find 10% annual interest anywhere else right now. I decided that we should try to put as much money as possible into the SDP. If we somehow manage to max out the SDP (deposits are capped at $10,000, which is a lot of money,) then I think that we should try to put as much as possible into TSP.
Right now, my big question is: do I take our emergency money out of our emergency fund and put it into the SDP? It is earning very little interest right now and the 10% would really add to that money. I can't imagine any upcoming emergencies, but that's why they are emergencies - you can't predict them. Maybe I'll keep a little bit out and put the rest in SDP.
Working this all out has taken a good chunk of my day, but I think that I've made a good decision. Any thoughts?
January 13, 2009
The Bureau of Labor Statistics website is a treasure chest of info for geeky types like me. If you click on the consumers link on the left hand side, you can then click through to find average spending for various groups broken down by income level, family size, and age group. I find this fascinating from a purely educational point of view. I don't think that this report means that I need to run out and spend $376 on tobacco and smoking supplies, but it is interesting to see where our spending is near to or far from the national averages.
Another thing that is useful about reading these BLS charts is that it shows you how the federal government breaks down budget categories. I've often wondered how to budget things: do I want to put all insurance in one category, or does auto insurance go under transportation and homeowner's insurance go under housing? You can do whichever works for you, but it is good to think about these things.
Maybe you will find it interesting, too.
January 9, 2009
The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board recently announced the 2009 limits for TSP Contributions, loan interest rates, and other up-to-date TSP info at this site. The elective deferral limit for 2009 is $16,500. Elective deferrals are the tax-deferred amounts that you choose to contribute to the plan instead of receiving as pay. In addition, members serving in designed tax-free combat zones can contribute up to a total of $49,000 in 2009. Wow - that is a lot of money. However, there are big benefits to contributing heavily to your TSP while deployed. The money won't ever be taxed, because it has been earned in a tax free zone. As long as you contribute some portion of your base pay, then you can contribute up to 100% of any special pays. The explanation sounds a little complicated, but basically any money you contribute to your TSP account while you are deployed doesn't fall under the $16,500 limit because you aren't deferring any taxes. The $49,000 figure represents another IRS rule that limits total contributions to TSP, not just the ones that are deferring taxes. (I apologize if I sound redundant - it took me a while to figure it out).
If you are eligible for a civilian TSP account because you are a reservist who works for the federal government, or you leave the military during the year and then begin working for the federal government, there are some special rules that apply to your contributions. Some info about these situations can be found here,
There is a good TSP question and answer page located here. In addition, the TSP Board offers a variety of publications that explain nearly every possible TSP situation.
January 5, 2009
I've been trying to make some new goals for 2009. It is so hard! Well, making the goals isn't hard. What is hard is making goals that are managable, then working out a plan for accomplishing those goals, and then doing the things that you've planned. But really, a goal isn't very valuable without a plan for accomplishing it.
What are my goals for 2009? My primary goal is to pay off all non-mortgage debt. Step one was to make sure I knew exactly how much I needed to pay off. Then I divided it by 11 to figure out how much I needed to pay each month. 11? I figure that December is an expensive month anyway, and that it would be better to pay it off before December. Also, if I get a little behind over the course of the year, I'll have December to catch up and still be successful in paying off all my non-mortgage debt by the end of 2009.
Now that I know how much I'll have to pay each month, then I need to figure out how I'm going to do it.
Photo by: Mosieur J
There are a couple of ways to attack this, but I think that they all require starting with a list of income and expenses. After checking out my numbers, it looks like I should be able to pay off this debt without adding any income. (If the two numbers were close, or (gasp!) my expenses exceeded my income, then more drastic measures might be needed.) Seeing that my list shows that I should be able to pay this with our current income makes me wonder - what's missing on my list? And how much unnecessary spending is happening in my family?
Armed with this information, I'm going to make a strong spending plan for 2009. I know from past experience that tracking my spending is the best way to keep my finances in line. I might even use the "envelope" method as that has worked well for me in the past. I'm not in a good position to change any fixed expenses this year (mortgage, insurance, property taxes) but I can make sure that I'm making wise choices about variable expenses: food, clothing, entertainment, utilities. Every month, I'm going to try to take small steps to decrease the amount of money I spend in each category. It is really tempting to go crazy and try to cut all our expenses at once, but I know that the results will probably be short lived. I know that food is a big one for my family, so I'm going to start there.
In addition, I will keep my eyes out for ways to add little bits on money to my debt repayment. I don't really have any time to add another job (plus my husband is deploying, so that might not be the best idea anyway). However, I can eBay some extra stuff, take unused clothes to the consignment shop and maybe even have a garage sale. This will help me declutter and make some extra cash at the same time.
If i complete my main goal before the end of 2009, then I'm going to concentrate on putting as much money as possible into my husband's TSP. Usually, we try to balance our contributions to my IRA, his TSP, and his IRA. Since he will be deployed for most of 2009, it makes sense to stash more in TSP for this year and take advantage of the fact that it will be forever tax free.
What are your goals for 2009, and how do you plan on accomplishing them?
December 24, 2008
One of the (many) unique things about being in the military is that you get regular pay increases every January, when the new pay tables are implemented. This gives you the opportunity to plan your spending for the following year. New housing allowances and BAS rates were recently posted, so I took a few minutes to look at my family's financial plans for 2009. If I don't plan ahead, that extra money will slip into our everyday spending instead of working towards our financial goals.
Here's what I did:
I started by getting a copy of my husband's last LES. These can be printed at the MyPay website. Then I made a note of the new, updated amounts. (Thanks to rate protection, BAH amounts won't go down even if your areas rate falls.) I did some estimating for changes in taxes, social security and medicare, and figured out what the net change would be. Then, I thought about what would be the best use for this extra money? There are three main choices:
For my family, I am putting a chunk away each month into an emergency fund, and I am putting the rest into TSP and IRAs. We're already paying down our debt pretty fast, and we have a small emergency fund. We aren't saving as much for retirement as I'd like, so that is my highest priority. Your family's choices will probably be different, depending on your debt situation, the size of your emergency fund, and your retirement plans.
I've attached an example (I got the LES from Wikipedia):
In this case, this Staff Sargeant at McGuire Air Force Base will be earning an additional $119 per month in January, minus a little extra in deductions for taxes. She could pay that money towards a credit card, put some in her TSP account, put some into a savings account, or some combination thereof. Her choices will depending on her situation.
What we all need to avoid is letting that extra money disappear into our existing budget. A yearly increase is a benefit that very few people can count on. Let's use it to our financial advantage!
December 12, 2008
USAA often produces "webinars," which are presentations that are shown over the internet. In addition to watching (and participating) during the designated time, they are also available to be viewed for a period of time afterward. Here is the link to a recent webinar on retirement planning. It features J.J. Montanaro, Certified Financial Planner, and Laurel Bragg, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, and offers good information on retirement planning. It will be available for viewing until January 30th, 2009. It is almost an hour long, but it can be paused and watched in bits. I have an older computer and it did take a while to load, so be patient! I think it is worth the time to hear the excellent advice of these investment professionals.
December 10, 2008
Would you like a little in-person financial education? Do you have specific questions and wonder who to ask? Well, the Department of Defense has something just for you! In conjunction with installation commanders, the DOD has begun offering Financial Readiness Challenge Events at locations across the country. Available to military members and their families, these events will provide both workshops and individual financial counseling.
From the DefenseLink news article:
"Hands-on workshop sessions will provide information on debt elimination, investing, car- and home-buying strategies, the Thrift Savings Plan and retirement planning, building a better budget and spending plan, paying for college, identity theft, credit reports, and what to do in today's economy, officials said."
At some locations, special children's programs and child care may be available with pre-registration.
This is the current schedule:
TODAY: Lackland Air Force Base
January 7th: Beale Air Force Base (child care available)
January 24th: Fort Belvoir, Virginia
February 23rd: Naval Base Kitsap, Washington
February 25th: Norfolk, Virginia
March 7th: Fort Polk, Louisiana
I'm sure that more are being planned, but I couldn't find any exact dates for other locations yet.
Registration is available through MilitaryHomefront. The site also includes flyers, agendas, and other information as it becomes available. What a great program! I can't wait to attend - I'll be sure to tell you all about it.
November 8, 2008
Do you know about The USAA Educational Foundation? Created in 1989, The USAA Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides consumer information publications to military members and the general public. It is sponsored by USAA, but it does not endorse the products of any particular company. The Foundation offers online information, downloadable publications, and free hard copy publications on a variety of topics including:
I've enjoyed several of The USAA Educational Foundation's publications and I've found them to be helpful and easy to read. Click on over to their site and take a look around. I imagine that you'll find something helpful!
September 15, 2008
Once you've decided to start savings for retirement, there are a multitude of options available. Active duty military members have two choices that may have tax benefits: the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) or an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). There are two primary types of IRAs, Roth and Traditional. Here are the main points about each type of account:
TSP
Traditional IRA
Roth IRA
As you can see, this is a lot of information. How do you choose? As yourself these questions?
More useful information can be found at the Thrift Savings Plan website and USAA's Retirement Center. Each individual company that offers IRA accounts will have a comprehensive page of information available as well.
There is no right answer for every situation. Many people choose to have both TSP and IRAs. Even more important than your individual choice is the decision to start saving (or to increase your savings if you've already started.) Don't spend years deciding on the "right" account. Once you've reviewed your options, make a decision and get going!
September 7, 2008
Financial expert, talk show host and motivational speaker Suze Orman spoke recently with the American Forces Press Service about the financial issues facing military families. You can read the article here. I've always been a fan of Suze's straight-forward style and common sense advice. You can find more of Suze's military specific advice in this press release on her website. (You'll have to put your cursor on the scroll down arrow to get to the actual article.) Thanks for the advice, Suze!
August 6, 2008
So, you’ve finally gotten your spending under control and have a few extra dollars each month. Now what?There are three basic choices: paying off debt, retirement savings, or shorter-term savings. What is the best choice for you? Most experts recommend creating an emergency fund first, then paying off debt and then saving for retirement. But it isn’t that simple. There are many variables to consider. Before you make your decision, ask yourself the following questions:
Do you have an emergency fund? How much? What is the minimum amount of money you could survive on each month? Where are you in your military career: are you just in, nearing the end of an enlistment, or a few years from retirement? What are the chances that you or your spouse wull be without income for a few months?
What type of debt do you have? Credit cards, student loans, car payments, mortgage? Credit card debt should be paid off quickly, followed by car loans. Student loans fall into a gray area and require thoughtful consideration of your entire financial picture.
When do you expect your next PCS? Do you have any idea where it might be? Do you have any special expenses that you incur when you move? For example, we put our cats in the kennel each time we PCS and I know that I have to budget for that expense.
Does your employer match your retirement savings? For active duty military, there is no government match for your TSP contributions. If your employer is offering a match on 401k or 403b contributions, you want to make every effort to take advantage of this "free" money.
What is your insurance situation? Make sure that you have appropriate life, disability, auto, personal property, and liability insurance. Consider whether your family would benefit from a Tricare supplemental medical policy.
The answers to these questions will help you create a plan for your financial future. I suggest that you list things in order of importance to you. Once you’ve take care of the most important items, you can move down the list and work on the next parts. Be sure to review your plans periodically to see if you need to make any adjustments. A thoughtful plan will help you use your money in the best ways possible, and will also help you know what to do when a bonus or a raise come to you.
August 4, 2008
Sometimes it can be hard to do the math that helps you make good financial decisions. Thankfully, the days of working out those tricky equations are over. The internet offers thousands of online calculators to help you make your financial decisions. Most banks and credit unions offer a variety of tools on their websites. I love the calculators page at Navy Federal Credit Union (you'll learn that I'm quite fond of NFCU in general.) If you don't find something to help you there, try a search on "online calculator" plus the type of calculation you are trying to make (mortgage, savings, interest, etc.) You may need to try a few to find the one that fits your needs but I'm sure that there is a calculator available for nearly every possible situation.
Welcome to Military.com's Finance channel blog, hosted by military spouse and finance writer Kate Kashman. The military money experience is unique and challenging. The Paycheck Chronicles is here to help with daily tips on the special financial situations of military servicemembers and their families
Got a question or advice based on a real world money experience? Click on the "Tell Kate" link to the right and let us know about it.
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The content on this blog are my personal opinions and thoughts. I am a blogger and writer with a strong personal finance background. However, I am not a certified financial planner or financial professional of any sort, so content on this personal finance blog should be treated as entertainment only. Listen to what works with you, verify it with the real professionals, and make your own decisions.
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