Finance through your Career

Financial education for service members and their families, at every stage of military life.

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Track Your Spending Without Overthinking It
track-your-spending-without-overthinking-it
Transfer Your GI Bill to Your Spouse or Kids
transfer-your-gi-bill-to-your-spouse-or-kids
TRICARE Dental and Vision Coverage
tricare-dental-and-vision-coverage
TRICARE Explained: Your Military Health Plan Options
tricare-explained-your-military-health-plan-options
TRICARE for Guard and Reserve
tricare-for-guard-and-reserve
TRICARE Prime vs. Select: How to Choose
tricare-prime-vs-select-how-to-choose
TRICARE Reserve Select
tricare-reserve-select
TRICARE When You Separate: TAMP and CHCBP
tricare-when-you-separate-tamp-and-chcbp
TSP Fund Choices: The G, F, C, S, I, and L Funds
tsp-fund-choices-the-g-f-c-s-i-and-l-funds
TSP Loans & Withdrawals
tsp-loans-and-in-service-withdrawals
Tuition Assistance: Free College While You Serve
tuition-assistance-free-college-while-you-serve
Understanding Risk and Volatility
understanding-risk-and-volatility
Unemployment Pay (UCX)
unemployment-compensation-ex-servicemembers-ucx
Update Your Beneficiaries on SGLI and TSP
update-your-beneficiaries-on-sgli-and-tsp
Upside Down: Negative Equity and GAP Insurance
upside-down-car-loans-and-gap-insurance
USERRA Job Protection
userra-civilian-job-protection
VA Disability Claims and Ratings: The Basics
va-disability-claims-and-ratings-the-basics
VA Home Loans
va-home-loans-explained
VA Home Loans: No Down Payment, No PMI, and the Funding Fee
va-home-loan-no-down-payment-no-pmi-funding-fee
VGLI Life Insurance
vgli-life-insurance-after-you-separate
What Is Taxable vs. Tax-Free in Your Military Pay
what-is-taxable-vs-tax-free-in-your-military-pay
What to Do With a Pay Raise or Bonus
what-to-do-with-a-pay-raise-or-bonus
When DFAS Says You Owe Money Back
dfas-overpayments-and-recoupment
WIC and Family Food Assistance
wic-and-family-food-assistance
Wills, Power of Attorney, and a Healthcare Proxy
wills-power-of-attorney-and-a-healthcare-proxy
Your Base Pay and the Military Pay Tables
your-base-pay-and-the-military-pay-tables
Your Clearance Runs on Your Credit
security-clearance-and-your-finances
Your Credit Score: How It Is Built
your-credit-score-how-it-is-built
Your First Taxable Brokerage Account
taxable-brokerage-accounts-explained
Your Last Year in Uniform: The Separation Money Checklist
your-last-year-in-uniform-the-separation-money-checklist
Your SCRA Rights
scra-servicemembers-civil-relief-act
Your TSP When You Separate: Keep It, Roll It, or Cash It Out
your-tsp-when-you-separate-keep-it-roll-it-or-cash-it-out
529 Plans and Saving for Your Kids' College
529-plans-and-saving-for-your-kids-college
Activation Money
activation-and-mobilization-money
APY vs. APR, and Why It Matters
apy-vs-apr-and-why-it-matters
Auto Insurance: What You Actually Need
auto-insurance-what-you-actually-need
BAH Explained: Your Basic Allowance for Housing
bah-explained-your-basic-allowance-for-housing
Balance Transfers Explained
balance-transfers-explained
BAS Explained: Your Basic Allowance for Subsistence
bas-explained-your-basic-allowance-for-subsistence
Basic Needs Allowance and Food Assistance
basic-needs-allowance-and-food-assistance
Beat Inflation and Lifestyle Creep
beat-inflation-and-lifestyle-creep
BRS vs. Legacy: How Military Retirement Actually Works
brs-vs-legacy-how-military-retirement-actually-works
Build a CD Ladder
build-a-cd-ladder
Build Credit Safely: Secured vs. Unsecured Cards
build-credit-safely-secured-vs-unsecured-cards
Buying Your First House
how-to-buy-a-house-as-an-enlisted-service-member
Buy Now, Pay Later: The Fine Print
buy-now-pay-later-the-fine-print
Buy Your First Car Without Getting Burned
buy-your-first-car-without-getting-burned
Capital Gains Taxes: The Basics
capital-gains-taxes-the-basics
Card Security: Lost, Stolen, and Billing Errors
card-security-lost-stolen-and-billing-errors
Cash Advances: The Red Flag
cash-advances-the-red-flag
Checking Accounts and How Your Money Moves
checking-accounts-and-how-your-money-moves
Choosing a Bank or Credit Union You Can Trust
choosing-a-bank-or-credit-union-you-can-trust
COLA and OHA: Cost-of-Living and Overseas Housing Allowances
cola-and-oha-cost-of-living-and-overseas-housing-allowances
Combat Zone Tax Exclusion
combat-zone-tax-exclusion
Credit Card Rewards: Perk or Trap?
credit-card-rewards-perk-or-trap
Credit Cards 101: Interest, Grace Period, and Minimum Payments
credit-cards-101-interest-grace-period-and-minimum-payments
Credit Freezes & ID Theft
identity-theft-and-credit-freezes
Crush Debt: Avalanche vs. Snowball
crush-debt-avalanche-vs-snowball
Dealer Add-Ons and Extended Warranties to Skip
dealer-add-ons-and-extended-warranties-to-skip
Debit Cards: When to Use Them, When Not To
debit-cards-when-to-use-them-when-not-to
DIC and What Your Family Gets Beyond SBP
dic-and-survivor-benefits-beyond-sbp
Dodge Overdraft and NSF Fees
dodge-overdraft-and-nsf-fees
Drill Pay: How Guard and Reserve Members Get Paid
drill-pay-how-guard-and-reserve-members-get-paid
EFMP: Support for Families with Special Needs
efmp-support-for-families-with-special-needs
Enroll Your Family in DEERS
enroll-your-family-in-deers
Find Your Net Worth, Your Financial PT Score
find-your-net-worth-your-financial-pt-score
First-Home Pitfalls to Avoid
pitfalls-to-avoid-when-buying-your-first-home
Free Money Help the Military Already Pays For
free-military-financial-counselors
Free Tax Filing for the Military: MilTax and VITA
free-tax-filing-for-the-military-miltax-and-vita
FSGLI: Covering Your Spouse and Kids
fsgli-covering-your-spouse-and-kids
Get Your TSP Match
tsp-match-guard-and-reserve
Government Shutdowns and Your Paycheck
government-shutdowns-and-missed-paychecks
High-Yield Savings: Put Your Money to Work
high-yield-savings-put-your-money-to-work
Hostile Fire Pay and Imminent Danger Pay
hostile-fire-pay-and-imminent-danger-pay
How a Secured Credit Card Works
how-secured-credit-cards-work
How Compounding Actually Grows Your Money
how-compounding-actually-grows-your-money
How Credit Works and What It Really Costs
how-credit-works-and-what-it-really-costs
How Loans Work: Term, Fixed vs. Adjustable
how-loans-work-term-fixed-vs-adjustable
How Much Life Insurance Do You Actually Need?
how-much-life-insurance-do-you-actually-need
How to Build an Emergency Fund on Military Pay
how-to-build-an-emergency-fund-on-military-pay
How to Read and Fix Your Credit Report
how-to-read-and-fix-your-credit-report
How to Read Your LES (Leave and Earnings Statement)
how-to-read-your-les-leave-and-earnings-statement
Index Funds and Why Fees Matter
index-funds-and-why-fees-matter
Investing 101: How to Start in the Military
investing-101-how-to-start-in-the-military
IRAs: Traditional, Roth, and Spousal
iras-traditional-roth-and-spousal
Loans to Avoid: Payday, Title, and Advance-Fee
loans-to-avoid-payday-title-and-advance-fee
Marriage in the Military: The Money Talk
marriage-in-the-military-the-money-talk
Military Aid Societies and Emergency Relief
military-aid-societies-and-emergency-relief
Military Childcare and Fee Assistance
military-childcare-and-fee-assistance
Military Divorce: What Happens to the Money
military-divorce-and-your-money
Mutual Funds vs. ETFs
mutual-funds-vs-etfs
MyCAA for Military Spouses
mycaa-for-military-spouses
PCS Money: What the Military Pays When You Move
pcs-money-what-the-military-pays-when-you-move
PCS Moves & Your Money
pcs-moves-and-your-money
Prepaid Cards: Read the Fine Print
prepaid-cards-read-the-fine-print
Refinancing Your VA Loan
refinancing-your-va-home-loan
Renters Insurance for the Barracks and Off Base
renters-insurance-for-the-barracks-and-off-base
Reserve Retirement Points
reserve-retirement-points-good-year
Retired Pay Math: High-3, CRDP, and CRSC
military-retired-pay-high-3-crdp-crsc
Save for Your First Home
how-to-save-for-your-first-home-on-active-duty
Savings vs. Money Market vs. CDs
savings-vs-money-market-vs-cds
Scams That Target Service Members: How to Spot Them and Shut Them Down
scams-that-target-service-members-how-to-spot-them-and-shut-them-down
Set Money Goals That Survive a PCS
set-money-goals-that-survive-a-pcs
Set Up Direct Deposit and Split Your Pay With Allotments
set-up-direct-deposit-and-split-your-pay-with-allotments
SGLI: Your Life Insurance Basics
sgli-your-life-insurance-basics
SkillBridge: Your Runway to a Civilian Job
skillbridge-your-runway-to-a-civilian-job
Social Security on Top of Your Military Pension
social-security-and-your-military-pension
State of Legal Residence and Military Taxes
state-of-legal-residence-and-military-taxes
Stocks, Bonds, and Funds, Explained
stocks-bonds-and-funds-explained
Tax Credits for Military Families: EITC, Child Tax Credit, and AOTC
tax-credits-for-military-families-eitc-child-tax-credit-and-aotc
Term vs. Permanent Life Insurance
term-vs-permanent-life-insurance
The Deployment Money Checklist
deployment-financial-checklist
The Government Travel Card and Getting Your Money Back
government-travel-card-and-travel-vouchers
The Military Lending Act: Your 36% Shield
the-military-lending-act-your-36-shield
The Post-9/11 GI Bill, Explained for Junior Enlisted
the-post-9-11-gi-bill-explained-for-junior-enlisted
The Savings Deposit Program
savings-deposit-program-sdp
The Survivor Benefit Plan
survivor-benefit-plan-sbp
The Yellow Ribbon Program
the-yellow-ribbon-program

No matter where you are

Some money decisions show up on their own schedule. Jump straight to what you are handling right now.

Soldiers move out with gear on the flightline during a deployment
Deployment

Combat pay, allotments, and the money moves to make before you leave.

A moving truck is unloaded as a military family moves into new base housing
PCS / Moving

Orders to a new base. Handle the move and allowances without losing money.

A National Guard soldier reunites with family at a homecoming
Family Changes

Marriage, a new baby, DEERS, and benefits that shift with your family.

A service member with a book in a classroom
Education & GI Bill

Tuition Assistance, the GI Bill, and getting paid to keep learning.

U.S. Army National Guard soldiers in formation
Guard & Reserve

Drill pay, TRICARE, and the rules specific to Guard and Reserve life.

Service members at desks at a base tax-assistance center
Every Year / Always

Taxes, scams, and the basics worth a check no matter the year.