Kate Horrell, AFC®

Kate Horrell is an Accredited Financial Counselor® and personal financial educator who helps the military community make the most of their pay and benefits. She shares the most up-to-date information in understandable terms, and highlights how rules, programs, and laws will directly impact our personal finances. With over 10 years working with thousands of military families, she understands the concerns of currently serving, retired, and veteran families.

Kate has a B.A. in history from the University of Maryland. She is currently studying for the Chartered Financial Consultant designation and preparing to take the Certified Financial Planner exam. She has a professional background in financial counseling, mortgage banking and taxes. She also volunteers with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and is a member of the MOAA Currently Serving Spouses Advisory Board.

Kate has been married to a sailor for 27 years, corralling four girls and two cats across during four OCONUS tours and a handful of homes here in the US.

Latest Articles

A string of holiday lights wind around a piggy bank

Do Holiday Bargains Really Save You Money?

It’s not a bad idea to take advantage of promotions. But be aware of how advertised “freebies” are factored into the price of...

The Navy Federal Credit Union mascot takes a photo with runners.

What You Need to Know About Navy Federal's Takeover of Community Bank

While the takeover by Navy Federal of the Defense Department's Community Bank should have no direct impact on services...

Army Retirement Services Officers (RSOs) with the Army National Guard take a certification course at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, on a variety of topics, including the Survivor Benefit Plan.

A Key Survivor Benefit Plan Deadline Was Moved Up. Here’s What You Need to Know

The deadline to enroll in the military's Survivor Benefit Plan during this year's open season has just shortened --...

an arrangement of desktop items featuring the words capital gains tax

How to Reduce Capital Gains Tax on a House You Sell After Less Than 2 Years

You may be eligible for a partial exclusion of capital gains tax if your employer transfers you to a new location that is at...

What A Government Shutdown Looks Like for the Military

A federal government shutdown can have a direct impact on U.S. service members and military families.

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...

Three $100 bills arrayed with a blurry beach scene in the background

3 Low-Key Strategies to Get a Grip on Your Money

In addition to using a spending plan, here are a few low-stress ways to be more intentional about your spending.

The words "save now" appear on a car ignition button

Start the Habit of 'Specific Savings' by Putting Aside Money for Car Maintenance

A specific savings account for car maintenance is a big step toward financial security.

A dollar sign appears in the foam of a latte

Build Financial Guardrails to Keep Problematic Spending in Check

Financial guardrails are a lot like the envelope method of budgeting -- dividing up literal cash into various envelopes...

The word IRA appears under a magnifying, atop a fanned-out stack of cash.

3 Ways Military Service Members Can Take Advantage of an IRA

Individual retirement accounts involve special considerations if you are a military member. Here are three things to know. As...

An arrangement of office supplies on a bill stamped "past due"

The Military Says You Owe Money? Here's What to Do.

What do you do when the Defense Finance and Accounting Service decides that you owe it money -- but you aren't even in the...

An IRS Form W-4P, miscellaneous office supplies and a computer keyboard are arranged on a surface

Because of IRS Change, SBP Beneficiaries Need to Check Their Tax Withholding

A major IRS update became effective for 2023, and as a result, annuitants are reporting that their Survivor Benefit Plan...

a photo of hands making progressively taller stacks of coins with some graphics overlaid

Use the Military's Pay Structure to Grow Your TSP Retirement Savings

The military's compensation structure has several built-in ways to make it easy to increase your Thrift Savings Plan...

Fingers type on a wall-mounted security number pad

How to Cancel a Home Security Contract When You PCS: New Law

A new law makes it easier for military members and their dependents to cancel home security contracts when they move or...

for Tricare Select beneficiaries, it is often cheaper to go to an out-of-network provider.

Take Control of Tricare Select Costs by Knowing the Provider Types

The more you understand about the types of Tricare providers, the better you can control your costs.

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Most Popular Military News

Cavalry Soldiers at Fort Carson Can't See Doctors in the Early Morning Under New Rules

An armor officer at Fort Carson, Colorado, this week issued a new set of policies to his formation effectively banning...

U.S. Marine recruits stand in line to do pullups

A Marine Recruiter's 'Grooming' of a Teenage Recruit Led to an Investigation. The Family Says He's Still Terrorizing Them.

Thirty-six-year-old Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Champagne is now under investigation by military authorities after self...

Recruits make phone calls home at U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command

Cell Phones at Boot Camp: Navy Will Let Some Recruits Use Their Devices

Beyond the announcement, the service offered few details about the policy change that promises to be a major shift in...

Under Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Erik Raven, administers the Oath of Enlistment

Most Would Encourage Military Service But Confidence in Armed Forces Remains Low, Survey Finds

This year's survey found that 51% of respondents said they would encourage friends and family who were considering joining...

debris believed to be from a U.S. military Osprey aircraft is seen off the coast of Yakushima Island

Rescue Efforts Underway for 8 Crew Members Aboard Air Force Osprey That Crashed in Japan

Search-and-rescue operations are underway for the crew of an Air Force Osprey that crashed off the coast of a Japanese island...

Senior Airman Sean Ryan Stevenson poses in front of an airplane

'Broken and Alone': Father Pens Scathing Letter to Top Brass After Losing Airman Son to Suicide

A grieving father who lost his son -- an airman at Cannon Air Force Base -- to suicide this month has written an open letter...

Latest Military Videos

Gaza Truce Extended and More Hostages to Be Released, AP Explains

The Associated Press' Correspondent in Jerusalem Sam Mednick explains the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, which was due to...

US Navy Removes Fuel From Plane in Hawaii Bay

The U.S. Navy said Monday that it has removed nearly all of the fuel from a large plane that...

White House Hails Extension of Truce Between Israel and Hamas

The White House on Monday hailed the extension of the Israel-Hamas truce for another two days, which will result...

Buildings in City in Northern Gaza Strip Bear Horrific Scars of Intensity of Israel's Offensive

Almost every building in Beit Hanoun has been left destroyed by the intensity of the latest war between Israel...

Investigations and Features

What the Pentagon Has, Hasn't and Could Do to Stop Veterans and Troops from Joining Extremist Groups

The military and its transition programs have largely failed to provide what experts say is necessary to steer troops and...

Poisoned Water: How a Navy Ship Dumped Fuel and Sickened Its Own Crew

A years-long investigation reveals that the Boxer unintentionally compromised its own water supply in 2016.

Army News

No More Late Night Alcohol Sales: Army and Air Force Exchange Stores to Ban the Practice Next Month

The change on Army and Air Force bases is meant to support the Pentagon's suicide prevention initiative, which said that...

U.S. Army Spc. Spencer Gasaway builds a custom hub cap specialty tool at Marne Innovation Center on Fort Stewart

A Problem-Solving Shop Fosters 'Culture of Innovation' at Fort Stewart

The Marne Innovation Center, a problem-solving hub located on this sprawling U.S. Army installation, is empowering 3rd...

Navy News

Contractors place inflatable bags under a U.S. Navy P-8A in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

US Navy Plans to Raise Jet Plane off Hawaii Coral Reef Using Inflatable Cylinders

“We have high confidence that we will be able to execute this whole thing with no further impact to the ecosystem here,” said...

The wrecked destroyers USS Downes and USS Cassin in Drydock One after the attack on Pearl Harbor. (U.S. Navy)

The Civilian Who Fought Back Against Japanese Fighters at Pearl Harbor with a Crane

It's believed Walters' crane helped sailors from the Pennsylvania shoot down at least eight to 10 attacking fighters.

Air Force News

No More Late Night Alcohol Sales: Army and Air Force Exchange Stores to Ban the Practice Next Month

The change on Army and Air Force bases is meant to support the Pentagon's suicide prevention initiative, which said that...

Medical evacuation exercise during training with a CV-22 Osprey

Airman's Remains Recovered from Osprey Crash off Coast of Japan, 7 Others Listed as 'Whereabouts Unknown'

Search-and-rescue efforts along the southwestern coast of Japan that began Wednesday were still ongoing Friday, the command...

Space Force News

Space Force Reports 2 Suicides This Year, Marking the First in the Service's Short History

Until this year, the relatively tiny and new Space Force had been an outlier among the other services as they have struggled...

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., speaks to reporters in the Capitol building on Sept. 21, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

Tommy Tuberville Is Just the Face of a 'Broken' Confirmation Process, Critics Say

Anger over Sen. Tommy Tuberville's blockade of high-ranking military promotions may have hit a boiling point as a handful of...

Marine Corps News

Alec Baldwin speaks at the Ripple of Hope Award Gala at New York Hilton Midtown

Family of Marine Killed in Afghanistan Fails to Win Lawsuit Against Alec Baldwin

A lawsuit against Alec Baldwin filed by relatives of a U.S. Marine killed in Afghanistan has been resolved in the actor's...