Kate Horrell

Kate Horrell is an accredited financial counselor® and personal financial educator who helps the military community make the most of their pay and benefits. With more than 10 years working with thousands of military families, she understands the concerns of currently serving, retired and veteran families.

Kate has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Maryland, volunteers with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and is a member of the Military Officers Association of America, or MOAA, currently serving spouses advisory board. She has been married to a sailor for 27 years, corralling four girls and two cats across four OCONUS tours and a handful of homes in the U.S.

Latest Articles

A diamond-shaped yellow warning sign appears against a blue sky with wispy white clouds.

Florida Residents Living Out of State Need to Check Driver's License, Registration Status

Military families are running into roadblocks and getting bad information when trying to resolve insurance-related...

What to Do with Your Pay Raise

Since your paycheck is changing, you should make changes to your budget.

It’s Time to Check Emergency Contacts and Beneficiary Designations

An annual checkup for your information is a quick and easy way to prevent future hassles.

6 Steps You Can Take to Make It Through a Financial Crisis

Is it time to sell everything on eBay to earn cash?

ABF1 Cedric Mathis (left), assigned to NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Fuels Department, and his wife, ABF1 Aleesha Mathis (right) of USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), take an oath of enlistment during a reenlistment ceremony in Japan.

Military Continuation Pay: The Mid-Career Bonus You Don't Want to Miss Out On

Unfortunately, some military service members miss out on their mid-career continuation pay bonus, because they don't know the...

The words "state taxes" appear on a red, white, and blue, shield-shaped sign that imitates an interstate sign, against a blue sky and wispy white clouds.

Which State Will You Choose? New 2023 Tax Filing Option for Military Families

Which state have you decided on for your 2023 state income taxes? As a military service member or spouse, your options may...

Understanding the Newest FICO Score

The method for calculating credit scores will change by the end of this year. We explain how it may affect you.

RAPIDS Appointment Scheduler for IDs

The RAPIDS Appointment scheduling website has a robust search function, allowing you to search by state, zip code, place name...

Marines shop for uniforms at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, Corry Station Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Thrift Shop, Jan. 23, 2024. (Garrett Dipuma/Navy)

How to Save Money on Military Uniforms While Still Meeting Standards

Take a look at these alternatives to save money on military uniforms while still meeting uniform standards.

Two airmen carry a heavy dog crate between them.

The Military's New Pet Transportation Policy: What It Means to You

Military service members will be reimbursed for some of the costs of moving one dog or cat when moving on permanent change of...

Wood blocks printed with numbers arranged to spell 2024 sit atop ascending stacks of quarters while a hand places another block in the image featuring an arrow hitting a bullseye

5 Ways to Prep Your Military Finances for 2024

Annual increases in pays and allowances give military service members the opportunity to do a financial reset every year...

A piggy bank wearing a Santa hat smiles amid shiny coins and against a backdrop of twinkling lights.

Free and Low-Cost Ideas to Brighten Up the Holidays

Whether you celebrate a religious or cultural holiday or not, there's always something to spend money on in December. Gifts...

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 --...

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Most Popular Military News

Vietnam veterans sing during a Vietnam Veterans Day celebration at the Veterans Association of North County, Oceanside

Here Is the 2025 Pay Raise for Disabled Veterans and Military Retirees

Military retirees and disabled veterans will receive 2.5% increases to their monthly paychecks for 2025, thanks to the annual...

Army Says Soldiers Should Avoid Poppy Seeds in Updated Regulation over Drug-Testing Concerns

While poppy seeds are often an ingredient in baked goods and pastries, they also -- depending on how they are harvested and...

Everett Titterington is memorialized at Riverside National Cemetery

'Like Freeing a Ghost': A Sailor's Strange and Wondrous Journey Back from Pearl Harbor

Some service members killed aboard the Oklahoma were identified, but most, like Titterington, were laid in mass graves...

Marine Maj. Joshua Mast, arrives at Circuit Court for a hearing in an ongoing custody battle over an Afghan orphan

Military Board Substantiates Misconduct But Declines to Fire Marine Who Adopted Afghan Orphan

A U.S. Marine whose adoption of an Afghan war orphan has spurred a yearslong legal battle and raised alarms at the highest...

Left: Medal of Honor recipient Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia in Iraq in 2004. Right: a Gerber Rex Applegate folding knife.

The Tactical Knife that Saved a Medal of Honor Recipient’s Life During Intense Hand-to-Hand Combat in Iraq

Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia received the Medal of Honor in recognition of his heroic actions during the Second Battle of...

U.S. Marine recites the Oath of Enlistment at Camp Lejeune

Marine Corps Unveils Retention Bonuses, Suspends ‘Broken Service’ Bonus Program for Upcoming Year

Marines reenlisting between now and the end of September 2025 are eligible to receive the bonuses, but all the cash awards...

Latest Military Videos

National Guard Members Deliver Essential Supplies to Remote Mountain Communities Cut off by Helene

As the Black Hawk helicopter slowly descends in Ramseytown, North Carolina, a plume of sand kicks up. When the...

Turkey Sends Military Convoy to Evacuate Its Citizens From Lebanon, Deliver Aid

Turkey has deployed two navy ships to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon amid rising tensions in the region. (Oct...

Israel Military Displays Remnants of Intercepted Iranian Missile

Israel displayed Wednesday one of the Iranian missiles it intercepted during the Oct. 1 attack that saw Iran launch...

North Korea's Kim Warns He Could Use Nuclear Weapons Against South Korea and US

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned again that he could use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with South...

Investigations and Features

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...

A patch in the home of retired missileer Paul Hunke

They Stood Sentry over America's Nuclear Missile Arsenal. Many Worry It Gave Them Cancer.

For years, it was an open secret among missileers that the Cold War-era missile alert facilities and launch control centers...

Army News

A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missile defense system is displayed.

US Will Send a Missile Defense System and Troops to Run it to Israel to Aid Defense Against Iran

The delivery of the sophisticated missile defense system risks further inflaming the conflict in the Middle East despite...

Ex-US Army Soldier Asks for Maximum 40 Years in Prison But Gets a 14-Year Term for IS Plot

Cole Bridges was sentenced Friday after a nearly five-hour Manhattan federal court proceeding in which Bridges, a prosecutor...

Navy News

U.S. Navy SEALs conduct Visit, Board, Search and Seizure training

Investigation of SEALs Drowning Also Uncovers Allegations of Performance-Enhancing Drug Use, Secret Surgery

The Navy investigation stressed that "the allegations raised in the complaint were not root causes" of the decision to...

Leader of the New Zealand opposition National Party, Judith Collins, speaks

New Zealand Navy Ship Didn't Sink Because Captain Was a Woman, 'Appalled' Defense Minister Says

New Zealand's defense minister issued stinging rebukes of what she said were “vile” and “misogynistic” online remarks by...

Air Force News

2024 all-Army EOD Team of the Year competition on Fort Liberty

Commander of Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal School Was Fired in July

Lt. Col. David Alexander was relieved "due to a loss of trust and confidence in his leadership ability," a spokesperson for...

New recruits enlist in the Missouri Air National Guard

Prep Courses, Policy Tweaks Largely Drove the Military's Recruiting Success in 2024

Despite the wins this year, between ambitious goals for 2025 and deeper issues relating to Generation Z, the services may not...

Space Force News

Satellite Dish dining facility at Schriever Space Force Base

Troops at Colorado Space Force Base Will Have to Bring Their Own To-Go Boxes for Dining Hall

While the initiative is aimed at reducing waste on base, the spokesperson added that they hope it will give troops on base...

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 crew, joins Expedition 72 aboard the ISS

Space Force Colonel Becomes First Guardian to Launch into Space on NASA Mission

Col. Nick Hague, a Space Force Guardian and NASA astronaut, launched Saturday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in...

Marine Corps News

Mishap drill at Marine Corps Base Hawaii

Hawaii Marine Detained After Dependent Death Still Not Charged More than a Month Later

The dependent died on Sept. 1 aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii, or MCBH, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service began an...