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

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 --...

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...

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...

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Most Popular Military News

Handcuffs rest on a table inside the security forces building during a training exercise

Tennessee Man Shot Dead After Flipping Middle Finger at War Memorial

Albert Sturgill Jr., 63, was confronted by a group while gesturing at the flag and monuments at Cumberland County Veterans...

U.S. soldiers with the West Virginia National Guard conduct a routine patrol at the Stadium-Armory Metro Station in Washington, D.C.

Chicago Braces for Potential National Guard Deployment Amid Trump Threats

Illinois politicians are sounding an alarm and bracing for possible National Guard deployments to Chicago amid President...

After Sept. 11, 2001, this is what the NEADS operation floor looked like. Above the Q-93 (the large green radar scope) is the NORAD contingency suite that was installed immediately after 9/11 to provide radar data of the entire country. Photo courtesy of Master Sgt. Stacia Rountree, Eastern Air Defense Sector

9/11 Air Defense Stories You Might Not Know

As hijacked planes turned into weapons on September 11, 2001, inside a quiet Air National Guard facility in upstate New York...

California National Guard stand guard as protesters gather during the No Kings protests in Los Angeles.

Is Trump's Troop Buildup in US Cities a Declaration of War — or Something Else?

As President Donald Trump goads Democratic-led cities, Americans are grappling with a fundamental question of American...

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...

Soldier Dies on Fort Leonard Wood Rifle Range

The Army identified the 18-year-old on Monday but has not provided details into the circumstances of his death.

Latest Military Videos

Sit-Up

Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates the proper form for sit-ups. (Sept. 12) Military.com

Swimmers

Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates the proper form for swimmers. (Sept. 12) Military.com

Cox Says He Believes Suspect Acted Alone, Calls Social Media a 'Cancer on Our Society Right Now'

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said investigators believe the 22-year-old suspect in the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk acted...

Giant Drawing of Trump and Netanyahu on Tel Aviv Beach Draws Attention to Plight of Hostages

A beachside drawing in Tel Aviv on Friday featured portraits of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister...

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

Vietnam War veteran John L. Smith is shown at Essex County College.

Black Vietnam Veteran’s Story Reveals War’s Harsh Realities 50 Years Later

It was May 1970, deep in the jungles of Vietnam, and 19-year-old infantryman John Smith stepped to the edge of a hill to...

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Tacoma, Wash

Disabled US Army Veteran in ‘Limbo’ at Tacoma ICE Detention Center

A U.S. Army veteran's immigration case remains uncertain after he was recently denied bond by a judge, family members say.

Navy News

False Threat Led to Naval Academy Lockdown and Then a Mistaken Shooting

A military official says a post on an anonymous chat platform triggered a lockdown at the U.S. Naval Academy this week.

An entrance to the U.S. Naval Academy campus in Annapolis, Maryland.

1 Injured in Naval Academy Shooting; No Active Shooter

The U.S. Naval Academy was on lockdown Thursday evening after a person was injured in a shooting and after the military...

Air Force News

Senate Democrat Tries to Formally Condemn Funeral Honors for Ashli Babbitt

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., went to the Senate floor to request what’s known as “unanimous consent” to pass a resolution...

Pilots of military training planes prepare for future competition

Air Race Championship Takes Flight in New Mexico's Roswell

The National Championship Air Races are kicking off in New Mexico for the first time in the competition's 60-year history.

Space 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...

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

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...

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 retail services specialist 3rd class, assigned to the USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) supply department, conducts a command fitness class in the hangar bay.

Fitness at Sea: Workouts You Can Do on a Ship and Ace the Navy Fitness Test

Staying fit in tight spaces with little to no equipment is always a challenge, whether you are in a hotel room or living and...

A Military Approach to Drug Busts Upends US Efforts and Raises Legal Questions

The Trump administration has indicated more military strikes on drug targets could be coming, saying it is seeking to “wage...