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

Montage of a pile of cash, a stethoscope and a calculator.

Tricare Premiums vs. Enrollment Fees: Here's Why the Difference Matters

Being aware of your Tricare catastrophic cap can help you plan your medical budget and make smart decisions about carrying...

A stethoscope lies on top of fanned-out US $100 bills.

Understanding Your Tricare Catastrophic Cap

Being aware of your Tricare catastrophic cap can help you plan your medical budget and make smart decisions about carrying...

Two recent graduates of Hohenfels Middle High School at U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, Germany, pose for a photo during the school's graduation ceremony June 6, 2025, at the school's football field. (Bryan Gatchell/U.S. Army photo)

How to Change Tricare Coverage After a Qualifying Life Event – and Which QLEs Count

Many service members experience one or more qualifying life events, or QLEs, each year, unlocking opportunities to change...

Advisers stand behind a table and talk to U.S. Air Force members.

When to Be Wary of Free Financial Advice, Plus Alternatives Available to Military Households

Financial companies offering free financial advice usually make their income by selling financial products such as insurance...

Why Service Members Need to Be Wary of Financial Advice on TikTok

While the app is full of energetic creators who present fun content, the financial guidance circulating on the platform is...

Numbers and symbols appear on Ben Franklin's currency face.

How Stock Turbulence Has Affected Thrift Savings Accounts, and How You Can Strategize

The value of Thrift Savings Plan funds has been volatile over the past year, reaching new highs and producing some big dips...

A mans arms are pictured taping shut a cardboard moving box.

Personally Procured PCS Moves Are Changing. Here’s What You Need to Know.

If you’re considering a personally procured move (PPM) this year, how can you keep any potential out-of-pocket costs as low...

Preschoolers around a low table play with big Legos.

Think You'd Like to Work as a Family Child-Care Provider for the Military?

If you're good with kids, becoming a family child-care provider can be a great way to support your fellow military families...

An orange and black lawn mower pictured from above crossing green grass.

Can I Pack This? The Items You Should and Shouldn't Ship with Your Household Goods This PCS Season

Knowing what can and can’t be shipped, and what probably shouldn't be shipped, can make your move easier.

A lot of printed bills, presumably representing debts, along with credit cards appear on a table top with a man's torso in the frame, arms shuffling papers.

Here’s a Tool to Easily Calculate Your Debt Repayment Strategy

PowerPay lets you enter your debt information and how much money you have to put toward debt repayment each month, then helps...

What a Government Shutdown Looks Like for the Military and Veterans

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

State Tax Filing Options for Military Households: What You Need to Know

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act grants special protections to military service members and their spouses so that they don...

Pictured from inside the back of a moving truck, a mover rolls a stack of boxes inside on a dolly.

How to Prepare for Your 2025 PCS Move Amid New Contractor Changes

How can you be prepared for the uncertainty of this summer's military moving season?

State of Legal Residence vs. Home of Record

When talking with military families about taxes, residences and driver's licenses, one thing keeps coming up: the misuse of...

In a large room photographed from the back, people are pictured sitting in chairs looking up at a rising graph projected on a screen.

Investing for Junior Troops: A Guide to Making Your Money Multiply

If you have a lot to learn about investing, be aware that some of the information out there is not so good. Where should you...

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Most Popular Military News

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.

Tom Hanks arrives at the 15th Governors Awards

Trump Celebrates West Point Alumni Group Canceling Award Ceremony to Honor Tom Hanks

President Donald Trump celebrated news on Monday that an alumni group from West Point canceled an award ceremony set to honor...

Army veteran Tony Walker and his wife, Rosemary, put a jacket on daughter Kamari, 2

Records Show the VA Failed to Treat a Father’s Common Infection. Now He’s Paying the Price.

Anthony Walker always liked to think of himself as “the man.” He always liked to think of himself as “tough Tony.” But that...

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South Korea’s foreign minister departed for the U.S. to finalize steps for the return of several hundred South Korean workers...

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Protest outside the Muñiz Air National Guard Base in Carolina, Puerto Rico

Hegseth and Caine Visit Puerto Rico as US Steps Up Military Operations in the Caribbean

The arrival comes more than a week after ships carrying hundreds of U.S. marines deployed to Puerto Rico for a training...

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Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates the proper form for reverse push-ups. (Sept. 9) Military.com

Reverse Pull-Ups

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Push-Ups

Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates the proper form for push-ups. (Sept. 9) Military.com

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

A guardsman stands at a gate to Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Could National Guard Soldiers Be Deployed in Dallas to Combat Crime?

There’s less enthusiasm among Texas politicians for deploying the National Guard to curb violent crime in Texas cities.

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.

Navy 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...

Venezuelan Jets Confront US Warship After Trump Orders Strike on Cartel Boat

CBS News, citing multiple Defense Department officials, had reported earlier that the incident involved two armed Venezuelan...

Air Force News

Hegseth and Caine Visit Puerto Rico as US Steps Up Military Operations in the Caribbean

The arrival comes more than a week after ships carrying hundreds of U.S. marines deployed to Puerto Rico for a training...

Chicopee Mayor John Vieau (left) greets Colonel Christopher Holland during the Assumption of Command Ceremony at Westover Air Reserve Base

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An Air Force Reserve pilot who has more than 25 years of military experience and has flown combat missions in Iraq and...

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...

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