Tag Archives: money

Hmm, what to do with your tax refund? 6 tips for military families

Posted on April 15, 2013 | Leave a comment

Hmm, what to do with your tax refund? 6 tips for military familiesWill your family receive a tax refund this year? The average tax refund is around $2,800 and slightly more for direct deposit refunds. Even if your refund is more or less than the average, we have a few tips to make your money work for you.

Military families encounter fluctuations in household income for a variety of reasons including: deployment and training incentives; bonuses; loss of income from a spouse’s job; or cost of living adjustments after a military move. A tax refund may provide the funds you need to help account for the changes in household income. Here are some tips to consider:

  • Review your emergency savings funds. Do you have money set aside for unexpected expenses? Out of pocket costs for an upcoming Permanent Change of Station (PCS)? Consider starting or adding money to a designated emergency savings account.
  • Pay down debt. Use your refund to pay down or pay off a high interest credit card.
  • Contribute to your retirement plan. An extra contribution to your service member’s Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) or your own retirement account can go a long way.
  • Deployment savings. If your service member is deployed, consider adding your refund to the Savings Deposit Program. A total of $10,000 may be deposited each deployment and will earn 10% interest annually.
  • Save for college. If you have children, you can contribute to a college 529 savings plan. Going back to school as an adult? You can put your refund towards a 529 plan for yourself, too.
  • Don’t spend your refund before your receive it. Wait for your refund to arrive before you spend the funds. You can track the status of your federal refund online.

Before you are tempted to spend the extra money on a shopping spree, review your current financial situation. It may be helpful to talk to a financial counselor at your local military installation or through Military OneSource to help you decide how to put your refund to good use.

How will you use your tax refund? 

katiePosted by Katie Savant, Government Relations Information Manager at the National Military Family Association

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Tips for using the Post-9/11 GI Bill: get ready for some paperwork!

Posted on March 6, 2013 | 2 Comments

Tips for using the Post-9/11 GI BillOne of the key factors to pursing your educational goals is to decide how you will pay for your education. Military spouses have several opportunities to help offset the cost of school, including private scholarship programs, federal loans and grants, MyCAA, and transferability of the Post-9/11 GI bill.

When I decided to pursue a graduate degree, my active duty service member decided to transfer a portion of his Post-9/11 GI bill to me. As of August 1, 2009, service members who have served in the Armed Forces for six years and agree to serve an additional four years, are eligible to transfer their benefit to a spouse. My spouse was eligible to receive 100% of this benefit. In my situation, the benefit pays full tuition and fees directly to the public in-state school I attend. I also receive a yearly book stipend of up to $1,000, prorated based on the number of credits I take. I am not eligible to receive a monthly housing allowance because I’m using the benefit while my husband is on active duty and he currently receives a housing allowance for our family. (Private school tuition and fees are capped at a national maximum rate. For the 2012 – 2013 academic year the private school cap is $18,077.50.) But these are my circumstances – how can you make the Post-9/11 GI Bill work for you?

Transferring the Post-9/11 GI bill takes time. Be prepared to work with your spouse to complete quite a bit of paperwork. While your spouse is on active duty, he or she may apply to transfer their benefit to a spouse, child, or children. Your spouse must submit a Transfer Educational Benefit request for Service approval. This may take several weeks to process. Once approved, the family member using the transferred benefit must apply to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)  by using form 22-1990e found on the Veterans On-Line Application (VONAPP) website. The VONAPP website is a bit clunky to use. After you create a username and password, you’ll need several important pieces of information to complete this form including: your educational history, name, address, degree program for the school you’ve selected, and bank account information (for direct deposit for the book stipend and/or living allowance).

I waited (patiently) for about five weeks before I received a “certificate of eligibility.” At the same time my husband received a letter notifying him that the VA had received the Transfer of Entitlement (TOE) application and that by applying for TOE he revoked his eligibility for other GI bill programs, such as the Montgomery GI Bill.

I then submitted a copy of my certificate of eligibility to my school’s VA-certifying official. Next, I registered for classes and then the VA-certifying official certified my enrollment with the VA. Certifying enrollment was about a four week process. Your school will only receive funds after your enrollment (which really means registration) has been certified. You may have fees added to your account if you do not pay your tuition by the tuition due date. My school was familiar with the VA’s process and waived all extra fees on my account.

I did drop one class during the add-drop period. Even though I was within my school’s add-drop period, the VA had already sent my tuition to the school based on the classes I was registered to take. About six weeks after my semester started I received a letter from the VA stating they had overpaid my benefits and I was now responsible for the debt. I sent this letter to my school’s VA-certifying official and my school will send the funds back to the VA. If there is an over-payment  you are responsible to repay this debt to the VA.

My tips for effective use of the Post-9/11 GI bill are:

  • Apply for the benefit early – it takes several weeks to process.
  • Bookmark the www.gibill.va.gov website. Contact information and the FAQ section are especially helpful.
  • Get to know your school’s VA-certifying official (your school may have a designated VA office).

The ability to transfer the Post-9/11 GI bill has afforded me the opportunity to attend school. I plan to be a good steward of this benefit and am looking forward (in the distant future) to completing my Master’s degree!

Are you using the Post-9/11 GI bill? What advice would you give to military families on how best to use this benefit?

Keep in mind that rules are not the same when transferring a benefit to a spouse vs. to a child. Please see www.gibill.va.gov for official information and details specific to your situation.

katiePosted by Katie Savant, Government Relations Information Manager at the National Military Family Association and USC Sol Price MPA candidate

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It’s not too late to figure out what you want to be when you grow up

Posted on March 4, 2013 | Leave a comment

It's not too late to figure out what you want to be when you grow upAs a kid we knew what we wanted to be when we grew up. Well, we had to have an answer – we were asked the question all the time.  Although, in my case, I didn’t know. Not until I was about 30 years old.

I married my husband in college and was thrust into military life right after we graduated. I only worked for about 18 months at the beginning of his career. Then we relocated overseas and within three years I had two beautiful children. This was my life. Mom, wife, military spouse.

When my husband started training and gearing up for long deployments, I knew I needed to get involved. So I started volunteering. Within two years I knew I wanted to support other military families. There was a need, and I loved it so much. It was a perfect fit.

When the FINRA Military Spouse Fellowship applications opened through the National Military Family Association in 2010, I applied. Having an undergraduate degree in psychology, I thought the idea of financial counseling sounded very interesting.  After finishing the program in about 11 months, I realized that not only did I have a passion for supporting military families, but I loved financial counseling. So, here it was—the career I always wanted with the passion I already had.

With our relocation to the National Capital Region, I found a position with the Consumer Federation of America as the Military Saves Coordinator. Now, I am in charge of a program that affects military families on a broad scale. I am able to use my knowledge as a financial counselor, military spouse, and all those years as a volunteer to support military families’ financial well being.

The FINRA Military Spouse Fellowship was instrumental in helping me develop a successful career path. Opportunities like this for military spouses are priceless. I am so thankful for organizations like FINRA Foundation, National Military Family Association, the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education, and the Department of Defense that tirelessly work to provide these opportunities.

As we move to our next location, the skills and experience provided by the Fellowship give me confidence to pursue a mobile career—a welcome advantage in meeting that challenging feat.

The 2013 FINRA Investor Education Foundation’s Military Spouse Fellowship Program is now accepting applications. Learn more about this opportunity and apply today!

Posted by Andia Dinesen, AFC ®, Military Saves Coordinator, FINRA Military Spouse Fellowship Recipient, military spouse, and mother of two

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Military Saves: Set a Goal. Make a Plan. Save Automatically.

Posted on February 28, 2013 | Leave a comment

Military Saves: Set a Goal. Make a Plan. Save Automatically.The theme for Military Saves Week 2013 is more than just a theme; it’s the essence of a sound approach to savings, designed to help individuals take financial action. Set a Goal. Make a Plan. Save Automatically. Knowing what you want to save for, how to achieve it, and then automating the savings process will allow you to reach your savings goal.

Set a Goal

You can save more by having a specific goal in mind. Visualizing what you want to save for gives your savings a purpose. You may be tempted to spend your savings if it has no purpose. But once you have a goal in place, you know that taking money out of your savings is taking away from that ultimate goal. So what are you saving for? An emergency fund, a home, retirement, a car? Go viral with your savings goal! Take a photo of your goal and post it on our Association’s Facebook page or tweet it using the hashtag #MSW2013.

Make a Plan

Once you have your goal in place, make a plan of how you are going to save. To start, cut down on your spending and reduce high-cost debt. Next, keep track of what you spend and make a budget. Once you know where your money is going each month, you can cut down on unneeded spending and save the difference.
Don’t forget to keep your savings safe, secure, and growing. Banks, credit unions, and even the government offer a variety of financial products that can help you save.

Save Automatically

It can be hard to put aside money for savings. But there is an easy way to save money without ever missing it. Once you know how much you can save, make saving automatic. Use an allotment or automatically transfer a portion of your paycheck into a savings account.

We want to hear from you! Have you already set a goal? Made a plan or budget? Do you save automatically? Share what has worked for your family.

ccPosted by Christine Gallagher, Government Relations Deputy Director at the National Military Family Association

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Military Saves Week: Starting to save

Posted on February 27, 2013 | Leave a comment

Military Saves Week: Starting to saveI remember when my husband and I made our first concerted effort to save. He had just left for his first deployment and I decided I wanted to sign up for the Savings Deposit Program (SDP). Fresh off a pre-deployment brief, I wanted to put my newly found knowledge to good use and take advantage of this great savings opportunity.

A military member can deposit funds into a SDP account once he or she has been deployed for 30 days. The military member must be receiving Hostile Fire Pay. A total of $10,000 may be deposited during each deployment and will earn 10% interest annually. This sounded like an attractive option for us.

Although my intentions were good, we didn’t get a chance to set up the account before my husband deployed. I went to our local finance office and learned I would need a special power of attorney to set up the SDP account on my husband’s behalf. (My general power of attorney wouldn’t work.)

I didn’t let this setback derail us from our long-term savings plans. Instead, I researched products available through military banks and credit unions and settled on a money market account. Every other week I would take my paper paycheck (yes, I worked for a small employer who did not use direct deposit) and deposit half of my paycheck into our new money market account. I calculated that about half of my paycheck was the additional funds we received while my husband was deployed, which included the family separation allowance, hostile fire pay, and tax benefit.

By the end of the deployment, we had a good savings foundation! The most valuable lesson we learned was about financial discipline and how to save money. We successfully accounted for savings in our budget. It was no longer an afterthought, but a regular habit.

During Military Saves Week I encourage you to take the saver’s pledge and put that pledge into action.

My husband and I are faithful savers today. I look forward to the messages I receive from the Military Saves campaign in order to help find new ways to save and to stay on track.

What helped your family start to save?

katiePosted by Katie Savant, Government Relations Information Manager at the National Military Family Association and blogger at www.MilitaryFamilyCents.com, where this post originally appeared

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5 Easy Ways to Get Involved in Military Saves Week and Save Successfully

Posted on February 25, 2013 | 1 Comment

5 Easy Ways to Get Involved in Military Saves Week and Save SuccessfullyMilitary Saves Week (February 25 – March 2, 2013) is a chance for individuals to evaluate their saving status, take financial action to reach goals, and become part of a supportive environment of military savers. Everyone can take the Military Saves pledge, and if you’ve pledged in the past, you can renew your pledge and commitment to saving. Studies reveal that having a savings plan with specific goals can have beneficial financial effects, regardless of income level.

Here are 5 easy ways to get involved in Military Saves Week:

1. Take the Military Saves Pledge 
Pledge or re-pledge today! Those with a savings plan are twice as likely to save for emergencies and retirement as those without a plan. Join over 310,000 people who have already committed to save.

2. Assess Your Savings
Find out if you are saving in all the right places with this 12 step savings assessment.

3. Test Your Savings Knowledge
Take this savings quiz to reveal how much you understand about the realities of saving in America.

4. Share Savings Tips and Advice with Family and Friends
On Twitter and Facebook? Share your pledge and your best savings and financial tips with your family and friends. On Twitter, use hashtag #MSW2013. Get everyone to become a saver!

5. Share Your Savings Goal
We want to hear from you! What are you saving for? Post or tweet a photo of you with your savings goal to Facebook or Twitter. Download the “I’m Saving For…” sign and share your photo and savings goal today!

Military Saves Week is coordinated by Military Saves and is part of the Department of Defense’s Financial Readiness Campaign. Started in 2007, Military Saves Week is an annual opportunity for organizations to promote good savings behavior and a chance for individuals to evaluate their own saving status.

ccPosted by Christine Gallagher, Government Relations Deputy Director at the National Military Family Association 

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Military families and Earned Income Tax Credit – what you need to know

Posted on February 11, 2013 | 1 Comment

Military families and Earned Income Tax Credit - what you need to knowFor many of us, tax season comes with a sinking feeling. The incomprehensible forms, piles of documents to sort through, and the unwelcome prospect of writing a large check to the IRS leaves us with a splitting headache.

However, tax season does not have to bring bad news. In fact, some military families may find that they are eligible for an income tax credit that will allow them to keep more of the money they have earned, thanks to the Earned Income Tax Credit.

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit for low to moderate income families. To qualify, your taxable income must fall below a certain threshold. For 2012, a married couple with two children may qualify for the EITC if their earned income and their adjusted gross income are below $47,162. Remember that allowances, such as Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) are tax-exempt. Combat pay is normally not taxable but you can elect to have it included in your Earned Income if doing so increases the amount of your credit.

Intimidated? Don’t be. There are plenty of resources to help military families tackle tax season. The most important thing to remember is that in order to qualify for the EITC you must file a tax return, even if you do not owe any tax or are not required to file. For more information about the EITC, check out the IRS online guide for families and individuals.

Do you think you might qualify for the EITC? What other tax tips do military families need to know? 

eileenPosted by Eileen Huck, Government Relations Deputy Director at the National Military Family Association

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We fight for military families: the Association’s 2013 priorities, Part 3

Posted on February 7, 2013 | 2 Comments

We fight for military families: the Association’s 2013 priorities, Part 3This is Part 3 of a series explaining the National Military Family Association’s legislative priorities for 2013. Read Part 1 and Part 2 here.

Some issues affecting military families can only be taken care of through Congressional action. We see most of the work on these issues being addressed through the House and Senate Armed Services Committees in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets the laws and regulations for Department of Defense (DoD) and the Services to follow. The funding of this legislation comes through the House and Senate Appropriations Committees with the Defense Appropriations bill and the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill.

Congress did not pass the Appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13), which began on October 1, 2012. They passed a Continuing Resolution or CR, which forced DoD to work on 2013 missions, projects, and programs with 2012 levels of funding. The current Continuing Resolution will expire March 27. While military paychecks are protected for 2013, essential services could shut down if the CR is allowed to expire. This isn’t the first year we have had the threat of a government shutdown.

Pass the NDAA FY14

This is why our first “ask” for Congress is to pass the National Defense Authorization Act for FY14 and the bills that fund this legislation by October 1 in order to eliminate the uncertainty faced by the military community.

Increase Impact Aid

If you have children attending public schools, you should be aware of how important Impact Aid funding is to local school districts that educate large numbers of military children. We’re asking Congress to increase the level of Department of Education Impact Aid funding to meet the Federal obligation to support school districts educating military children and continue to fund the DoD supplemental impact aid and grant program. Impact Aid funding has not kept pace with rising education costs.

Protect surviving spouses

Survivors of service members who have died on active duty or from a service-connected disability are unfairly penalized by having their Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity offset by the Department of Veterans Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payment. Under current law, survivors who are eligible for both SBP and DIC must forfeit a dollar of their SBP annuity for every dollar of DIC received. Often the offset eliminates the SBP annuity altogether. We ask Congress to end the DIC dollar for dollar offset of SBP payments for surviving spouses. For more details on this issue, visit the Survivors section on our website.

Ease transitions for the whole family

DoD does not always need Congressional approval to improve or change policies. We are asking DoD to address the informational needs of military families transitioning out of the military by expanding the opportunity for spouses to attend transition classes with service members and tailor information to address family transition issues.

Support families with special needs

It can often take DoD a long time to implement programs mandated by Congress. In the NDAA FY13, Congress charged DoD to start a pilot program to provide therapy for some families with special needs. We want DoD to implement the new pilot program to provide Applied Behavior Analysis to ALL eligible TRICARE beneficiaries.

If you have questions about our priorities for 2013 or would like to provide us with information about how these issues will affect you and your family, please leave a comment below. As I mentioned in the beginning of this blog series, we are sharing your stories, your experiences, and your suggestions to improve the quality of life for military families.

These are not the only issues we will be advocating for. When a new challenge surfaces that affects military families, we will make sure it is brought to the attention of the policymakers who can make a difference. We are listening to you and for you. We are your voice.

kathyPosted by Kathleen Moakler, Government Relations Director at the National Military Family Association

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Military spouse education: the costs, the options, and whether it’s right for you

Posted on January 30, 2013 | Leave a comment

military spouse educationThe same story is told throughout military communities and within military support systems—military spouses are hard pressed to find employment. PCS moves are frequent and jobs come and go. Luckily there is a way to help combat the unemployment woes. Education.

Not only will a higher education increase the chances of employment for military spouses, it will contribute to your family’s financial well-being. A study from CollegeBoard.org reports, “the typical bachelor’s degree recipient can expect to earn about 66% more during a 40-year working life than the typical high school graduate earns over the same period. Higher earnings are one of the important outcomes of higher education. Average earnings for adults increase with years of education and particularly with degree completion.” Higher education degrees are now more accessible to military spouses thanks to distance learning programs.

The education community has shifted in favor of military spouses. Many private and public universities offer reputable degree programs online, an attractive option for mobile military spouses. Distance learning can also be more flexible when it comes to your military family calendar. Find additional information on pursuing a degree in higher education in our website section on spouse education.

One necessary price I know of that comes with education is the cost of tuition. To alleviate the inevitable costs of higher education, military spouses have options. Visit your installation’s Family Center, Education Center, and the financial aid office at the school you wish to attend for more information on financial assistance. Various military associations, including the National Military Family Association and some military spouse clubs, offer scholarships for military spouses. If eligible, you can use a portion of your service member’s GI Bill or apply for government funding through MyCAA.

The National Military Family Association is made up of many military spouses like me, so we know firsthand the importance of military spouse education and the difficulties that come with achieving higher education due to moves and expenses. If you’ve been following us on our website or social media, you know our Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarships are awarded to spouses of all Uniformed Services members and applications are live online now. The application deadline is TOMORROW, January 31st – there is still time to apply here!

I truly believe an education outweighs the cost that comes with more schooling. As a military spouse, my education has broadened my career options and allowed me pursue opportunities that would not be available if I did not have a degree.

Are you starting or continuing your education? What challenges have you faced in doing so and what resources have worked for you?

alliePosted by Allie Jones, Military Spouse Scholarship Program Manager at the National Military Family Association

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Tax filing tips for military families

Posted on January 21, 2013 | 2 Comments

Tax FormDoes anyone else feel the tax “season” is longer than a traditional holiday season? The commercials for tax prep start before the New Year’s Eve ball drops and continue through the Cadbury egg commercials. Then suddenly it’s April 15.

Try to avoid the last minute stress of filing your taxes by being prepared. It may be helpful to review information specific to military families and your tax situation. The IRS Tax Information for Members of the U.S. Armed Forces contains online videos and short articles which highlight military specific issues such as combat pay, filing deadline extensions for deployed service members, and tax laws that provide special benefits to service members.

Free tax filing services are available through Military OneSource. The program provides free access to a customized version of the basic H&R Block at Home® online tax filing product. This customized product allows for free federal filing and up to three state returns. Military OneSource also provides tax counselors via telephone at 1.800.342.9647. The counselors cannot prepare tax forms, but can help you make an informed decision about your tax situation.

TurboTax also recently released a Military Edition that, until February 14, is free for junior enlisted military personnel (ranks E1 to E5).

Military installations offer Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) consultants to assist with free tax advice, tax preparation, return filing, and much more. Locate the closest VITA site using the Armed Forces Legal Assistance Services Locator.

We’ll highlight additional tax-related resources in the upcoming weeks. What tax filing tips would you share with other military families?

katiePosted by Katie Savant, Government Relations Information Manager at the National Military Family Association

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