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

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...

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...

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.

a graduation cap perches on a stack of cash

Stretch Your VA College Benefits by Getting to Know This Person

Your college's school certifying official can answer your benefits questions and make sure you're not missing anything...

100-dollar bills are folded into the shape of a house

Tax Tips for First-Time Landlords

Taxes on rental properties aren't simple, but these tips will help you understand what factors into them and may help you...

SPCA Grants Help With PCS Pet Costs

The military will not pay to move your pets during a PCS, and the cost can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Military Members and Spouses Could Avoid State Income Taxes Thanks to New Law

Changes are here, and they could mean thousands of dollars more, or less, in taxes for military families.

A stock image of a paper on a clipboard reading "IRA" and "Individual Retirement Account" on a table with other papers.

You Still Have Time to Make IRA Contributions for Last Year

Keep in mind that you can still make 2022 contributions to an individual retirement account (IRA) until April 18, 2023.

How BAH Is Calculated

How is military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) calculated? We know the answer.

Understanding SBP Payments to an Incapacitated Child

One feature of the military's Survivor Benefit Plan is the ability to assign benefits to a child, including an incapacitated...

Military tax tips to help you file your taxes

What Are Estimated Taxes and Who Should Pay Them?

Self-employed and small business owners must pay estimated taxes every three months or face penalties.

Three generations of men walking through autumn scene

Federal Long Term Care Insurance Suspends New Enrollments

The popular program will not allow new enrollments for at least two years.

Military News

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Most Popular Military News

Spc. Daysha Cartagena, Mya Cortez and Staff Sgt. Isaiah Cortez

An Army Couple Had Their Daughter at a Military Hospital. Then the Collections Calls Started for $600,000.

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The 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. David H. Berger, speaks

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Army News

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Navy News

Contractors conduct monitoring operations at tank seven during tank tightness testing at Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility

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The U.S. Naval Academy welcomes the midshipman candidates, or plebes, of the Class of 2026

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Air Force News

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Relations between Washington and Beijing had already been tense when the U.S. military detected what U.S. officials at the...

Soil excavation at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex

Space Force Still Figuring Out How Bad the Fuel Spill Atop a Sacred Hawaiian Volcano Was

In the months since the fuel spill at a facility perched on the summit of Haleakalā, the Department of the Air Force has been...

Space Force News

Space Force Still Figuring Out How Bad the Fuel Spill Atop a Sacred Hawaiian Volcano Was

In the months since the fuel spill at a facility perched on the summit of Haleakalā, the Department of the Air Force has been...

Sen. Katie Britt departs after the final Senate votes

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Marine Corps News

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Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth appeared on the June 28, 2023 edition of "CBS Mornings." (CBS)

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Coast Guard News

Edward Cassano speaks during a news conference on the Titan submersible.

Recovering the Titan 12,500 Feet Underwater Was Dangerous, Complex, Emotional

Investigating the debris is a crucial part of a multiagency investigation into why the Titan imploded.

a building at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.

Coast Guard Apologizes for Mishandling of Sexual Assaults at Academy

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