Loading...
1036 articles to help with your military transition
Expert guides covering VA disability claims, C&P exam preparation, military-to-civilian career transitions, retirement planning, state veteran benefits, and more. Written for active duty service members, reservists, and retirees navigating life after the military. Browse by category or search for topics specific to your transition.
BAH can fund a mortgage payment, but should it? Here's a clear-eyed framework for the rent vs. buy decision for military families and separating veterans.
Memory, executive function, personality. The everyday-life impacts of traumatic brain injury that families learn the hard way, after a discharge summary that uses words like 'mild' and doesn't prepare anyone for what comes next.
Withdrawing from your TSP triggers taxes that can be significant if not planned. Here's how to structure withdrawals to reduce your tax bill in retirement.
1-855-260-3274. Most family members of veterans don't know this line exists, or assume it's only for spouses of severely injured veterans. Here's what it actually is, who it serves, and what to expect on the call.
National cemetery eligibility, headstones, military honors, the burial flag, Arlington, burial allowances. The full picture of what's available, plus the choices families need to make in advance.
A VA life insurance program for service-disabled veterans that's hard to qualify for after the application window closes. What it is, who qualifies, why timing is critical, and the new VALife program that's slowly replacing it.
Free for every veteran
18 transition tools. Zero cost.
VA claims tracker, MOS translator, resume builder, career planner, budget tool — all in one place, all free.
A monthly benefit that helps low-income wartime veterans and their surviving spouses pay for in-home or facility care. Worth thousands per month for families who qualify, and almost no one applies until it's too late.
Your VA priority group (1-8) sets your wait times, copays, and access. What each means, why veterans get misclassified, and how to check which one you're in.
Under the Blended Retirement System, the government matches TSP contributions after year 2. Here's how vesting works, what happens when you separate, and whether BRS helped or hurt you.
The DD-214 controls every benefit you'll claim. What each block means, why character of discharge decides everything, and how to get a replacement copy.
The deadline most service members miss. How to transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits to a spouse or child, why the timing has to be exact, and what families lose when they wait too long.
Credit unions are member-owned and often better for military families, but they're not always superior. Here's when to choose a CU over a commercial bank and vice versa.
OCONUS uses OHA, not BAH, a reimbursement model with utility and move-in allowances. How it works and why you won't pocket the difference.
If the PEB finds you unfit with a disability rating, you may land on the PDRL or TDRL. Here's what each means, how re-evaluations work, and how to move from TDRL to PDRL.
Real estate is a portable career for military spouses, but your license doesn't automatically transfer. Here's how reciprocity works and which states make it easiest.
DIC, SBP, CHAMPVA, education, home loan, burial, life insurance, social security. The full map of what's available to surviving spouses, children, and parents, and the order to actually pursue them.
Vehicle title loans cost military families vehicles, credit, and thousands of dollars annually. Here's how they work, what the law says, and what to use instead.
Parents of service members who died from service-connected causes can be eligible for monthly VA payments. Income-based, often overlooked, and harder to access than the spouse version, but real.
The federal government spends over $700 billion annually on contracts, with veteran-set-aside preferences that create real competitive advantages. Here's how to actually get started.
When the veteran won't pursue what they've earned, sometimes family steps in. The legal pathways for family-driven claims, what lay statements actually do, and when fiduciary status is appropriate.