Recent Articles

The military personnel of the United States Armed Forces work constantly to ensure our security and freedoms. Because of the selfless sacrifices that they make every day, we as a nation have to give back in any way we can through several programs designed to help military personnel achieve a healthy work-life balance as well as take advantage of the many opportunities awarded to them for their service. When service personnel want to spend as much time as possible with their families, they often schedule travel and vacations, taking advantage of the many specials and offers available to them. Active duty, reservists, and retired Veterans have the opportunity to utilize discounts towards travel, hotels, destinations, and resorts, as well as airfare. The American Forces Travel Service, in partnership with Priceline, is an official website of the US Department of Defense, providing special deals on leisure travel for active military, National Guard, Reserve, US Coast Guard, retired military, and all eligible MWR patrons. If you are a United States Servicemember, read on to learn about American Forces Travel and the services they offer. What is American Forces Travel? American Forces Travel is part of the Armed Forces’ Morale,

The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the “G.I. Bill,” was groundbreaking legislation that provided a range of benefits for military personnel who served the country faithfully. Many of these benefits included reimbursement for education, health and disability coverage, support for survivors and dependents, and mortgage loans guaranteed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The primary purpose of these loans is to provide home financing to eligible service personnel without the need for a down payment, with competitive rates and allowances for a lower credit history. Not every Veteran or actively serving military personnel qualifies for VA home loans, however, and the types of loans vary from lender to lender. Read on to learn more. What Are VA Home Loans? VA home loans for Veterans and active-duty military personnel highlight an important service to the nation’s defenders, especially those suffering financial hardship or unemployment as a result of their service. The VA loan provides Veterans with 103.6 percent financing without private mortgage insurance, a 20% second mortgage, and up to $6,000 in energy-efficient renovations. The VA charges a funding fee ranging from 0 to 3.6% of the loan amount. Some Veterans may

Upgrading your home is very exciting and so fulfilling, but it carries all the expenses. Home Depot wants to help those who served their country and offers a Veteran and Military Discount for Veterans or those in active duty through the Home Depot military discount program. Whether you’re planning on renovating your rooms, updating your outdoor space, or even knocking out those small projects, this discount helps keeping more cash in your pocket. What is the Home Depot Military Discount? Home Depot has developed a strong (and sometimes questionable) reputation through its commitment to offer discounts to the military community. According to Home Depot, the military discount conveys deep respect and appreciation for every sacrifice that active duty servicemembers, Veterans, and their families have made. The military discount provides 10% off on online and in-store purchases and is capped at $400 annually. The discount is available to all U.S. active service members, Veterans and their spouses. It applies to most products, but there are exceptions which include appliances, gift cards, tool rental fees, and goods with manufacturer restrictions. Who is Eligible for the Military Discount? The Home Depot military discount applies to all active-duty military, and Veterans

Citizens of the United States honor the voluntary decision to enlist in the military in many ways. Servicemen receive various benefits for their service from the government, including retirement, VA insurance, and many others, but many private industries also find ways to say “thank you” to military personnel. Restaurants often offer discounted meals or special deals for service people; museums offer free admission; and vacation destinations hold special events and room rates. Many cruise lines offer military-specific cruises with discounts as a way to express gratitude to those who volunteered to defend the country. What Are Military Cruises? Cruise lines often host special gathering events known as “military appreciation cruises,” where they honor military members for their courage and dedication. These events offer special discounts to Veterans and active-duty military personnel, with some even extending the offer to reserve personnel. Some of these deals include discounted travel rates, free or discounted berth rates, and special events aimed at entertaining cruise participants with certain themes. Military cruises occasionally offer patriotic-themed shows and parties, military-themed food and beverages, and themed on-deck parties. In many cases, these cruises only allow military personnel and Veterans to participate, meaning that everyone on

Navigating the world of life insurance as a Veteran can be overwhelming, especially with options like Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) and Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI) and the many others that all kind of sound the same. On the surface, these VA-backed programs might seem like convenient, safe choices. After all, they’re designed specifically for those who served, right? But here’s the truth: while these options might suit a small number of Veterans, they’re generally not the best financial choice for most. In this article, we’ll break down what VALife Insurance and VGLI really offer, why they might not be the best fit for your needs, and why the “buy term and invest the difference” strategy could be your ticket to a more secure financial future. Understanding the new Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) What is VALife? Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) is a whole life insurance policy introduced by the VA in January 2023. It’s designed to offer coverage to Veterans with service-connected disabilities who might struggle to find insurance elsewhere. VALife provides coverage from $10,000 to $40,000, and once you’re in, your premiums stay the same for life. Sounds decent at first, but as

The short answer is no. There is no free life insurance for 100% disabled Veterans. Not anymore at least. There used to be a VA backed policy for free life insurance for 100% disabled Veterans called “S-DVI” or Service-Disabled Veterans Life Insurance up until December 31, 2022. Unfortunately, this program got discontinued when the VA launched their new “VA Life Insurance” program and as of right now there is no free life insurance for 100% disabled Veterans – or any rating for that matter. There are however a lot of very affordable life insurance programs for all Veterans that extend coverage also to disabled Veterans. If you already have free life insurance for 100% disabled Veterans you can keep the policy as is, you don’t have to do anything. Are all S-DVI policies free for disabled Veterans? No, only those Veterans who are totally disabled (100%) were able to receive a waiver for the premium on their policy. For everyone else the premium depends on their age, amount of insurance, coverage plan and whether your billing is set to monthly or annually as the VA gives a slight discount to all annual billings. What are your options

Veterans Affairs Life Insurance or “VA Life” Insurance is an insurance policy provided directly through the VA. It’s a whole life insurance policy with the death benefit ranging from $10,000 to $40,000. VA Life Insurance is the VA’s first new life insurance policy in almost 50 years and was established in January 2023. The idea behind it is to help eligible Veterans with service-connected disabilities to gain access to a whole life insurance policy that they can qualify for. At first glance this seems like a good deal, however it’s important to understand why the concept of whole life insurance is disadvantageous for the majority of Veterans – even in old age and/or when they have a service-connected disability. Keep on reading to understand why this is such a bad policy and to understand the difference between VA Life Insurance and VGLI (Veterans Group Life Insurance). VA Life Insurance (VA Life) is often confused with Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI) Many Veterans and other people confuse VGLI and VA Life Insurance with one another because of the similar name. However, they couldn’t be more different. One policy, the VA Life Insurance is whole life insurance while the

The Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) is a life insurance policy offered explicitly to Veterans that allows them to continue with the SGLI coverage after dismissal from the service. This program guarantees that Veterans are insured as long as they continue paying premiums for their policy, unlike the traditional term life insurance with a fixed expiration time. This continuity can be essential for the post-services Veteran who does not qualify for any private insurance policy. However, we should already note that VGLI is not a good life insurance policy in general and most Veterans are far better off cancelling their VGLI policy with the VA if they transferred from SGLI into VGLI and get a private term life insurance policy instead if they’re able to qualify. The same applies if you don’t have a VGLI policy yet. You can skip to here where we explain why VGLI is a bad choice for the majority of Veterans. The VGLI program provides coverage in increments of $10,000 from $10,000 to $500,000, depending on the veteran’s coverage under SGLI and what plan they chose upon transferring their SGLI into VGLI. Editor’s Note: Effective March 1, 2023, the maximum amount of

Survivors and Dependents Education Program, Disabled Veteran Benefits, VTAP and more Virginia is a strong supporter of the United States Armed Forces and its Servicemembers. Virginia is home to numerous military installations, including Naval Air Station Oceana, Fort Belvoir, and Marine Corps Base Quantico, among many others. To show the state’s appreciation for its military residents, Virginia offers various benefits to Veterans, including property tax exemptions for disabled Veterans, tuition assistance for spouses and children of qualifying Servicemembers, employment assistance, and hunting and fishing license privileges. The Virginia Veteran benefits system provides such perks as Virginia dependent education benefits, Virginia survivor benefits, and Virginia income tax exemption for Veterans. There are even more benefits available to Virginia Veterans. Virginia Veteran Financial Benefits Virginia offers several financial benefits to Veterans, including the Virginia property tax exemption for Veterans, VA home loans, and assistance with vehicle registration and sales taxes. The State of Virginia Veterans benefits looks to work in partnership with federal financial programs for Veterans through the VA as well. Some other financial benefits include free use of toll facilities, as Veterans who have been rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having a 100%

Hazlewood Act, Hunting & Fishing Licenses, Veteran Property Tax Exemptions and more Texas is quite proud of its many contributions to the United States Armed Forces in the way of personnel, military bases, and benefits to its Veterans. In an effort to honor its resident Servicemembers, the state offers several Veterans benefits for Texas such as Veteran home loans, a special Texas state park pass, Texas disabled Veteran benefits, disabled Veteran property tax exemption, Hazlewood Act education benefits and Veterans Texas hunting license. Keep reading to learn more about these Texas Veteran benefits. Texas Veteran Financial Benefits Texas offers many financial benefits to Servicemembers in addition to VA programs through the Texas Veterans Commission. Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption The disabled Veteran property tax exemption excludes disabled Vets from certain taxes through its homestead tax exemption Texas program. For example, Veterans with a percentage disability issued by the VA qualify for the Texas disabled Veteran property tax exemption. In Texas, Veterans with a disability rating of:  100% are exempt from all property taxes in the disabled Veteran property tax exemption.  70 to 100% receive a $12,000 property tax exemption. 50 to 69% receive a $10,000 property tax exemption. 30