This generation of veterans and servicemembers has access to the best benefits of any era in history. From the VA Home Loan program to the GI Bill, you can save money, enhance your career opportunities, and even change your life. Don’t miss out on any of the military and veteran benefits you have earned.
Do you need help filling out a VA claim application form? If so, plenty of third-party agencies offer to help; everyone from the DAV to the VFW offers assistance. But those agencies aren’t the only ones; there are also third-party companies offering to help. Unfortunately, some of these companies don’t mind charging exorbitant fees to… Read more »
Some changes could be coming to the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities having to do with respiratory, auditory, and medical disorders. This will enable the VA to incorporate modern medical data and terminology to provide veterans with more accurate and consistent decisions. Learn more.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a mental health issue that can be diagnosed and rated by the VA as a service-connected disability. Learn more.
Did you know that military members can get both military retirement benefits and draw Social Security? Since 1957, military members on active duty have enjoyed Social Security coverage. Those who served before then did not pay into Social Security but did get credit for some military duty. SSI Versus SSDI: What to Know According to… Read more »
Military members have a variety of retirement savings and investing options. In addition to the military retirement pay you earn for serving 20 years or more in uniform on active duty or the equivalent in service for the Guard and Reserve, there are several ways to set aside money to use after age 65. Military… Read more »
UPDATE July 8 2025: MHS Genesis has had its full rollout. According to the DoD, “On Mar. 9, 2024, MHS GENESIS (known as the Federal Electronic Health Record) deployed to the final Department of Defense military medical treatment facility. The Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (Lovell FHCC) and its subordinate clinics in… Read more »
There are multiple types of military retirement pay plans for those who serve long enough to qualify for military retirement or are given a disability retirement due to medical issues caused or aggravated by military service. Defense.gov says, “Members who accumulate 20 or more years of active service are eligible for retirement.” That applies to… Read more »
If you are a veteran with a service-connected medical issue, you can file a VA disability claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Doing so makes you eligible for consideration for a VA disability rating, and you may be entitled to monthly compensation for your service-connected medical issues.
Military Pay and Allowances Explained To understand military pay and allowances, you must first understand Basic Pay. Military members are offered Basic Pay for their time served, this is the salary for those in uniform. Most other payments above and beyond Basic Pay are either “special pay”, allowances, “incentive pay” or similar. Basic Pay does… Read more »
Have you filed a claim for VA benefits under the PACT Act? This legislation created new “presumptive conditions” for troops exposed to toxic operations such as burn pits, the use of Agent Orange, and duty-related radiation exposure. Under PACT Act guidelines, those submitting claims to the VA may get automatic approval for 24 newly added… Read more »