Final week for Tricare open season selection is here

Last week my dentist held an informational meeting for military retirees to help navigate the maze thousands of military families have suddenly found themselves in – choosing their medical coverage through Tricare, otherwise known as open season.

I was the youngest person in the room, by about 20 years. And the consensus among attendees and medical professionals was: this first year of Tricare open season is a confusing one.


Wait, What? Scholarships Are Taxable?

By StatePoint Media

Everyone knows about scholarships. They’re no-strings-attached money to help students pay for their higher education. Right?

Usually, but not always. In some cases, there are significant strings attached -- including situations in which scholarships are treated as taxable income. While unusual, it’s important for students, their families and scholarship providers to understand all the implications.

Tax Status


Tricare Webinar set for Nov. 15

In case you haven’t heard, Tricare is changing.

For the first time, Tricare beneficiaries will participate in an open season, meaning you pick the level of care and the amount of your monthly payment. While an open enrollment is typical for civilian employers, this is a first for the Department of Defense.

For military families who have access to military medical care and an HMO through a spouse’s civilian employer, it is a great time to compare coverage and pick what is truly best for your family and your budget.


How to help military families displaced by Hurricane Michael

Hurricane Michael slammed into the Gulf Coast last week and destroyed much of Panama City and the surrounding area.

It also ripped through Tyndall Air Force Base. Officials there announced that every structure on base sustained some level of damage, including military family housing.

Families there were evacuated ahead of the storm and many cannot return for now. Many also lost their on-base homes and all their belongings in the storm.

Leaders in military spouse organizations organized a donation system before the storm was even fully over.


Retirement pay and VA disability compensation to increase in 2019

There was a lot of new information to digest when my husband retired in 2013. A lot of paperwork, a lot of decisions to make and a lot of well, a lot.

A point I missed, and maybe you did too, is that military retiree pay fluctuates with cost of living allowances. So far, that amount has been too miniscule to really notice.

In January, military retirees will receive the largest COLA increase in seven years, a full 2.8 percent pay raise. For those military members at the tippy top of the retirement pay charts that increase could be as much as $369  a month.


How to practice mindfulness at work

My supervisor just spoke to me for a good 15 minutes and I can’t really tell you what he said or why he was hovering over my desk.

Sure, I nodded, smiled, made eye contact and remember even laughing at his jokes. But internally, I was still re-writing the last line of my report, making a list of all the clients I still had to contact before 5 p.m. and trying desperately to remember what we had in the freezer at home that could make a quick meal before soccer practice.


You may be eligible for unemployment benefits after a PCS

If your summer PCS has left you jobless and you’ve had no luck hitting the pavement, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits, depending on the state you live in.

Unemployment compensation programs are mandated and run by individual state governments and each have their own set of rules. Eligible unemployed workers receive weekly checks to hold them over until they do find a job and may qualify for other benefits. Generally this compensation is not given to workers who voluntarily quit their jobs.


Help for veteran caregivers

Finally, we matter.

For decades, wives, siblings, parents and others have shouldered the extremely heavy weight of caring for injured veterans with little to no help from the military or the federal government.

It seems that the Department of Veterans Affairs may finally have heard our pleas.

Last week the VA announced that it would open a research center for military veteran care givers issues.


PenFed Credit Union partners with Sallie Mae for college planning and financing

PenFed Credit Union, the second largest federal credit union in the country, has announced a new partnership with Sallie Mae to offer free college planning tools and a full suite of financing options to help PenFed members responsibly pay for college.


Thinking about starting your degree? This fall is a great time to begin

The kids are heading back to school soon. Are you considering your own degree program?

Worried that it’s not the right time? Worried about financing those classes? Making time for homework? Not sure you can make it all work?

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