Deployment

Combat pay, allotments, and the money moves to make before you leave.

The Deployment Money Checklist

Set your money on autopilot before you deploy, and come home to more than you left.

Hostile Fire Pay and Imminent Danger Pay

Two ways the military pays for dangerous duty: what they are, who qualifies, your LES.

Set Up Direct Deposit and Split Your Pay With Allotments

How to route your pay and use allotments to fund goals before you can spend it.

How to Build an Emergency Fund on Military Pay

The best first money move for junior enlisted, starting this week with as little as $25.

High-Yield Savings: Put Your Money to Work

A high-yield savings account keeps cash safe and reachable while it earns far more.

How to Read and Fix Your Credit Report

Your credit report is your money track record: pull it free, read it, dispute errors.

Auto Insurance: What You Actually Need

Required versus optional coverage, what PCS or deployment changes, and storing a car.

The Savings Deposit Program

Deploy to a combat zone and earn a guaranteed 10% on up to $10,000.

What Is Taxable vs. Tax-Free in Your Military Pay

Simple rule: pays are taxable, allowances aren't, with a big combat-zone exception.

Activation Money

Orders over 30 days flip you to active-duty pay, locality BAH, and free TRICARE.

Combat Zone Tax Exclusion

How one day in a combat zone can make a whole month of pay tax-free.

Understanding Risk and Volatility

What "risky" really means, why a market dip isn't the emergency it feels like.

Wills, Power of Attorney, and a Healthcare Proxy

Young and about to deploy? That's exactly when these three free documents matter most.

Family Separation Allowance: $300 a Month When Orders Split You Apart

FSA adds $300 tax-free a month when orders keep you from dependents 30+ days.

Update Your Beneficiaries on SGLI and TSP

SGLI and TSP pay whoever's on the form. This 15-minute fix protects who you love.

IRAs: Traditional, Roth, and Spousal

An IRA on top of your TSP: why Roth fits junior members, plus the spousal IRA many miss.

Scams That Target Service Members: How to Spot Them and Shut Them Down

Why scammers hunt in formation, the plays they run, and how to lock your credit first.