Military.com reported yesterday that the annual bill to approve the cost-of-living increase for veterans compensation and pension programs has been taken off the “secret hold” and that the Senate … [Read more...]
The Military Advantage Minute: VA Burial Benefits
July 10, 2012 | Terry HowellUSAA, USNI, and Military.com partner to provide a series of helpful videos. Military.com and USAA recently launched a series of short videos designed to raise awareness of the need for … [Read more...]
2012 COLA Update: Now on to the President
November 18, 2011 | Terry HowellCongress passed the 2012 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for military retirees, veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities, and Social Security recipients. … [Read more...]
VA Comp and Pen Rates May Increase in 2012
October 12, 2011 | Terry HowellVeterans and their survivors may see a cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase in their comp and pen payment rates for the first time since 2009.Like military retirement pay, the survivor … [Read more...]
Senate Plan Would Cut $80B in Benefits
July 20, 2011 | Terry HowellAccording to reports, the Senate deficit-cutting plan proposed by the “Gang of Six” requires a reduction in retiree COLA and demands that the armed services committees make $80 billion in cuts to … [Read more...]
2012 Retiree COLA Update
May 20, 2011 | Terry HowellAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the national inflation rate is still trending upward. Of course anyone who has been grocery shopping lately could tell you that, but, the BLS reports … [Read more...]
House Moves to Cut Widows Tax
May 17, 2011 | Terry HowellThe final mark-up of the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the defense authorization act is a provision to end the "widow's tax" – otherwise known as the SBP/DIC offset -- for 57,000 … [Read more...]
Another Stop-Loss Pay Deadline Extension
March 24, 2011 | Terry HowellOnce again the deadline for applying for stop-loss special pay has been extended. This means that eligible servicemembers, veterans and their beneficiaries have until April 8, 2011 to apply for … [Read more...]
Some Vets Get Chance at Medical Retirement
March 19, 2011 | Terry HowellRoughly 70,000 veterans who were given a medical separation between September 11, 2001 and December 31, 2009 have the chance to have their separations reviewed and possibly upgraded to a medical … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Ensures Fair VA Appeals Process
March 05, 2011 | Benjamin KrausePrior to a recent Supreme Court decision, disabled veterans’ appeals were usually not considered after the 120-day filing deadline passed. In Henderson v. Shinseki, decided March 2, 2011, the … [Read more...]
Senator Seeks End to SBP Offset – Again
February 07, 2011 | Terry HowellFile this one under major league tenacity.This week, just like he has done for each and every congressional session of the past decade, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced legislation to end the … [Read more...]
Medal of Honor Benefits
November 16, 2010 | Terry HowellToday’s news about the extraordinary heroism of Medal of Honor recipient Army SSG Giunta brings up an interesting question – what benefits and privileges will SSG Giunta get?Medal of Honor … [Read more...]
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