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Women in the U.S. Military

Admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:00:57 +0000

Did you know that woman have been part of the United States Armed Forces since 1901 with the establishment of the Army Nurse Corps? Today, women are serving in the military in greater numbers than ever before, accounting for 20% of all new recruits. Below, you can continue to learn about the role women play in our military. We appreciate their service and hope you enjoy the infographic below. Thank you!

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The VA Plays a Key Role in the Well-being of Veterans

Craig Walton — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:17:10 +0000

The Veterans Administration provides health care services to any eligible veteran in the United States. While the VA historically has only provided heath care services to veterans who had service-related injuries and illnesses, it has expanded its services to provide health care to all veterans, regardless whether or not their health care needs are service-related or not.

Providing a Safety Net

According to KaiserEDU.org, approximately 1.8 million veterans do not have any other health insurance available to them. This translates into 12.9 percent of veterans under the age of 65 who depend solely on the Veterans Administration for both their preventive and emergent health care needs. VA health services provide access to care for many, many lower income veterans in the form of doctor appointments, prescription benefits, outpatient and inpatient surgical and other hospital care.

For many veterans, the VA is their only option for health care services. This can be especially true for veterans who live in rural areas or those who have long-term health care concerns, or are facing a difficult cancer prognosis. For example, many veterans who discover later in life they have developed mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure while they served in the Navy or other branch of the military find that they have significant health care needs that may not be served elsewhere.
Access to Care

Often, veterans who have not been part of the Veterans Administration health care system are confused by the process. The first step is to contact their local VA representative and become enrolled in the system. The VA website has a great deal of helpful information about local services available and the location of clinics and hospitals in your area.

Also, if you discover that your health care issues are service-related, do not waste any time applying for disability compensation from the VA. While it may take a considerable amount of time and effort to be approved for this compensation, it is one of the benefits to which you are entitled as a veteran. As your disability rating increases, so does your access to health care assistance. Additionally, your copay amounts will decrease or may be eliminated entirely.

Health care is one of the benefits that come along with service to your country in the military. Today’s Veterans Administration is making a greater effort to meet the health care needs of veterans, no matter what age they are and how long it has been since they returned to civilian life. By accessing the VA’s health care programs, you can not only receive primary care services, but also prescriptions, surgical care, dental care, mental health care and an entire realm of other types of health care services.

History of the American Flag (infographic)

Admin — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:00:16 +0000

The American flag goes by many names: Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, and The Star-Spangled Banner, but what it stands for and the history of this flag requires much more than just the names can convey. “The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.” We hope this history of the American flag inspires more patriotism in all of us.

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How does the dowgrading of the US credit rating affect VA interest rates?

Eric Kandell — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 22:39:17 +0000

Over the weekend, S&P, one of three main credit rating agencies, decided to downgrade the United States to a AA+ rating from a AAA for the first time in almost 80 yrs. Many potential home buyers or people looking or thinking about refinancing may wonder what this means for them. We will address specifically Veterans and VA rates today, but the post can be applied to anyone.

Over the weekend many market analysts and gurus were trying to guess and predict what would happen to interest rates in response to the credit downgrade. If you were to read a book on the economy or bet on the most likely outcome, you would have predicted, just like the pros, that interest rates would be higher today. Here is how you look at why that would happen. Suppose you were lending someone money who had perfect credit and no likelihood of not being able to pay you back, it was almost guaranteed you would get your money back plus the interest. You would probably give them a very low and stable interest rate in return for them not being a risk to you or your money. Now suppose that you had a very good reason to believe that the once perfect credit person you were lending money to, would perhaps not be able to pay you or would maybe miss some payments here or there? Would you want to keep lending them money at the same interest rate or even the same large amounts? Most likely no!

Well this is how countries, investors, and institutions that were buying US treasuries were expected to react this morning. One would think they would all start taking money back from the US and this would in turn put the US in a tough position and would ultimately increase interest rates. However, interestingly enough money poured into US treasuries today and drove VA interest rates lower!

One thing that is worth noting however is that VA mortgage lenders did not pass on a lot of the gains interest rates had today, but instead are in essence sitting on the side lines to see what happens tomorrow. Normally with as big of a rate rally as we had today interest rates on VA loans would have gotten better than they have, but VA mortgage lenders are waiting to see what tomorrow brings. The Federal Reserve has their FOMC meeting on interest rates tomorrow too!

Here is to lower VA interest going forward.

Veterans Beware of VA streamline sales tricks

Eric Kandell — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 18:09:42 +0000

As a branch manager here at Low VA Rates, a division of Flagship Financial Group, I constantly talk to Veteran or military home owners who are skeptical about VA streamline offers they are getting in the mail, on the internet, over the phone and even some in their home from a live person. In many cases the information being given or received is legit, clear and straightforward. Unfortunately, we do sometimes hear about information that is being shared from a loan officer, telemarketer, or other bank employee that is not completely true and at times, down right illegal!

I hope to be able to share today some tips or tricks for anyone looking to refinance a VA loan via the VA streamline loan program so that regardless of who you are using or intend to use, you can feel a bit better about what you are being told. Here are the basic facts about a VA streamline loan that pretty much all marketing pieces you get or see will outline:

No appraisal (true by VA rules, but most lenders will require one. Low VA Rates does NOT require one)
No credit score minimum (true by VA rules but almost always each bank/lender will want some sort of minimum) Low VA Rates is case by case and has approved below 550 FICO scores on a VA streamline.
No employment/income verification needed. (again true by VA) We will want to make sure you are employed or receive disability or SS or something.
We have been told Mortgage Investors Corporation or MIC regularly requires money out of pocket or upfront. Again, this is allowed, but we do not see any need to do this.

Now here are some tricks or things to use to try and discover if someone is being deceptive or planning a bait and switch:

If the lender wants money upfront or out of pocket at the time of application. (VA does not require this and there is no reason for it) If you are being asked for money or a deposit up front, history has shown this is almost always a sign of bad things to come.
If the lender tells you they can close you in 5-7 days this is almost always to lure you in. Can loans close that fast? Yes, but normally speaking it is not possible.

The VA streamline loan is by far the most popular loan around today for Veterans and military home owners. You of course, have to have a VA loan now to take advantage of this VA IRRRL or Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan. Please apply on our site or give us a call if you have any questions. We look forward to assisting you.

OPSEC

Craig Walton — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:30:06 +0000

I keep hearing ppl ask about OPSEC so here’s what I know…

OPSEC Rules for (forum, blog, chatroom name):

1. Do NOTpost/discuss exact deployment dates or redeployment dates
2. Do NOT reveal camp locations, including nearby cities. After the deployment is officially announced by Military officials, you may discuss locations that have been released, normally on the Country level.
3. Do NOT postdiscuss convoy routes “we traveled through O on our way to X”
4. Do NOT post/discuss Detailed information on the mission, capabilities or morale of a unit
5.Do NOT post Specific names or actual nicknames
6.Do NOT post Personnel transactions that occur in large numbers (Example: pay information, powers of attorney, wills, etc)
7.Do NOT post Details concerning security procedures, response times, tactics
8. Do NOT discuss/post equipment or lack thereof, to include training equipment
9. Do NOT speculate about future operations
10. IF posting pictures, do NOT post anything that could be misconstrued or used for propaganda purposes. A good rule of thumb is to look at your picture without your caption or explanation and consider if it could be re-captioned to reflect poorly on coalition forces. For example, your image might show your Soldier rescuing a child from a blast site, but could be re-captioned to insinuate that the child being captured or harmed. (it’s happened!)
11. AVOID the use of count-up or count-down tickers for the same reason as rule #1
12. PLEASE be very careful if posting pictures of your loved one. Avoid images that show significant landmarks near their base of operations, and black out last names and unit affiliations
13. Do NOT ever post information about casualties (coalition or enemy) before the official release of the information.
14. Do NOT pass on rumors “I heard they’re coming home early”, etc

This article was written by guest blogger ~Dawn~ founder & lead MOD of MILITARY FAMILIES MATTER
Join their facebook community: http://www.facebook.com/MilitaryFamiliesMatter

The History of Memorial Day and Memorial Day Facts

Admin — Mon, 23 May 2011 07:00:38 +0000

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May and is a United States federal holiday. The day was formerly known as Decoration Day and is observed to commemorate U.S. soldiers who died while in military service. Memorial Day is celebrated in different ways by different people. Some visit cemeteries and memorials, while others travel; as it’s often seen as the beginning of the summer vacation season. Below you will find additional information on the history of Memorial Day and some interesting facts about the holiday. Please help us pay tribute to America’s fallen soldiers by leaving a comment below, and sharing this graphic with a friend.

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Anatomy Of A Tank

Admin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:00:04 +0000

Ever wonder what it takes to make a tank a tank? A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offense, and defensive capabilities. We hope you like the Anatomy of a Tank graphic below.

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Security Alarms for Military Home Owners

Eric Kandell — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:22:13 +0000

Unfortunately, not only has crime increased on military housing bases all over the U.S., but so too has the worry on one partner who is alone with the home and children while their marital partner is deployed.

Below are some links that will guide you to purchasing security alarms for military home owners:

1. SecurityChoice has special packages for military housing. Their services include wireless keypad and motion detector. SecurityChoice.com works in conjunction with Clark Pinnacle, which is part of a private partnership with the Army and Navy developed to plan housing units across the United States. You can reach Security Choice at 1-888-803-1938.

2. SimpliSafe is a respected DIY (do-it-yourself) security system. SimpliSafe.com features entry sensors for doors and windows, motion sensors, panic buttons and keychain remotes. They also offer Cellular Link to Emergency Dispatch. This means that should a burglar “cut” the phone lines, he or she is out of luck. Learn more about SimpliSafe.com by calling 1-888-589-0848.

3. For other methods on DIY alarms, conduct a search on e-How.com on “How to Wire an Intruder Alarm,” and find detailed instructions.

4. LifeShield.com offers deep discounts and high technology including back-up devices in case of power outages, wireless cameras, smart phone apps and more. They can be reached via phone here: 1-877-695-7211.

5. Gray Security offers two-way audio communications via your alarm system from anywhere in your home, among other services.

6. Whether you choose any of the above or select another security service, always ensure you take basic safety precautions above and beyond just having a security system. Be aware of your surroundings. Meet your neighbors and establish trust.

Military vs. Civilian Salaries (Infographic)

Admin — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:00:41 +0000

There are many like careers offered in both the military and civilian sector. Sometimes it pays to work for Uncle Sam, and sometimes it does not. The infographic below takes a look at some of these careers and their comparable salaries. Let us know what you think by sharing your comments below. Thanks.

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