J.J. Montanaro

Latest Articles

Do the Math, Save Your Cash: Use BAH as It's Intended

Basic Allowance for Housing is designed to cover almost the entire cost of housing (99 percent to be exact), including...

7 Tips to Rein In Back-to-School Spending

Americans spend nearly as much on back-to-school shopping as they do during the holidays.

Can Military Service Make You a Millionaire?

Here's a question to motivate you as we begin a new year: Can you retire from the military as a multimillionaire?

Busting Budgets Vs. Buying Smart

Just because you can buy it, doesn't mean you should. That basic financial rule of thumb is especially true when you're...

A Military Money Must-Do

Sometimes it's difficult to set ourselves up for success -- even when we know what's in our long-term best interest.

Teens and Money: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Repeating advice to teens is all very well, but nothing matches hands-on experience.

5 Money Misconceptions

The world of personal finance is home to more than a few mistaken beliefs.

Investing Doesn't Have to Be Scary

Investing strikes fear into the hearts of many. One way to ease those fears: Do it systematically.

How to Get Back on Track After a Bankruptcy

It's important to critically assess what went wrong and why, and then move forward with purpose. Here are five steps to...

Roth TSP Adds a Tool to Your Savings Kit

As a financial planner, I've told countless folks there's no silver bullet to fix their financial ailments. But the Roth...

Budgeting Can Help You Weather Tough Times

When it comes to money, do you feel like you're always coming up short? Well, you're not alone.

5 Back-to-School Shopping Tips

Back-to-school shopping isn't the minor leagues. Americans spend almost as much on it as they do on the holidays.

How to Handle Some Extra Cash (Including a Tax Refund)

We've got some ideas to help you make the best use of it before it's nothing but a memory ... or a big-screen TV.

Military News

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. Right in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice.

Thank you for subscribing!

View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page.

One last step.

Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to:

Most Popular Military News

Medical students at the Uniformed Services University perform drills.

Storm Brewing over Departure of US Military's Medical School President

Supporters say the non-renewal of the president's contract is a political move, and they are raising concerns over the pick...

The Sierra Nevada MC-145B Wily Coyote, which is similar to the Air Force’s C-145 Combat Coyote pictured here, is one of five candidates for the Armed Overwatch program. (Senior Airman Blake Wiles/U.S. Air Force)

Special Operations Command Eyes Four Squadrons of Armed Overwatch Aircraft

SOCOM commander Gen. Richard Clarke said each squadron would be made up of 15 aircraft, and he expects one would be deployed...

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley answers questions from the media.

Joint Chiefs Chair Dodges Questions on Trump, Coup Concerns and Nazis

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley refused to address a book alleging he was concerned that Donald Trump might...

Sign for Lincoln Military Housing at Camp Pendleton. (U.S. Marine Corps/ Lance Cpl. Michelle S. Mattei)

Check Your Policy: A Marine Family's $14K Bill for Base Housing Damage

A major insurer has changed its policy on liability coverage for military housing tenants after a Camp Pendleton family...

Brig. Gen. Stephen J. Maranian delivers a speech.

Army Reinstates War College Commandant After Sexual Contact Investigation

Latest Military Videos

Belarusian Yak-130 Jet Crashes Killing Two Pilots

A Belarusian Yak-130 jet crashed killing the two pilots onboard.

Amazon to Hire 100,000 Veterans and Military Spouses by 2024

Amazon announces its plan to hire 100,000 vets and military spouses by 2024 which could help a lot of...

Russian WWII Veteran Beats COVID after Weeks in Hospital

Russian World War Two veteran Nikolai Bagayev feels like he has cheated death twice.

Army News

U.S. Army Reserve 1st Lt. Amber English qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games Skeet Event

Army Shooter Is First US Service Member to Win Gold Medal at Tokyo Olympics

First Lt. Amber English, a logistics officer and member of the Army Marksmanship Unit, bested Diana Bacosi of Italy, the 2016...

Premier: Iraq Doesn't Need US Combat Troops

Mustafa al-Kadhimi said Iraq will still ask for U.S. training and military intelligence gathering.

Black Rifle Coffee Company aspires to help you live the life of your dreams.

Black Rifle Coffee Distances Itself from Extremists, Including Some Who Loved Their Brand

The company had to deliberately state what kind of followers wouldn't be tolerated: extremists.

Navy News

Iranian frigate "Sahand" of the Southern Fleet of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy.

Russia Marks Navy's 325th Anniversary, Iranian Ship Joins In

Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the main parade of more than 50 vessels in St. Petersburg.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke returns home after completing a six-month deployment providing air defense support in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brittney Cannady/U.S. Navy photo)

Senate Defense Bill Would Add $2 Billion for Shipbuilding, Including Another Destroyer

Sen. Tim Kaine said the Senate Armed Services Committee has budgeted for one more Arleigh Burke-class destroyer than the...

Freed Guantánamo Inmate with Moroccan Family After 19 Years

Abdullatif Nasser is the first detainee at the Guantánamo Bay center to be transferred into the custody of his home country...

Air Force News

Frank Kendall III, President Joe Biden's nominee to be secretary of the Air Force, appears for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, May 25, 2021. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

Senate Confirms Frank Kendall to Lead Air Force

Despite facing several holds during the confirmation process, senators ultimately voted to confirm Frank Kendall as the 26th...

In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, rioters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington. (John Minchillo/AP Photo File)

Yes, an Air Force Recruit with Ties to a Hate Group Is Out. But the Military’s Extremism Problem Isn’t Fixed.

The Air Force has kicked out a man who belonged to the white nationalist group Identity Evropa months after reporters...

Defense Department police officer Richard Martinez, a patrol officer with the 673d Security Forces Squadron, turns on a new body camera during a routine stop Jan. 8, 2021, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (Senior Airman Crystal A. Jenkins/U.S. Air Force)

Air Force Suspends Using Body Cameras for Its Security Personnel

The service estimates 13 units actively employed body cameras; nine had bought the equipment but had not activated them for...

Marine Corps News

Army Reserve sergeant stirs chili at Bagram Airfield.

A $500 Rip It? How Grilled Cheese and Energy Drinks Fueled the Afghanistan Withdrawal

Energy drinks and tobacco became hot commodities as residents at Bagram Airfield hunted for diminishing supplies before the U...

Former Marine Thae Ohu joins the ranks of service members whose stories have grown to be rallying cries in the struggle for change in the way the military treats mental health and handles sexual assault. (Michael Hinesley)

'They Choose Not to Listen': Thae Ohu Speaks for the First Time on Her Experience in the Marines

Former Marine Thae Ohu's story became a very public symbol of the way military commanders can fail those under their care.

Check Your Policy: A Marine Family's $14K Bill for Base Housing Damage

A major insurer has changed its policy on liability coverage for military housing tenants after a Camp Pendleton family...

Coast Guard News

That is one Semper Paratus game face. (U.S. Coast Guard)

5 Combat Victories the Coast Guard Scored Against America’s Enemies

To honor the Coast Guard's August 4th birthday: five stories to remind you the Coast Guard punches way above its weight.

The remaining military aviation unit at the Former McClellan AFB, Calif., is home to Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento which operates four HC-130 Hercules fixed-wing aircraft with 189 personnel assigned to the unit. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Sheriff: Florida Man Stole Car, Got into Coast Guard Plane

The suspect went into a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft and made it to the cockpit, where he was arrested.

A duck boat that sank in Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, is raised.

3 Men Charged in Deadly 2018 Missouri Duck Boat Accident

Rides on the lake in modified former World War II vehicles once were a popular draw in the Branson area.