About Rated, Now What

Who's behind this

I'm Jeff, a disabled veteran. Since leaving the military, I've spent my time in corporate America, mostly in the banking industry, and on the side I invest in real estate and lend money. So reading the fine print is second nature to me, and I'm in the exact situation I write about.

I started Rated, Now What because of something I noticed the day my rating finally came through. There is an entire industry built around helping you get the rating, and a lot of it is predatory. There is almost nothing honest built around what you do after. You have the rating and a tax-free check that shows up every month for the rest of your life, and then everyone goes quiet. That silence is the gap I am trying to fill.

What this is

Plain-language money education for the already-rated disabled veteran. What to actually do with the check: concurrent receipt, the property-tax exemption that can take your tax bill to zero, real estate, protecting the income, and avoiding the people who circle it. The kind of thing I wish someone had handed me.

What this is not

It is not VA claims help. I do not file, prepare, or charge for claims, and it is illegal for unaccredited people to charge for that anyway. If you need help with a claim or an appeal, you use a free accredited Veterans Service Officer (DAV, VFW, American Legion, or your county VSO), and I will always point you there.
It is not personalized financial advice. I write general education and frameworks. For decisions about your specific money, talk to a fee-only fiduciary. I am not your advisor, your CPA, or your attorney.
It is not a pitch in disguise. See exactly how this makes money on the How we make money page. The short version: the newsletter is free, I disclose every paid link, and I never take a cut of your benefits.

Why trust me over the other guys

Because I am not selling you a loan, a policy, or a claims package. I am a disabled veteran who figured a lot of this out the hard way and writes it down straight. I would rather make a little less and keep your trust than the other way around. If I ever break that, hit reply and call me on it.

Welcome aboard.

Jeff

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This is general education, not advice. Nothing here is individualized legal, tax, financial, or investment advice, and nothing here is VA claims assistance or representation. We do not prepare, present, or charge for VA benefit claims. Rules, rates, forms, and deadlines change, always verify at the official source linked before you rely on it. For claims help, use a free VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization (DAV, VFW, American Legion, or your county Veterans Service Officer). For individualized money decisions, consult a fee-only fiduciary professional.

Applying for benefits is free and self-service: enrolling in VA health care, CHAMPVA, Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA), a Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) student-loan discharge, the VA home-loan funding-fee waiver, and Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) or Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) never require paying anyone a fee. Be alert to “pension poaching”: people or companies that charge fees, push you to move money into trusts or annuities, or offer a lump-sum “buyout” of your future VA payments to “qualify” you for a benefit or “help” with paperwork. Report suspected fraud to the VA Office of Inspector General at vaoig.gov/hotline or 1-800-488-8244 (this is the OIG fraud hotline, a different number than VA's general 1-800-827-1000 benefits line).

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