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How Rated, Now What makes money

This newsletter is free, and it is staying free. You should still know exactly how it pays for itself, and who is paying, because that is the whole point of trusting someone with your money.

Here is the honest, complete list.

How money comes in

Affiliate links. Sometimes I point you to a product or service I actually use, like an estate-planning service. If you sign up through one of those links, I may earn a referral fee, at no extra cost to you. When that is the case I will tell you right there in the text, every single time, not just on this page. I only point you toward things I would put in front of my own family. I do not take commissions on insurance, and when I recommend a financial planner I am not paid for it.

Sponsorships. Once in a while a company pays to include a message in an issue. It will always be clearly labeled as sponsored, and it will never be dressed up as my advice. A sponsor does not get to write what I say, pick my topics, or change my opinion. If a sponsor ever asked me to mislead you, they would be gone.

An optional paid course, later. Down the road I may offer an in-depth paid course or guide for people who want to go deeper on the money side. The newsletter itself stays free, and you will never have to buy anything to get the genuinely useful stuff. The paid thing is for people who want more, not a wall in front of what you came for.

The lines I will not cross

Why I am telling you this

Because trust is the whole thing. Many of the biggest names in this space are a lender, an insurer, or a claims company, so the thing they recommend and the thing they sell are the same thing. That is not a knock on them, it is just worth knowing who is talking. I am a disabled veteran writing in plain language about what I actually do with my own money, and I would rather make a little less and keep your trust than the other way around.

If I ever break one of these promises, hit reply and call me on it.

Jeff

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Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or any government agency. “VA” and other agency names are used only as factual references and imply no endorsement.

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).

How we make money (someday): this is free. When we recommend a product or service we trust, some links may earn us a commission at no cost to you, and we will always say so clearly. We will never take a fee tied to your VA rating or benefits.

Affiliate disclosure per FTC 16 CFR Part 255.