The ACCRA Cost of Living Index provides a benchmark for comparing the cost of living across different geographic areas at the same time.

The ACCRA Cost of Living Index is a dataset containing key living costs compiled by the Council for Community and Economic Research. The index publishes a national average for the cost of each item in a category and extrapolates an expected expenditure by various family types in a specific area based on the variance from the national baseline across categories. Job seekers and human resources departments can use the ACCRA Cost of Living Index to compare salaries and salary requirements in different parts of the country by looking at the deviation from average in a given area. The index uses a set of broad categories calculated based upon consumer spending on groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care and a miscellaneous collection of goods and services that do not fit under other categories. For those interested in measuring inflation, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the Consumer Price Index, which uses a somewhat similar approach to capture changes in cost of living over time.

ACCRA Cost Of Living Index (COLI)

Financial infidelity occurs when couples with combined finances lie to each other about money. 

Financial infidelity occurs when couples with combined finances lie to each other about money. For example, if one partner works hard to save money to buy a house while the other partner is spending hundreds of dollars a week on clothes, this can lead to significant tension. Examples of financial infidelity can include hiding existing debts, excessive expenditures without notifying the other partner, and lying about the use of money. Money can be a big point of contention among couples, so it is important for each partner to be open about their financial situation, expenditures, and attitudes toward money. Defensiveness or stonewalling when one partner raises the subject of money is common among couples struggling with financial infidelity.

Financial Infidelity

The G.I. Bill refers to any U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits earned by veterans and their families.

GI Bill and Other Education Benefit Eligibility

Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31)

Education and Training: History and Timeline

The GI Bill, also known as the Serviceman's Readjustment Act of 1944, was enacted by Congress and signed into law by former President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide various benefits to World War II veterans. The G.I. Bill has been updated several times since 1944, including the Montgomery GI Bill of 1984, the Post 9-11 G.I. Bill of 2008, and the Vocational Rehabilitation and Education Program. The GI Bill in its original form, the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, was designed to provide benefits, including small business loans, mortgages, and education grants, to veterans following WWII; however, it has since been updated. The Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) covers benefits for members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard or Air National Guard. Today, the GI Bill refers to any U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs education benefit, such as education grants and stipends, earned by active-duty service members, veterans, and their families.

G.I. Bill

Household income, as defined by the Census Bureau, is the combined gross income of all people occupying the same housing unit, who are 15 years and older.

American Community Survey Briefs, Household Income: 2019

Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019

Household income is generally defined as the combined gross income of all members of a household above a specified age. Assuming these individuals' earnings are their only income, their total household income, as defined by the Census Bureau, is $240,000
The range of households used to determine median and average household income may differ. In calculating household income, the U.S. Census Bureau includes all pre-tax _cash_ income of all individuals age 15 years or older belonging to a household, regardless of whether they are related to each other. Household income, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, refers to the combined gross cash income of all members of a household, defined as a group of people living together, who are 15 years or older. The definition of household income depends on context: Who belongs to a household and which items are included in income may vary in different studies and for different government programs.
Sam earns $120,000 per annum from his job as a finance professional.

Household Income

The immediate family is usually defined as a person's smallest family unit, including parents, siblings, spouse, and children.

Most of us know how we define "immediate family" in our own minds, but our views of the matter may not matter when it comes to its definition in the fine print of legal documents or company policies. The definition of an immediate family can affect whether a person can use paid or unpaid leave to care for a sick family member or attend a funeral. In general, a person's immediate family is his or her smallest family unit, including parents, siblings, spouse, and children. Who is considered immediate family matters in situations such as a company's family leave policy. Read the fine print in your company's employee manual to determine how it defines your immediate family, particularly in that Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provision.

Immediate Family

A means test is a formula that qualifies an individual or household for assistance or other benefits.

A means test is a method for determining whether someone qualifies for financial assistance to obtain a service or good, for instance, welfare payments. Means-tested benefits include many government assistance and state and federal welfare programs that measure a family's income against the federal poverty line. Federal financial aid for higher education is also subject to means testing, as households who have accumulated enough assets to fund a college education or who make enough money to have funded an education if they had saved often don't qualify for financial aid. This number is an economic measure that is used to decide whether the income level of an individual or family qualifies for certain federal benefits and welfare programs. Universal or unconditional benefits, such as public schools, Medicare, and social security retirement income do not feature a means test.

Means Test

A military bank is a financial institution that offers services tailored to members of the armed services.

The Navy Commander Behind the Credit Union Banks Love to Hate

A military bank is a financial institution that offers services tailored to members of the armed forces. Members of the military must exercise due diligence when reviewing banking options and not assume that a military bank will be the best choice.
People who serve in the military, along with their families, have unique banking needs that military banking services are designed to meet. Provisions of the SCRA provide benefits such as a 6% cap on interest rates for debts incurred before entering the military, delayed legal proceedings for mortgage foreclosure while a soldier is deployed, the right to terminate an auto lease early upon deployment, and more.
The following are among the best military banks and credit unions that cater to service members:
Navy Federal Credit Union
PenFed Credit Union
Air Force Federal Credit Union Many benefits that military banks offer to military servicemembers are also available through regular banks. Some military banks require customers to have a military affiliation, either directly (active members or veterans) or indirectly (a spouse or dependent) to use their services.

Military Bank

A military clause is a provision in a residential lease that allows military personnel to break the lease if they are required to relocate.

Military Clause: Terminate Your Lease Due to Deployment or PCS

A military clause is a provision included in a residential lease that allows military personnel to break a lease agreement and have security deposits returned if they are called to duty or must relocate due to connected service activity. The military clause typically states something similar to the following but may vary by contract and state:
IN THE EVENT the Tenant is, or hereafter becomes, a member of the United States Armed Forces on extended active duty and hereafter the Tenant receives permanent change of station orders to depart from the area where the Premises are located, or is relieved from active duty, retires or separates from the military, or is ordered into military housing, then in any of these events, the Tenant may terminate this lease upon giving thirty (30) days written notice to the Landlord. A military clause is a provision included in a residential lease that allows military personnel to break a lease agreement and have security deposits returned if they are called to duty or must relocate due to connected service activity. A military clause allows active military personnel, who either are called to duty or must relocate, to break a lease and get their security deposit back. A military clause is a benefit available to active members of the U.S. military, the Reserves, and the National Guard.

Military Clause

Unemployment income is temporary income that governments provide to individuals who have lost their job through no fault of their own.

How Do I File for Unemployment Insurance?

About Form 1099-G, Certain Government Payments

Information Handbook: After You Apply, How Much Will I Receive?

How Your Unemployment Benefits Are Determined

Senate Votes to Increase Unemployment Benefits

Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08): Current Status of Benefits

Comparison of State Unemployment Laws 2019; Chapter 3, Monetary Entitlement

H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Policy Basics: How Many Weeks of Unemployment Compensation Are Available?

Fact Sheet on Unemployment Insurance and the Paycheck Protection Program for Small Business Owners (*As of April 3, 2020)

H.R.133 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021

The term unemployment income refers to an insurance benefit paid as a result of a taxpayer's inability to find gainful employment. On March 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed into law a $2 trillion coronavirus emergency stimulus package called the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which put provisions in place to provide unemployment benefits to unemployed individuals affected by the pandemic.
The law also expanded eligibility to allow those who otherwise don't qualify for benefits, including self-employed people, freelancers, and independent contractors, and created three initiatives called the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, the Federal Pandemic Unemployment (FPUC) program, and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program. Unemployment income is also known as an unemployment benefit, unemployment compensation, or unemployment insurance. Under normal circumstances, most states pay a maximum of 26 weeks of unemployment benefits, but benefits can be extended or augmented during an economic crisis. During times of high unemployment, such as during the Great Recession, unemployment income payments may last for 99 weeks.

Unemployment Income

Some states have an unsatisfied judgment fund which they use to cover damages from a motor vehicle accident when the responsible party cannot pay.

An unsatisfied judgment fund is the amount of money set aside by certain states to cover uncompensated expenses related to bodily injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents where the responsible driver is unable to pay for the damages. An unsatisfied judgment fund is the amount of money set aside by certain states to cover uncompensated expenses related to bodily injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents where the responsible driver is unable to pay for the damages. An unsatisfied judgment fund is the amount of money set aside by certain states to cover uncompensated expenses related to bodily injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents where the responsible driver is unable to pay for the damages. Once the responsible driver pays back the money into the unsatisfied judgment fund, they may be eligible for a driver's license again. If the motorist at fault pays back the unsatisfied judgment amount, the injured motorist must file paperwork with the court to show that they have received the money that was owed.

Family Finances

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