About Rated, Now What

Who's behind this

I'm Jeff. I'm a 100% permanent-and-total disabled veteran. I also spent my career as a senior risk manager at a bank, and I invest in real estate and lend money for a living. So I read the fine print for a living, and I happen to be living 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, self-directed retirement accounts, 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

Rated, Now What. Money guidance for disabled veterans, after the rating. Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. Education only, not legal, tax, or investment advice, and not VA claims assistance.