This years Army Navy football game will take place on December 10, 2011.

This is the first Spirit Video I’ve seen this year, and I’d have to say it’s a good one!

For game information, game gear and more information you can visit http://armynavygame.com

Our favorite USAA is the presenting sponsor this year.

To view more Spirit Videos – Click here or http://armynavygame.com/spirit-spots.php

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Today the news was filled with stories of Bank of America announcing it will soon charge customers $5 a month to use their Debit Card for retail transactions. This move after Wells Fargo and Chase tested similar fees to their customers. For the 38.7 people who carry Bank of America cards, they will now have to decide if $60 a year is just too much to pay.

I have to say I felt a sense of relief knowing USAA does not charge any extra fees for using their debit card. I like using my USAA debit card for gas, groceries, Starbucks, retail therapy, the list goes on and one. It’s nice to know I don’t have to pay an extra fee to have this convenience. Thanks USAA!

From USAA.com:

USAA Bank announced today that its debit card will remain fee free. We’re proud of our service to military members and their families and that USAA Bank remains committed to offering a free checking account – and free debit card – with superior features such as:

• Free checking – No monthly service fees regardless of balance.
• Free nationwide ATM use – First 10 ATM withdrawals are free, and if another bank charges, we’ll refund up to $15 of their bank fees each month.
• Deposit options – Make a deposit through one of more than 2,000 The UPS Store® locations, and qualifying members can also deposit checks from home, an iPhone™ or Android™ phone.
• Free online and mobile banking – Check balances, transfer funds and pay bills using a computer, smartphone, iPad® or mobile.usaa.com.
• Free USAA® Money Manager – Track spending with a personal budgeting tool.

Related article:

Bank of America debit fee is only the latest

How do you feel about BoA charging to use their debit card? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

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From our friends at USAA:

Mobile devices can be lifelines following extreme weather

SAN ANTONIO – Home and safety preparations for those in Hurricane Irene’s path should include making smartphones and other mobile devices storm-ready, according to financial services provider USAA.

“As soon as a hurricane or severe storm becomes a threat, boarding windows  and stocking food and water supplies are priority one,” says Elizabeth Gulick, executive director of Catastrophe Operations at USAA. “But taking a couple minutes to update your mobile devices with key information can provide an invaluable lifeline and peace of mind in its aftermath.”

Getting the Most from Your Mobile Device Before, During and After a Storm

Extreme weather can disrupt communication channels, making mobile devices essential tools to keep in touch with family as well as with response and recovery efforts.  USAA offers these tips to make your mobile device storm-ready:

• Create a texting phone tree.
  Create a network of contacts so you can reach them quickly after any sort of extreme weather.  Texting may be the only available form of communication.

• Set up emergency text alerts.
  Access to television or radio could be limited. By setting up emergency text alerts with your city or insurer when available, you can increase the chance that you’ll stay connected wherever you are.

• Utilize mobile banking apps.
  Many banks have developed mobile banking apps for smartphones that allow people to move money, pay bills and deposit checks from their phones. Having ready access to your funds can save a lot of headaches in the storm’s aftermath.

• Take advantage of insurance apps.
  Some insurance companies, including USAA, allow their customers to file claims using their smartphones to quickly start the recovery process.

• Download emergency service apps.
  Emergency service apps will allow you to access important resources, such as the American Red Cross.

• Have a car phone charger and spare battery.
  If power is out for an extended period, your car can be a valuable source of energy.

More hurricane preparedness tips can be found on USAA’s Disaster and Recovery Center at usaa.com/help.

For more information regarding USAA’s mobile services, download the free USAA Mobile App by visiting the Apple^® App Store^TM or downloading the free USAA Mobile App for Android™ by visiting the Android Market. Additional information can be found on usaa.com.

About USAA
USAA provides insurance, banking, investment and retirement products and services to 8.4 million members of the U.S. military and their families. Known for its legendary commitment to its members, USAA is consistently recognized for outstanding service, employee well-being and financial strength. USAA membership is open to all who are serving or have honorably served our nation in the U.S. military – and their families.

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Do you have a favorite military blog? Now is your chance to nominate your favorite blog(s) in the 2011 Milbloggies.

The Milbloggies Award recognizes military bloggers for their contribution to blogging, news and information, and to the military over the past year. Think of it as the People’s Choice awards for the military blogs.

Don’t delay the window to nominate your favorite blog(s) closes on Sunday, April 17th!

From milblogging.com

Nominations are now open in the Fifth Annual Milbloggies from now until Sunday, April 17.

The Milbloggies are taking place this year on the Milblog Conference website which can be found here.

All you have to do is leave your nomination as a comment in the appropriate category, along with the URL and title of the blog you are nominating.

How it works

Wednesday, April 13. Nominations open.

Sunday, April 17. Nominations Close.

Up to 10 Finalists selected in each category by Milblogging panelist(s).

Friday, April 22. Voting Starts.

Thursday, April 28. Finalist voting closes.

Saturday, April 20.  Finalists receiving the most votes in their respective category will be designated as the winner for that category. Milbloggie Winners will be announced at the 2011 Official Milblog Conference held in Arlington, VA.

In addition to the 2011 Milbloggie winners, USAA will also present a “Fan Favorite Award”.  More details here.

For Rules & FAQs, go here.

For Nominations, go here.

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This is awesome, incredible news! Thank you USAA! It is an honor to be selected!

From USAA.com –

Blogger follows dreams and helps create a social network for others to do the same.

The April 2011 Military Blogger of the Month presented by USAA is Wendy Poling, a Navy wife managing to follow her dreams while following her husband’s career.

She is the executive producer for Military Life Radio and the Navy Wife Radio webcast. Wendy is also a freelance writer and has been published in Military Spouse Magazine and The Navy Times providing her with the opportunity to reach thousands of military spouses by sharing her experiences, military updates and lifestyle tips.

Good Stuff to Know

In the spirit of sharing knowledge, here are a few of Wendy’s blogtalk radio chats and blog posts that may give you a better understanding of the military, help you personally or just be an interesting read.

• Favorite Fan’s featured on our Facebook Page
• Deployment Tips for You and Your Preschooler
• Giving Back
• Georgetown Cupcake sends 10,000 Cupcakes to Troops in Afghanistan

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“We’re making members’ lives easier by taking the guesswork out of buying a new vehicle,” said Steve Thompson, assistant vice president, USAA. “The ‘Best Value’ vehicles typically have better safety ratings, lower Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price and insurance costs, higher fuel economy and better overall reliability than other vehicles in the same category.”

“Best Value” vehicles rose to the top in each of the 16 categories for offering the best financial value of all vehicles USAA evaluates as part of a broader vehicle rating system called USAA Preferred.  There are more than 80cars, trucks and minivans that are currently designated as USAA Preferred vehicles of which the “Best Value” vehicle list is a subset. The USAA Preferred rating system involves three steps:

• Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) Value–As the first step, and a key differentiator to USAA’s proprietary scoring model, USAA weighs key attributes such as engine type and safety features to determine whether the vehicle’s MSRP is a good value.
• Depreciation & Ownership Costs – Next, USAA factors depreciation and added costs for fuel, auto insurance and extended warranty into the methodology. Extended warranty costs are an indicator of vehicle reliability and maintenance costs.
• Safety – Once all of these criteria are quantified and weighted, the top 40 percent of vehicles are evaluated for safety – the final and most critical indicator of all USAA Preferred vehicles. Only vehicles that receive one of the top two safety ratings as reported by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) are qualified to be a USAA Preferred vehicle. Vehicles on the IIHS Top Safety Picks list are given additional weight in the rating system.

USAA Preferred and “Best Value” vehicles are designated as such on usaa.com and autocircle.com. Soon members will be able to view these designations on the USAA Mobile App on the iPhone^® or Android^TM.

Auto Circle^®, which launched in August 2010, provides USAA members with a convenient way to find, finance and insure a vehicle through autocircle.com or the USAA Mobile App.

“Our members turn to us for help and advice because they know they can trust us,” said Thompson. “The ‘Best Value’ list helps members make smart financial decisions by determining which vehicles give them the most bang for their buck.”

For more information about the USAA “Best Value” list, and the specific automobiles featured, visit www.usaa.com/bestvalue.

About “Best Value” List

USAA Preferred “Best Value” vehicles are those vehicles ranked highest in each vehicle category AND obtain “Good/Acceptable” crash test ratings from IIHS and represent vehicles which are determined to be the best financial value using a USAA-developed proprietary statistical model. The model relates MSRP to vehicle features (engine type, drive train, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, number of airbags, transmission, body additions, curb weight, horsepower-to-curb weight, height and vehicle category), fuel economy, insurancecost, additional warranty cost, depreciation, and IIHS Top Safety Pick to determine the value. In providing this analysis, USAA does not consider factors other than those disclosed.

About USAA Preferred

USAA Preferred vehicles represent vehicles which are determined to be a good financial value using a USAA-developed proprietary statistical model. The model relates MSRP to vehicle features (engine type, drive train, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, number of airbags, transmission, body additions, curb weight, horsepower-to-curb weight, height and vehicle category), fuel economy, insurance cost, additional warranty cost, depreciation, and IIHS Top Safety Pick to determine the value. USAA Preferred vehicles are those vehicles ranked in the top 40 percent for each vehicle category AND obtain “Good/Acceptable” crash test ratings from IIHS. In providing this analysis, USAA does not consider factors other than those disclosed in determining USAA Preferred vehicles.

About Auto Circle

Auto Circle™ is a program provided by United Services Automobile Association. Participation in the Auto Circle program is free.  The products available through the program have associated costs and fees.

Availability, eligibility restrictions, and fees may apply to certain banking, insurance or ancillary products.  Property and casualty insurance provided by United Services Automobile Association, and its affiliate property and casualty insurance companies is available only to persons eligible for P&C group membership. Loans provided by USAA Federal Savings Bank, Member FDIC. Purchase of a bank product does not establish eligibility for or membership in USAA property and casualty insurance companies. USAA Car Buying Service and Lowest Price Guarantee provided and operated by Zag.com Inc. on behalf of USAA.  USAA does not broker, sell, or lease motor vehicles. Certain products and services are provided by third parties.  Each company has sole liability for its own products.

About USAA
USAA provides insurance, banking, investment and retirement products and services to 8 million members of the U.S. military and their families. Known for its legendary commitment to its members, USAA is consistently recognized for outstanding service, employee well-being and financial strength. USAA membership is open to all who are serving or have honorably served our nation in the U.S. military, and their families. For more information about USAA, or to learn more about membership, visit usaa.com.

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DC CUPCAKES follows sisters and business partners Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis and the colorful crew at Georgetown Cupcake.

Sophie and Katherine from TLC’s DC Cupcakes join us to chat about their upcoming episode OPERATION CUPCAKE. Plus, USAA’s June Walbert, Certified Financial Planner, stops in to help us with stress free saving tips as a follow up to Military Saves Week.

You don’t want to miss this show!!

Click to listen:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/navywiferadio/2011/03/04/dc-cupcakes-sends-10000-cupcakes-to-troops-in-afghanistan-1

or http://bit.ly/gPbJUA

Original Show Date: March 4, 2011
Listen on demand 24/7

DC Cupcakes:

Tonight on DC CUPCAKES, Sophie and Katherine are given a special assignment to bake 10,000 cupcakes for the troops in Afghanistan.  Baking thousands of cupcakes is no easy task, but choosing which flavor to send makes it even tougher.  To help decide, it’s time for a good old fashion bake-off.  The sisters, Andres, Hanna, and Mommy square off with the help of five Pentagon chefs.  Three judges – including Deborah Mullen, wife of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff  – will then decide which cupcake flavor will best serve our country.  Bragging rights are up for grabs as this promises to be one of the toughest bake-offs yet.  Back-to-back episodes of DC CUPCAKES airs March 4 beginning with “Shoe-in” at 10:00 PM, followed by “Operation Cupcake” at 10:30 PM (ET/PT).

Special Offer: Free cupcakes for members of the military and their families from March 3-6!

In honor of our men and women who serve in the U.S. armed forces, Georgetown Cupcake will give a free cupcake to members of the military, Veterans, and their families from Thursday, March 3 through Sunday, March 6.

DC CUPCAKES follows sisters and business partners Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis and the colorful crew at Georgetown Cupcake. Batter will splatter and icing will fly as each half-hour goes behind-the-scenes to capture the trials and tribulations of running a bustling family business.

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USAA

June Walbert, USAA Certified Financial Planner

Related links:

http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/dc-cupcakes/

http://georgetowncupcake.com/

http://www.usaa.com

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Crazy Cupcakes Cool!

Sneak Peek:

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Join us for an all new show! It’s Spouse Call! We’ll give an update our vision board project, share details for the next FREE webinar for military spouses courtesy of The Military Spouse Coach, plus we are going to make saving easy with some useful tips. Next week starts Military Saves week (Feb 20-27). Join us for special guest, Charles Lowrey, Jr..

This is going to be a great show, be sure to listen in today!!

About Military Saves: Military Saves is a national campaign to persuade, motivate, and encourage military families to save money every month, and to convince leaders and organizations to be aggressive in promoting automatic savings.

Click to listen:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/navywiferadio/2011/02/16/spouse-call-plus-military-saves-1

Take the pledge!

Original Show Date: February 15th, 2011
Listen on demand 24/7

Additional links:
www.militarysaves.org

4 Reasons to Jump on the Military Saves Bandwagon – USAA

Military Saves Week: Use that Thermos! - MilitaryAvenue.com

www.daveramsey.com/militarysaves

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Ways to Cut Home Energy Costs

Courtesy of USAA
If you’re like most homeowners, you’re looking for ways to lower your monthly utility bills as energy costs continue to stress household budgets. These simple tips can help you save money year-round.

1.     Control the temperature. Start by keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees during your waking hours in the winter and 10-15 degrees lower when you’re asleep or away from home. In the summer, the thermostat should be set at 78-80 degrees — day and night. Overall, you can save about 1% for each degree lower in winter or higher in summer if you keep the thermostat settings constant for at least eight hours a day, according to the Department of Energy. If you go a step further by installing a programmable thermostat that automatically regulates the temperature in your home, you can save up to $180 a year, according to ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

2.     Use ceiling fans. The added air circulation makes you feel more comfortable without adjusting the thermostat. You can cut heating needs by 10% and cooling by a whopping 40% just by using ceiling fans when you’re in the room (turn them off when you leave). Set the switch on your ceiling fans so that the blades turn clockwise in the winter and counterclockwise in the summer. In the winter, the clockwise motion produces an updraft, forcing the warm air trapped at the ceiling to flow down the walls without creating a breeze. In the summer, the counterclockwise direction creates a windchill effect.

3.     Be smart about laundry. Washing clothes in hot water uses 85%-90% more energy than cold water, according to the Department of Energy. Consider air-drying your clothes — indoors or outdoors. It helps them last longer and may also save energy.

4.     Don’t let air seep in (or out). One of the quickest ways to keep warm air from leaking out of your home during winter months (and in during the summer) is to caulk and seal all seams, cracks and openings to the outside of your home. Use weatherstripping around drafty windows and doors. Sealing air leaks and installing proper insulation can save you up to 30%, according to the Department of Energy.

5.     Seal your ducts. By sealing the heating and cooling ducts that move air to and from your home’s furnace and central air conditioner, ENERGY STAR estimates you can improve the system’s efficiency by as much as 20%.

6.     Use energy-efficient bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs cost more, but use 75% less power and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

7.     Lower your water heater temperature. Many water heaters are preset at 140 degrees, but most households usually only require 120 degrees. For each 10-degree reduction in water temperature, you can save between 3% and 5%. You might also consider installing a tankless water heater, which heats water on demand. These can increase energy efficiency by as much as 34% over conventional storage tank heaters, according to the Department of Energy. But do your research first. The DOE says these appliances can cost anywhere from $200 to $1,000, and even the largest models cannot supply enough hot water for simultaneous multiple uses, such as showers and laundry. Unless the model you buy has a “modulating temp control” feature.

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On this episode we feature our recent trip to New York City and our *MilSpouse mission to The Martha Stewart Holiday Show*, plus Military.com editor Ward Carroll and USAA Certified Financial Planner June Walbert stop in to share the new Top 10 List on Best Places for Military Retirement. Join us!!

Click to listen:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/navywiferadio/2010/12/08/martha-stewart-show-highlights-and-best-places-for-military-retirement

Listen in!

Original Show Date: December 7th, 2010
Listen on demand 24/7

See the full list and learn how they were chosen!

Visit the list on USAA

Visit the list on Military.com

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About the guests:

June Walbert is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner with USAA Financial Planning Services. June helps families get financially fit by sharing practical financial guidance on topics such as tackling credit card debt, saving for college, planning for retirement, leaving a legacy and other long-term goals.

June’s passion for making smart financial decisions has created demand for her as a speaker at conferences and conventions around the world. Read more

Ward Carroll spent the first 17 years of his life traveling wherever his father’s job as a Marine Corps attack pilot sent the family, a series of journeys that took them from California to Holland to Washington, D.C. with dozens of stops to attempt some semblance of normal life in between. His destiny was revealed to him during the summer of 1972 at a Who concert in Amsterdam; however, the ill-timed popularity of disco killed his fledgling rock star career in his late teens and pushed him into the United States Naval Academy from which he graduated in 1982. After a few years of flying around the world in the backseat of U.S. Navy jet fighters, Ward returned to the world of rock n’ roll, fronting The Cheaters, a three-piece alternative band based in Pensacola, Florida. Read more

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The Martha Stewart Show we attended featured:

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