Basic Veteran’s Benefits
With the recent popularity of veteran’s benefits, particularly amongst senior veterans, it is easy to lose focus on benefits that are often available to veterans of all ages. Some of these include:
Montgomery GI Bill: Provides educational assistance to veterans and in some cases their dependents based on amount and time in service.[1]
VA Home Loans: provides low cost loan options for veterans, regardless of whether they are wartime or peacetime veterans.[2]
VA Life Insurance: Life insurance that is available only to veterans, many senior veterans still have policies that were taken out during their time in the service that might have significant cash value at this point. These policies have more limited options for planning than traditional life insurance policies due to restrictions on who can own these policies.[3]
VA (national) cemeteries: All veterans, whether wartime or
peacetime, are eligible for burial in a national cemetery. Some cemeteries (like Arlington), are restricted
to certain classifications of veterans, like those who are wartime or who were
killed on active duty are eligible for burial in a national cemetery at no
charge. Their spouse is also entitled to
burial in the national cemetery.[4]
[1] See www.benefits.va.gov/gibill
[2] See www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans for more information and eligibility