Is child support considered income? Why or why not?
Child support is considered income in some circumstances. It is considered income by the IRS for the person who worked for it and is subsequently taxed for it as income. And it is non-deductible. The receiving parent or guardian is not taxed because they didn't earn it, regardless of the fact that it still ends up in their pocket. So for the receiving parent it is not counted as income by the IRS. However if you are trying to get an apartment or loan, it can be counted as income there for the parent receiving it. When it comes to benefits, the parent receiving it doesn't have to claim it as income so that they can qualify easier. The parent earning the child support must claim it as income, thus negating any hopes of government assistance. Basically, if you're the receiving parent, you can claim it or not. What ever makes life easier. If you are the paying parent, you are legally required to claim it or not based on whichever option makes life harder. Hope this answer is sufficient to answer your question and display my displeasure with this whole cockamamie system.SignedA father who pays child support while circling bankruptcy and watching the mothers live it up while the kids gets nothing.
Are there any scholarships I can get for having a big family?
You can enter scholarship drawings for up to $10,000 here: https://bitly.com/LT4Ye4 You just earn points by doing nice, easy activities and enter them in! Each point is a chance to win. ScholarshipPoints has some great blogs, like monthly scholarship updates, and advice to college students or high school seniors. It's one of the easiest scholarships to enter. This is another great scholarship site with lots of essay scholarships: http://www.sreducationgroup.org/scholars... Here are some great scholarship search sites: http://www.scholarships.com http://www.fastweb.com http://www.zinch.com http://www.cappex.com http://www.collegeprowler.com http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com You can modify the search criteria to search almost any scholarships. Here's a compilation of many other scholarship search sites if you've looked through all of the ones above: http://www.college-scholarships.com/free_scholarship_searches.htm There's also weird scholarships like the duck calling contest, Duct Tape Prom Dress scholarship, etc. Here's a list of them: http://yescollege.com/2013/04/100-unique-and-weird-scholarships-worth-applying-for-2013/ You have many choices. Good luck! I hope you get a great scholarship.
I'm a stay at home mom, my husband is always working, and wants 50% custody of my daughter. Does he have a chance of getting this?
You will probably have joint legal custody. That is the normal thing to happen. It means neither of you has more right than the other to make decisions about health, religious instruction, education, and so on or have access to records. Who the child lives with most of the time is residential custody, a separate issue from legal custody.You need a lawyer, the sooner the better. I promise you that telling a judge that your husband is selfish and has a huge ego will get you nowhere. The judge already knows you don’t get along and will consider this a waste of the court’s time. The judge only cares what arrangements you and your spouse will make to co-parent your child and how the stuff gets divided. And that’s what you need to care about too. The more you try to keep your child from your husband, the more you will lose and the more it will cost you. If you don’t like the idea of having to go to classes, mediation, therapy, and increasingly expensive and time-consuming interventions of the like, which is the judge’s way of encouraging you two to work it out, avoid that by listening to your lawyer carefully.You won’t win points by complaining that you married a psychopath and had a child with him and then didn’t like it. Get a lawyer. Don’t mess around. Good luck to you.
What benefits does a spouse of someone in the military get?
Access to the military installation ( ID Card & Vehicle Security Decal )Use of Welfare & Recreation facilities: Bowling Alley, Theater, Beaches, Go Carts, pottery/woodworking/auto shops, & whatever is provided.Access to Exchange & Commissary, Package store & Gas StationBase Housing ( Space Available )access to Base OmbudsmanClubs, swimming pool, running track, Range, ( as available )Classes/training and military wives club ( spouses club? )Medical treatment, (Hospital & out treatment) PharmacyAllotment from the military member for supportWhat do they NOT get: Rank, Rights, Authority, and Benefit of the rank that “their spouse has rightfully earned.” Spouses are NOT in the military, and Do Not have a position of authority.
Is college really free for children of a veteran in the military?
I don't think it's completely free but some states do offer scholarships and other benefits for children of vets, especially disabled vets. I think Texas (the Hazelwood Act) might pay for the whole thing but I'm not 100% on it. Your best bet would be to talk to the Vet Office at the school you are planning on attending or just do a search online. Jason....Vets do get money for school, it's called the GI bill. There are also programs out there that pay for school expenses, you just have to ask around. Here's 1K scholarship: http://www.military.com/news/article/mil... The state of Illinois is giving full tuition scholarships: http://www.military.com/military-report/... EDIT: Here's some Cali info: California Education Benefits College Tuition Fee Waivers for Veterans’ Dependents Waiver of mandatory system-wide tuition and fees at any State of California Community College, California State University or University of California campus. Who May Be Eligible: Plan A: The spouse, registered domestic partner, child (under the age of 27) or unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran who is totally service-connected disabled, or who has died of service-connected causes may qualify. Plan B: The child of a veteran who has a permanent service-connected disability. The child’s income and value of support provided by a parent cannot exceed the national poverty level.
How long do you have to serve in the military to get your college paid for?
The Military Education benefit is considered by many active and reserve service members as one of the most attractive benefits of military service. The education benefit, referred to as the GI Bill, features a number of aspects important to recipients.For a former servicemember to receive certain VA benefits, the person must have active U.S. military service for a minimum period of time, generally the lesser of the full period ordered to active duty or 24 months, and be discharged “under conditions other than dishonorable.” Some members of the National Guard and reserve components have difficulty meeting the active duty and length of service requirements. However, a member of the National Guard or reserve components who is activated for federal military service and meets the length of service requirement is considered a veteran for purposes of VA benefits.
Have you "done better" financially than your parents? Did attending college help or hurt your financial situation?
Prior to the 1970’s things were different. For the most part, but not always women stayed home and nurtured the children, then were there at home for them when they returned from school. If a woman worked it was usually at some truck stop as a waitress and everyone felt sorry for her, meaning her life failed somehow and she had to work. In high school, our senior year, we learned that the only jobs available to women were the military, nursing, teaching and marriage (so within a year or two after high school everyone was married). So women took typist jobs, cashiering, and retail. We didn’t have fast food restaurants back then so no way to build up funds.Dad worked 3 jobs (one manual labor, one in the office, and his own side business) to pay for us and our home. He was the only one working, and because of that when I began working I thought I had to keep up with him and I never made it. Men were head of the household and their pay increased the larger the family they had. I was no man so was never in line to get that kind of salary even with education. I finally got thru college (in bits and pieces) but my college degree meant nothing to employers. Almost like it was a waste of time. It didn’t pay either. By 45 employers wouldn’t even hire women in the old jobs. And soon thereafter technology came in where you had to have a new mindset, new training. The jobs we knew went away. During my time I used to try to be the generous person my dad was but never had the money he had. And the references I got were good references, but as far as a job is concerned with upward movement and a degree, well the job references were demeaning. We learned to accept life as it was. If you can’t change it to your favor you tolerate it and accept it.
My son is in basic training now but he is not making the amount he was told he would make. Is there a reason that would happen?
I joined in 1999. We had smart cards, which were basically credit cards. They came pre-loaded with the amount of money that a soldier would need for his essentials. This was a pay advance. They tell you at processing about everything that you pay for, but with everything else that they are telling you as a new recruit, this information gets filed in the back of your brain somewhere.With my smart card, I had to go to the PX and buy toiletries, running shoes, flashlight, a number of other things that I needed, but can't remember now (everything that I took with me was confiscated and given back after I graduated, this included toothbrushes and running shoes). Every person scanned their smart card at the barber, even the guy who showed up bald. The uniforms were put on a separate account, the initial entry gear, and boots were done the same. Before any pay is put into the soldier’s bank account, deductions are made, to PAH for this gear, for the uniforms, for the smart card pay advance. There are laws and restrictions which only allow for a percentage (what that percentage is escapes me) to be deducted. That percentage may be more than any usual amount that might be considered for someone not living in barracks and eating food on the Army's dime, since he most likely doesn't need anything else.If he joined as an E2, E3, or E4, he will still get that pay, but they won't pay anything other than base salary (in most circumstances) while in basic training. If his recruiter told him about BAS (Basic Allowance - Subsistence) and BAH (Basic Allowanace - Housing) , this was not necessarily a scam, but intended to be an enticement. He will NOT get BAS while in basic training. BAH is dependent on whether he has a spouse and/or children; it is also dependent on whether he has the proper paperwork filed. If he has no spouse or children, then he will not receive BAH, unless and until he gets to his duty station and is not living in barracks. If he is an E4 or below, he will be living in barracks and will not get BAH or BAS, unless there is a lack of barracks space (this doesn't happen often, but I have heard of instances).
Which military branch has the best benefits/pay upon entrance?
If you are looking for financial incentives, you will probably make more money faster in the Army. Typically, all applicants enlist as an E-1. If you refer a friend who joins as well, you can get promoted up to E-2 or E-3 if you bring two. I know in the Guard we have a program where soldiers do some weekend training before they ship to Basic and if they complete it, we promote them to E-2. You can also be advanced in your initial rank if you have civilian college education. For example, 30 credit hours is worth E-2 in the Guard (probably Army, too) 60 is E-3 and a degree will start you at E-4. The Army also has a tendency to promote faster for a couple reasons. The first and most obvious reason is that the Army is the largest. Secondly, the Army's primary lowest level leaders are Sergeants (E-5) so when you are ready to become a "supervisor" the Army usually will promote you to E-5. In the Marine Corp, the primary lowest level leaders are Corporals, which is an E-4. Often times it will take soldiers about the same time to make E-5 as it does a Marine to make E-4. If your husband is smart, motivated, and will work hard, he will be promoted quickly and ahead of his peers regardless of the branch he chooses. His best bet is to talk to recruiters about his background and see what their specific branches offer rank wise and what career paths he can expect in different MOS's. If he were to be in most Combat Arms MOS's, he would be promoted much faster because there is a high turnover. It's not that it's a blood bath, it's not, but it is hard, stressful, and more demanding work. A lot of people in combat arms get out after one enlistment or switch to do something a little less stressful. It takes a special person to put in 20 years as a warrior. www.military.com has pay tables you can look at. Along the side are the E grades and you can see how pay increases as you are promoted in rank. Along the top are different lengths in service and the raises you get as you put that much time in. Your housing allowance is based on where you live and costs in that area and if you have dependants or not. It is also increased with your E grade. You can find that at www.military.com as well.
My parents wont let me join the military wtf?
at the age of 16, you really cant do much for the military other than support them. at 17, your parents can sign a waiver to let you go to your desired branch, but you NEED that waiver or your just gonna have to wait till your 18. since you are and only child, chances are you wont be put on the front lines. the government learned their lesson from ww1 and ww2 by sending only children to combat. those troops died (god bless their souls) and there was no one left to carry on the family name. you will still serve your country, dont get it twisted. you just wont be able to be on the front lines. JUST because you dont get to go on the front lines doesnt mean your not valuable. we need support elements to bring us our food, our ammo, our medical staff/equipment. we still need parts to repair what was damaged, ect. dont let that discourage you. you'll still be serving your country and regardless of what it is you do in the service or what people say about it, ESPECIALLY what people say about it, its an honorable thing. not everyone has the balls to step up and defend america. your a cut about the rest, kid.