A Financial Guide for Surviving Spouses of Veterans and Service Members: Benefits, Deadlines, and What Comes Next

Losing a spouse is difficult enough without having to sort through military benefits, Social Security, insurance, retirement accounts, and tax questions at the same time. Unfortunately, there is no single agency that handles everything after the death of a veteran or service member.

Instead, surviving spouses need to deal with Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), insurance companies, and retirement-plan administrators separately.

That can make the process feel overwhelming. The good news is that you do not need to make every financial decision immediately. While a few tasks have important deadlines, most investment decisions can wait.

Why No One Agency Handles Everything

Military survivor benefits are divided among several systems.

DFAS handles military retired pay and the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). The VA administers benefits such as Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), burial benefits, and certain survivor health programs. The SSA handles survivor benefits based on the deceased worker’s earnings record. The TSP, life insurance companies, and other retirement plans have their own beneficiary and distribution procedures.

This means that completing one claim does not necessarily notify the other agencies. Families dealing with an active-duty death can get assistance from a casualty assistance officer (CAO). Surviving spouses of veterans and retirees often have to begin many of these processes themselves.

The first step is therefore to gather important documents in one place. Several certified copies of the death certificate can be useful, along with the marriage certificate, DD-214 or retirement documents, Social Security numbers, insurance information, and recent retirement-account statements.

Free assistance is also available through Military OneSource, TAPS, Veterans Service Organizations, and other survivor-support programs. The important point is not to try to solve everything at once. Create a record of which agencies you have contacted, which forms you have submitted, and which benefits still need attention.

What to Do in the First 30 Days

The first month should focus on deadlines, benefit claims, and protecting your household’s immediate finances. It is not the time to make every long-term investment decision.

Report the Death to DFAS

If your spouse was receiving military retired pay, report the death to DFAS as soon as possible. Retired pay ends on the date of death. Because it’s paid at the start of each month for the previous month, any payment issued after the death must be returned to DFAS. The retiree’s final prorated pay is then issued as Arrears of Pay to the eligible beneficiary. To claim it, file SF 1174, signed by two witnesses, along with a death certificate. Reporting the death promptly can help prevent an avoidable overpayment and potential recoupment problem.

The report also starts the process of determining whether survivor benefits such as SBP are payable. Keep copies of correspondence and confirmation information. If DFAS requests additional documentation, respond as soon as practical.

File for DIC Early to Protect the Effective Date

DIC is a tax-free monthly VA benefit available to an eligible surviving spouse when a service member dies in the line of duty, or a veteran dies from a service-related injury or illness. Other eligibility paths also exist, such as when the veteran was rated totally disabled from a service-connected condition for a required period before death. An eligible surviving spouse who is housebound or needs aid and attendance can receive an added monthly amount on top of the basic DIC rate.

Timing also matters. In many cases, filing within one year of the death can help preserve an effective date beginning with the first day of the month of death.

For rates effective December 1, 2025, the basic monthly DIC rate for an eligible surviving spouse of a veteran who died on or after January 1, 1993 is $1,699.36, before applicable additions. (This data is up to date as of October 28, 2026.) VA confirms that DIC payments are tax-exempt. Eligibility is based on specific circumstances surrounding the veteran’s service, disability, and death, so a surviving spouse should not assume that a general description is enough to determine eligibility.

SGLI, the Death Gratuity, and the HEART Act's 12-Month Window

Life insurance proceeds can create a significant amount of cash at a time when financial decisions already feel difficult. Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI), Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI), and the military death gratuity have different rules and should be reviewed separately. The military death gratuity is a $100,000 tax-free lump-sum payment for eligible survivors of service members who die under qualifying circumstances.

The HEART Act is of particular importance for survivors. Qualifying SGLI and death-gratuity payments may be contributed to a Roth IRA or Coverdell Education Savings Account under special rules, including a 12-month deadline.

One advantage of contributing eligible proceeds to a Roth IRA is tax- and penalty-free withdrawals, even if the survivor later needs the money sooner than expected. Investment earnings are subject to different withdrawal rules, however, so this flexibility applies to the contributed principal, not necessarily the account's growth. Because the 12-month window is strict, it’s an option worth exploring sooner rather than later, even if you haven’t yet settled on a long-term financial plan.

This is one of the few financial decisions after a military death that can have a firm time limit, so it should not be overlooked while other investment decisions are being postponed.

Burial Benefits and Plot Allowances

The VA provides burial allowances, plot or interment allowances, national cemetery benefits, headstones or markers, and other memorial benefits to eligible veterans and their families. Eligibility and payment amounts depend on the veteran’s service history, cause of death, burial arrangements, and other circumstances. These key benefits operate as follows:

• Burial and funeral allowance: VA provides financial assistance toward eligible funeral, burial, and cremation expenses. The amount depends on whether the death was service-connected, the date of death, and other eligibility requirements.
• Plot or interment allowance: Eligible survivors receive assistance toward the cost of a gravesite or interment in a cemetery outside a VA national cemetery.
• Transportation reimbursement: VA reimburses eligible transportation expenses for a veteran’s remains, subject to specific conditions.
• Burial in a VA national cemetery: Eligible veterans may be buried in a national cemetery, or receive a gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, and a government-furnished headstone or marker at no cost to the family. You or your dependents may also qualify for burial alongside your spouse.
• Headstones, markers, and memorial medallions: VA provides a government headstone or marker for an eligible veteran’s grave, including in private cemeteries. Eligible veterans with privately purchased headstones or markers also qualify for a memorial medallion.
• Presidential Memorial Certificate (PMC): Eligible family members and other authorized requesters can obtain a Presidential Memorial Certificate, a gold-embossed paper certificate bearing the President’s signature to honor a veteran’s military service. The VA accepts multiple requests for a certificate.
• Burial flag: VA provides one U.S. burial flag, at no cost, to drape over the casket or accompany the urn of eligible veterans. The flag is presented to the next of kin or another eligible recipient.
• Military funeral honors: Eligible veterans receive military funeral honors arranged through the appropriate military service. Honors include the folding and presentation of the U.S. flag and the playing of Taps.

The VA automatically pays a set amount to an eligible surviving spouse listed on the veteran’s VA profile. Other survivors apply using VA Form 21P-530EZ. There’s no deadline when the death was service-connected. For a non-service-connected death, you must generally file within 2 years of burial, except for plot or interment and transportation claims, which have no time limit.

Health Coverage: TRICARE and CHAMPVA

Some surviving spouses remain eligible for TRICARE, the U.S. Department of Defense’s health care program for military service members, retirees, and their eligible family members. However, coverage options, costs, and eligibility periods depend on the sponsor’s military status at the time of death.

When an active-duty service member dies, eligible surviving spouses and children receive transitional survivor status for the first three years. During this period, they retain TRICARE coverage as active-duty family members, with the same health plan options and costs. After three years, a surviving spouse’s coverage changes to that of a retired family member, which affects available plans and out-of-pocket costs. Children retain their existing eligibility until they age out or otherwise lose eligibility.

The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) is another option for healthcare. CHAMPVA is a VA health care cost-sharing program that helps eligible spouses, dependent children, and survivors cover medical services and supplies. A surviving spouse may qualify if the veteran died from a service-connected disability or was rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability at the time of death. Survivors of service members who died in the line of duty, not due to misconduct, may also qualify. In every case, the survivor can’t be eligible for or enrolled in TRICARE, which rules out many active-duty survivors.

Beware of assuming that health coverage automatically continues under the same terms, because eligibility can depend on the survivor’s circumstances and change over time, including following remarriage. Confirm your eligibility directly with the appropriate program to understand your coverage options, enrollment requirements, and any deadlines that apply.

The Three Monthly Income Streams for Surviving Spouses

A surviving spouse may receive income from several different programs. These payments should not be treated as interchangeable because each has different eligibility requirements and tax treatment.

Of these three income streams, the SBP warrants particular attention because it provides an ongoing monthly annuity when eligible coverage was elected and maintained. Understanding how SBP works, how the benefit is calculated, and who qualifies to receive it can help surviving spouses plan for their long-term financial needs.

Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) Annuity

The SBP provides an ongoing monthly annuity to an eligible beneficiary when the applicable coverage was elected and maintained. For many retirees, the benefit is based on the amount of retired pay covered by the election. SBP can also apply to active-duty deaths.

The annuity is taxable income. Under SBP, an eligible surviving spouse can receive up to 55% of the elected base amount as a monthly annuity. With full coverage, this is typically 55% of the service member’s covered retired pay; a lower coverage amount results in a smaller benefit. The amount a surviving spouse receives depends on the specific SBP election and the circumstances of the service member’s retirement or death.

One major change worth understanding is that the former SBP-DIC offset, often called the “widow’s tax,” has been eliminated. Eligible survivors can receive the full amount of both SBP annuity payments and DIC, following the complete elimination of the offset effective January 1, 2023.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

The VA administers DIC, which is tax-free. It is intended for eligible survivors when the veteran’s death meets the applicable service-related requirements. You may receive an added monthly amount if the veteran was rated totally disabled, including for individual unemployability, for at least the 8 full years before their death, and you were married to them for those same 8 years. Additional amounts are available in situations involving dependent children or qualifying disabilities.

Unlike means-tested benefits, DIC eligibility isn’t based on the surviving spouse's income or assets. That makes it an important part of the long-term income picture for an eligible survivor.

Social Security Survivor Benefits

Social Security survivor benefits are separate from both SBP and DIC. A surviving spouse qualifies beginning at age 60, or age 50 if they have a disability, subject to the program’s other requirements. A surviving spouse caring for the deceased worker’s qualifying child may also qualify.

The amount depends on the deceased worker’s Social Security record and the age at which the survivor begins receiving benefits. Eligible survivors also qualify for a one-time $255 lump-sum death payment, subject to SSA requirements and an application deadline.

It is also possible to coordinate a survivor benefit with the surviving spouse’s own retirement benefit. Further, the Social Security Fairness Act repealed the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) for benefits payable from January 2024 onward, which allows individuals who receive pensions based on work not covered by Social Security to receive survivor benefits.

Because Social Security rules can be complicated, it is worth getting current information from SSA before making an irreversible claiming decision.

The Money Decisions That Can Wait

A large life insurance payment, SGLI benefit, TSP balance, or inherited IRA can create a sense that the money needs to be invested immediately. But it doesn’t.

In the early months, the priority should be to preserve flexibility. Money needed for living expenses, emergency costs, taxes, home repairs, or other near-term obligations should remain accessible and protected from unnecessary market risk.

There are several deadlines that deserve attention, including the HEART Act’s applicable 12-month window, the deceased person’s required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year of death when applicable, and the one-year DIC filing window.

Outside of those deadlines, give yourself time. That can mean postponing major decisions such as selling a home, purchasing an annuity, making large gifts, paying off every debt immediately, or moving a large retirement balance into a new investment.

Which Lump Sums Can Go Into a Retirement Account

One of the most important distinctions is between cash that happens to come from a deceased spouse and retirement assets that are legally eligible for rollover treatment. Private life insurance proceeds are paid as after-tax cash and are not simply rolled into an IRA because the beneficiary wants to invest them for retirement. SGLI and death-gratuity proceeds have their own special rules under the HEART Act.

Inherited retirement accounts are different. A surviving spouse can roll eligible retirement-plan distributions into an IRA. At the same time, an inherited IRA can potentially be treated as the surviving spouse’s own account or retained as an inherited IRA. The IRS specifically recognizes these options for surviving spouses. That distinction becomes particularly important when deciding how much money should remain accessible and how much should be positioned for long-term retirement.

Before moving funds, confirm the specific benefit type, receipt date, and applicable rules with the administrator or a qualified tax professional. A rollover or contribution that is not permitted can create unexpected tax consequences.

The Deceased Spouse's TSP: The Beneficiary Participant Account

A deceased spouse’s TSP balance deserves careful consideration before it's moved. Depending on the circumstances, a spouse beneficiary can receive a beneficiary participant account (BPA). This account allows the surviving spouse to retain the inherited TSP assets separately from their own retirement savings, with distinct rules for withdrawals, taxes, and account management.

Distributions from a traditional TSP balance are taxable as ordinary income, while qualified withdrawals from Roth TSP balances are tax-free. Importantly, distributions made to a beneficiary following the participant’s death are exempt from the federal 10% additional tax on early retirement-plan distributions. However, ordinary income tax still applies to taxable amounts.

Moving the inherited funds into the surviving spouse’s own TSP account can change the rules that govern future withdrawals. Money treated as the surviving spouse’s own retirement savings is subject to the usual age-based early-withdrawal rules. If you have your own TSP account, you can transfer the BPA into it, though tax-exempt money can’t be moved into a civilian TSP account. You can’t add money to a BPA. When you die, the BPA can’t remain in the TSP and is paid out to your beneficiaries.

For someone considering whether a TSP balance could ultimately support a precious-metals allocation, understanding the mechanics of a TSP rollover should come before deciding what the money will be invested in. Confirm that the proposed transaction is permitted for the specific account type, and review the tax consequences before moving any funds.

Inherited IRAs: Treat It as Your Own, or Keep It Inherited?

A surviving spouse has an option that other IRA beneficiaries do not: the inherited IRA can be treated as the spouse’s own IRA. According to the IRS, a surviving spouse can designate the account as their own, roll it into their own IRA, or continue treating themselves as the beneficiary.

That flexibility can be especially useful for survivors under 59 ½.

For example, distributions from an inherited retirement account can have different early-withdrawal consequences from distributions from an IRA that has become the surviving spouse’s own account. Keeping the inherited structure can be useful when access to some of the money could be needed before age 59 ½.

For some, a middle-path strategy makes sense: keep what might be needed before 59 ½ in the inherited IRA, and roll the rest over into your own account. You can treat the inherited IRA as your own account at a later date, giving you time to evaluate your financial needs and long-term retirement plans.

There are trade-offs, however. An inherited IRA has its own RMD rules, which require withdrawals even when the surviving spouse would not yet have to take distributions from an IRA they own. On the other hand, treating the account as their own can offer different long-term advantages, including potentially delaying RMDs, depending on the spouse’s age and the applicable rules.

There is no universal answer, and keeping the account inherited initially does not necessarily mean keeping it that way forever. However, because account elections and transfers can have lasting tax consequences, you should consult a qualified tax or financial professional before making a decision.

Your Own Retirement Accounts

The death of a spouse is also a reason to review your own retirement accounts. Check your 401(k), TSP, IRA, and other investment accounts. Review beneficiary designations and make sure they still reflect your wishes. It can also be useful to look at contribution levels, insurance coverage, emergency savings, and estate documents.

If you’re age 50 or older, check whether you qualify for catch-up contributions, which allow you to contribute above the standard annual limit to certain retirement accounts. These additional contributions can help you build retirement savings, particularly if the loss of a spouse has changed your long-term financial needs. Eligibility and limits vary by account type and age, and special rules apply to some higher-income employees.

The tax picture can change after the death of a spouse, particularly when your filing status changes. In the year your spouse dies, you can still file as married filing jointly or married filing separately, whichever is the best option for your needs. For the next two years after, you can file as a qualifying surviving spouse if you haven’t remarried and have a dependent child who lives with you all year. Otherwise, you’d generally file as single, or as head of household if you have a qualifying person. However, after that, you have to file as single or as head of household if you haven’t remarried. That change should be considered when planning future withdrawals and retirement income.

Where a Self-Directed Gold IRA Fits — and Where It Doesn't

Once immediate financial needs and inherited retirement accounts have been addressed, some surviving spouses may consider adding physical precious metals to part of their long-term retirement strategy.

A self-directed gold IRA can hold certain IRS-approved precious metals through an IRA custodian and an approved storage facility. The metals are typically held within the retirement account rather than simply purchased personally and stored at home.

The funds that may be used to fund a self-directed gold IRA include:

• Spousal rollover IRA funds.
• TSP or 401(k) rollover funds, where eligible.
• HEART Act Roth IRA funds, held with a self-directed custodian, where eligible.

Eligible retirement assets potentially include IRA or retirement plan rollovers. This is why understanding IRA rollover options should come before selecting an investment. There are also important trade-offs. Precious metals can fluctuate in value, do not provide interest or dividends, and involve expenses such as storage, custody, and dealer spreads.

For that reason, precious metals should be considered as one part of a broader retirement strategy rather than as a substitute for emergency savings or money that will be needed in the next few years.

If You Are Also a Veteran or Have a Disability: Military-Specific Rules

Some surviving spouses are veterans themselves. Others are part of dual military families or are caring for a disabled adult. In these situations, additional rules affect retirement accounts and benefits.

The TSP After Medical Separation or Chapter 61 Retirement

Medical separation and Chapter 61 disability retirement are not the same thing, and the distinction can affect how military retirement and TSP assets are treated. A TSP account may contain traditional contributions, Roth contributions, and contributions connected to tax-exempt combat zone pay. These categories can have different tax consequences when money is withdrawn or rolled into another retirement account.

Federal tax law also provides exceptions to the 10% additional tax for total and permanent disability, which applies to IRAs as well as employer plans, and for separation from service in or after the year you turn 55. The age-55 exception applies to the TSP and other employer plans, but not IRAs. The rules vary depending on the type of retirement account and the circumstances of the withdrawal.

Anyone considering a TSP rollover after medical separation should examine both the tax treatment and withdrawal rules before moving the account. The same rollover considerations that apply to a surviving spouse may not apply in the same way to a disabled veteran’s own account.

CRDP and CRSC: How They Change Taxable Versus Tax-Free Income

Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) and Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) can affect the tax treatment of military retirement income. CRDP restores taxable retired pay, while qualifying CRSC is tax-free.

Eligible retirees cannot receive both payments at the same time, and an annual open season provides an opportunity for retirees to change their election. These benefits belong to the retiree. They do not simply continue as monthly payments to the surviving spouse after the retiree’s death.

Disability Severance Pay Recoupment

Disability severance pay can create another potential complication.

The VA may withhold disability compensation for the same disability to recover severance pay received earlier. This doesn’t apply when the disability was incurred in a combat zone or in a combat-related operation designated by the Secretary of Defense. This can be surprising when the separation happened years earlier.

Under the Combat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act, veterans can claim a refund on any combat-related severance pay that wasn’t taxed properly. Keeping records from the original separation can make these issues easier to investigate if they arise later.

ABLE Accounts After the January 2026 Age Expansion

ABLE accounts can provide another planning option for people with qualifying disabilities.

Beginning January 1, 2026, the disability-onset age for ABLE account eligibility increased from before age 26 to before age 46. That means some people who previously could not qualify are now eligible, including some veterans with qualifying disabilities and families supporting adult children with disabilities.

For 2026, the annual ABLE account contribution limit is $20,000, combined across contributions from the account owner, family members, friends, and other contributors. Eligible employed account holders can contribute more under the federal ABLE to Work rules, provided they meet the employment and retirement-plan requirements.

For Supplemental Security Income (SSI), up to $100,000 in an ABLE account is excluded from the program’s resource calculation. This can allow an eligible person to save beyond SSI’s usual resource limit without automatically jeopardizing cash benefits.

Medicaid is treated differently. An ABLE balance exceeding $100,000 does not, by itself, end Medicaid eligibility when the resulting SSI resource excess causes cash payments to be suspended. Medicaid can continue as long as the beneficiary remains otherwise eligible under the applicable rules.

The way funds are withdrawn and spent also matters. Qualified disability expenses can include basic living costs, but special SSI rules apply to housing payments and to distributions that remain unspent into the following month. Account holders should therefore keep records of withdrawals and expenses and understand how their spending choices affect benefits.

Protecting Yourself From Pension Poachers and Unsolicited Advisors

Surviving spouses can be vulnerable to financial sales pitches shortly after a death. Grieving a loved one is difficult, and thanks to things like public obituaries or visible lump sums, a bad actor will view this challenging time as an opportunity. Someone may contact you with an offer to purchase future SBP or DIC payments, file a VA claim for a fee, reposition your assets to qualify for a VA pension, recommend a high-commission annuity, or move your retirement assets into an investment immediately.

Be cautious.

A professional should be willing to explain how a recommendation works, what it costs, what risks are involved, and why it fits your circumstances. You should also have time to think about it.

Watch for pressure to act quickly, promises of guaranteed returns, requests for account passwords, or claims that an opportunity is available only for a limited time. Anyone assisting with a VA claim should also be checked through the VA’s accreditation system. Investment professionals can be researched through FINRA’s BrokerCheck tool or the SEC’s investment adviser database.

The same caution applies when considering precious metals. Before moving retirement money into physical gold or silver, understand the account structure, fees, storage arrangements, and risks. A written risk disclosure can be useful when evaluating how a precious-metals allocation fits into a larger retirement strategy.

Remarriage Rules, Stated Plainly

Remarriage doesn’t affect every survivor benefit in the same way. Understanding the differences matters: some surviving spouses may unnecessarily delay marriage out of fear of losing benefits, while others overlook a rule that affects their income, healthcare, or access to military benefits.

For DIC, VA rules preserve eligibility for surviving spouses who remarry at age 55 or older under the applicable current rules. VA also has special provisions for earlier remarriages. Additionally, living with someone and presenting as married can, for VA purposes, be treated as remarriage, even if you haven’t been legally wedded.

SBP and Social Security have their own remarriage rules. Social Security survivor benefits have different age thresholds, with important exceptions for disabled surviving spouses.

TRICARE ends when a surviving spouse remarries, regardless of their age, and won’t be restored if that marriage ends. Further, other military-related benefits can also be affected by remarriage. Because the consequences can differ by program, don’t assume that one remarriage rule applies to every benefit.

Surviving Spouse Checklist by Timeline

Managing survivor benefits can feel overwhelming when several agencies, applications, and deadlines are involved. Breaking the process into manageable stages can help you focus on what needs attention now, what can wait, and which financial decisions will benefit from more time and careful consideration.

This is generally the point at which you can make major financial decisions from a position of greater clarity.

Finding Support and Moving Forward

The most important thing to remember after losing a veteran or service member is that you do not have to solve everything at once.

Survivor benefits come from separate systems, so you need to start several claims yourself. But only a handful of tasks are genuinely time-sensitive. Reporting the death, protecting the DIC effective date, understanding the HEART Act deadline, and handling required retirement distributions deserve early attention.

A large insurance payment or inherited retirement account, however, doesn’t have to be invested immediately.

Start by securing your household’s short-term finances. Then understand what benefits you are entitled to, how much income you can expect, and which retirement assets have special tax or withdrawal rules. Only after those pieces are clear should you start making long-term allocation decisions.

For example, someone considering a rollover may first want to understand the differences between retirement accounts through a broader retirement planning resource. Someone considering physical precious metals can then evaluate whether a gold IRA fits within the overall plan rather than treating it as an urgent decision.

The objective isn’t to act quickly. It’s to handle the deadlines first, understand the options, and give yourself enough time to make informed long-term decisions. If you have questions about how these choices fit your circumstances, you can reach out to a trusted specialist or advisor to discuss your options and determine what aligns with your broader retirement plan.

Resources for Surviving Spouses of Veterans and Service Members

If you need more information after your loved one has passed, utilize these resources:

Government Benefits and Claims

• Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) — Survivors: Information and support for reporting a retiree’s death, applying for SBP payments, and managing survivor annuity records.
• VA Survivor and Dependent Benefits: Information on DIC, survivors pension, and benefit applications for eligible surviving spouses and children.
• VA Burials and Memorials: Guidance on burial allowances, burial in VA national cemeteries, headstones and markers, and other memorial benefits.
• Social Security Administration — Survivors Benefits: Explains who may qualify for Social Security survivor benefits, how much they may receive, and how to apply.
• Thrift Savings Plan (TSP): Information on TSP benefit claims, beneficiary accounts, and options for beneficiaries who inherit a TSP account.
• TRICARE — Survivors: Explains health care coverage options and eligibility for surviving spouses and children of service members and retirees.
• IRS Publication 590-B: Official IRS guidance on IRA distributions, including rules for inherited IRAs and options available to surviving spouses.

Survivor Support Organizations

• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS): Provides 24/7 support, casework, grief resources, and benefits assistance to families who have lost a service member.
• Military OneSource: Offers free, confidential financial counseling, benefits information, and other support services for military families and survivors.
• Gold Star Wives of America: Provides advocacy, information, and peer support for surviving spouses of service members and veterans.
• MOAA Surviving Spouse Resources: Provides practical guidance on SBP, DIC, remarriage rules, and other benefits and issues affecting surviving spouses.

Consumer Protection and Financial Planning Resources

• VA Accreditation Search: Lets you verify whether a person or organization assisting with VA claims is officially accredited by the VA.
• FINRA BrokerCheck: Helps you review the background, registration history, and disciplinary records of financial brokers and firms.
• CFPB Office of Servicemember Affairs: Provides financial education, consumer protection information, and resources for military families, including help with submitting claims.
• ABLE National Resource Center: Provides information on ABLE account eligibility, state programs, and how these accounts can help eligible individuals save for disability-related expenses.
• USA Capital Gold: A veteran-owned precious metals company that provides information about gold IRAs, IRA rollovers, and investing in physical gold and silver.