July 24, 2009 • June Walbert
Q: My pay has been wrong for several months. I have tried putting in pay inquiries and talking to my chain of command and nothing has been done. I was promoted months ago, and lately even more deductions have been made and I am getting swamped with bills. What can I do! Thanks!
-Kyle, Fort Lewis, Wash.
A: Of all the organizations I’ve been a part of the military has done the best job of taking care of its people. Granted, sometimes it takes a time or two to get it right…but the intent is to do just that! So, keep asking the right questions, involve your chain of command and eventually finance will get it right. The good news is that you should get a big paycheck making up what you didn’t receive back to your promotion date. What a great opportunity that will be for paying off debt and maybe setting up an emergency fund. In the meantime, keep making at least your minimum payments, stay up-to-date on all of your bills, and start building a budget which includes a plan to get rid of your debt, build an emergency fund, and start saving for the long haul…because trust me, the long haul gets here before you know it.
About USAA
USAA or its affiliates do not provide tax advice. Taxpayers should seek advice based upon their own particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. The information is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for obtaining professional financial advice. Please thoroughly research and seek professional representation before acting on any information you may have found in this article. This article is in no way attempts to provide advice that relates all personal circumstances.
Examples given are hypothetical illustrations and not an indication of the benefits or features of any USAA product. You should seek policies and advice based upon your own particular circumstances. Sample loans are for illustration purposes only and are not a rate quote, pre-approval, or commitment to lend.
June Walbert is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM practitioner with USAA Financial Planning Services, one of the USAA family of companies.
USAA Financial Planning Services® refers to financial planning services and financial advice provided by USAA Financial Planning Services Insurance Agency, Inc. (known as USAA Financial Insurance Agency in California), a registered investment adviser and insurance agency and its wholly owned subsidiary, USAA Financial Advisors, Inc., a registered broker dealer.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. owns the certification marks CFP® and Certified Financial Planner TM in the United States, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.
USAA means United Services Automobile Association and its affiliates. Banking products provided by USAA Federal Savings Bank. Credit cards provided by USAA Savings Bank. Both Banks Member FDIC.
Sorry, I disagree. We had a problem, The military took ALL of my husband's paycheck for 2 months leaving us with a pile of debt and me having to go back to work early from Maternity leave. They made the mistake, but command refuses to fix it. Even Jag said they should, a SGT Major says it needs to be corrected, and it's going on a year now, with no correction. My work made a mistake and corrected everything within 2 months. The military just let us down.
Posted by: Darlene | August 14, 2009 at 07:11 AM
It's been awhile, but in my experience, you don't just wait until something hits. This individual should make an appointment to go straight to finance. Copies of promotion orders should be taken to that appointment. It's true, the military does a good job however, it is sometimes necessary to take the bull by the horns. If NCOICs, PSGs and 1SGs are doing their jobs, there would be no need for the third pay inquiry!
Posted by: blayman | August 14, 2009 at 06:38 AM
I would go to the base IG, just be sure to inform your chain of command. Normally, when you do that it gets the right people's attention and the problem gets resolved.
Posted by: Mike | August 14, 2009 at 06:16 AM
You say "keep making at least your minimum payments, stay up-to-date on all of your bills, and start building a budget which includes a plan to get rid of your debt, build an emergency fund, and start saving for the long haul…" but how do you do that when the pay is not right and there are not enough funds coming in to do this? Do you have to get a second job to cover the difference even though if the pay was right everything would be alright? We are in a similar boat and it is not easy...good luck Kyle
Posted by: Lisa | August 14, 2009 at 01:41 AM
If the situation does not get resolved within the next pay period, and your chain of command still has not engaged it, contact your local IG office to assist in resolving your issues.
Posted by: D.Brown | August 14, 2009 at 01:30 AM