Free Financial and Credit Counseling

[pacmanx1]

 

OK, I was expecting a letter to update me on the status of my recent CAVC remand, instead I got a letter talking about Free Financial and Credit Counseling. I don't need free financial and credit counseling, what I need is my corrected benefits. You know the old proverb, feed a man a fish, he eats for a day but teach a man how to fish he eats for life. My thought is to feed a veteran a meal he eats for Veterans' Day but award a veteran his correct benefits, I can eat any dang where and when I want to. 

OK, my bad, is the VA just sending these letters out or is it my paranoia messing with me about my upcoming benefits?  Since the CAVC remanded my appeal, it should not take that long.

[Lemuel]

@pacmanx1, I recently received a notice of docketing at the BVA.  The Docket number is the same as the previous docket number.  I realize the CCK attorney that called me was talking about the SMCD-T claim which came later.  Someone else may be handling the BVA appeal.  Or it may not be being handled at all.  Will try to find out Monday and report back.  If CCK limited what they were handling to SMC then I do not have a representative at the BVA.  Only at VARMC and VARO for SMC is the way I read it.  

Anyone see it differently?

 

[broncovet]

Its been my experience, Lemuel, that once I give a representative my POA, it remains with them "until I change it" in writing, and send a copy to VA.  So, if a law firm such as CCK represented you on a previous issue, and you did not change your POA, they are still your POA of record.  

Further, its also been my experience VA does not seem to want to process an application to REMOVE a POA.  Instead, I replace it.  An easy way I found is, when you are done with the attorney, go sign a POA with VFW, DAV, or other VSO.  You may be able to do that online.  

I also see the benefit of always having a VSO, "even if" you never met your VSO and he does "nothing".  Why?  Well, because you might want to see your VBMS file sometime, and you should be able to go into your VSO office and see your real time records.  If you get a copy of your records, its probably obsolete by the time you get it, because more stuff could have been added, or, YES deleted from your cfile.  Time and time again I have found out:  YOU CAN NOT TRUST VA WITH YOUR CFILE.  They can and have deleted key evidence on my records so many times, that I learned this the hard way.  Maybe some of this was fixed when VA started having Vets send their evidnece to the "evidence intake center", instead of the VARO's, but since I have been burned by VA on this, I am not putting my hands on a hot stove, and wont put my hands on a stove that VA assures me is cold either.  I remember how it burns the last time I trusted VA with my records, so Im not getting burned again.  They literally burned my house down, because I lost my home in no small part to VA shredding key evidnence decades ago.  Maybe it wont happen again, but Im not gonna find out.  They betrayed  my trust, and have yet to earn it back.  

Out of a sense of fairness, I will report that I have since trusted SOME VA employees who have, indeed, earned my trust back.  I have a VA doc I trust, for example, who very much did right by me.  

Actually several doctors and nurses at my VA have been good to me and I trust them.  But I dont trust VA benefits, thos idiots tried to reduce my benfits TWICE.  They assumed I was a drug addicted alcoholic Veteran who betrays their spouse and gets a divorce every two years, and they made me "verify" I was still married to get spouse benefits.  So, each time, I had my spouse also write and sign a letter than we have been continuously married since 2006.  They took off the proposed reduction, but I dont like being treated like a lying alcoholic or drug addicted husband who abandons his family for drugs.  Almost every time I go to the doc, they ask question like "do I use alcohol" and stuff.  I have never been an alcoholic, and dont like being treated like one.  

Edited July 7 by broncovet

[Tbird]

On 6/19/2024 at 6:35 PM, broncovet said:

Scammers target Veterans, especially us who get a check from VA.  

Dont go to their links, do your own search and use phone numbers YOU discover, not those provided by others.  Its pretty easy for scammers to answer the phone "Department of Veterans Affiars" when they are in Nigeria.  

THE REAL Veterans banking program, on VA.gov, is here:

https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/banking.asp

    This is generally for 

Vets "who dont have a bank" to deposit checks to.  may need this.  It says, on va.gov

If you are speaking about a financial planning, know this:

     Financial planners have 4 plans to cover their fees:

1.  Fee plan.  You pay the planner an agreed amount for a representive to develop a plan for you, generally its based on the number of hours needed.  It may also be a percentage of AUM (Assets under management), a fixed fee, (often 5000 to 10,000), or hourly.  

2.  Commission plan.  You pay nothing but "buy products" where the planner gets a commission.  

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

WORST PLAN EVER< COSTING LIFE SAVINGS>>>>>>>>>>>>

3.  Con plan.  You write your check out to the name of the financial planner, and never see any money ever again.  They are 100 percent of any money you invest.  ####NOTE. These are sometimes recommended by a trusted friend.....$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. The friend gets conned also, but did not know he was being conned until its too late.  Cons are experts at gaining your trust.  Its what they do for a living.  

< call your accountant....or banker, or insurance agent.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  

 

END WORST EVER PLAN and all your life savings.  

4.  BEST plan. READ, READ, READ and learn.   Educate yourself and do things like Watch utube videos such as Warren Buffet, who talks about financial planners and why we dont need them.  Brokerage firms such as Fidelity have "built in software" where you can enter your numbers and develop a plan.   But be careful about the advice you take online, check it with other, independent sources, such as your brokerage account.  

If in doubt, try asking on hadit.  Lets just say I have some extensive knowledge on the matter, and will answer questions as I have time.  Be patient.  

Waren Buffet quote:

  

I agree. A friend of my brothers had a horrible accident at work and got a large settlement. For some reason they trusted some guy "Financial Consultant" They wrote him a check and never saw him or the money again. It was devastating for them.

[pacmanx1]

Not sure about most banks/credit unions but my Credit Union has an alert setting and any money at a certain amount will send me an alert message letting me know if money came in or money went out of my account. It could be my own paranoia but living on the streets will teach you to trust no one.