Money and Finance

[brabus]

  On 3/24/2024 at 7:15 AM, wikz said:

so me recently switching one of my family homes utility bills in my name is my proof of residency I plan to give to get BAH. its not necessarily fraud if I will be paying the bill when I am gone, but I am not paying for the house in full. 

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Am I reading this correctly that the plan is put your parent’s electricity bill in your name (or similar) and that’s good enough for BAH? That is 100% fraud and will fuck you.

[O Face]

  On 3/24/2024 at 7:15 AM, wikz said:

 in regards to the BAH thing, it was just a tip from one of the finance workers in the unit. 

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Someone from finance told you all to do this??  My finance rejects my DTS voucher if it’s off by a nickel!!

[1:1:1]

It never ceases to amaze me the lengths people will go to in order to justify defrauding the federal or state government. Other great schemes I've heard about:

Loading your car up with cinder blocks before you move

Claiming legal residence in a state you've never set foot in for tax advantage

Having family members charge you rent so that you can pocket the hotel payment on TDY

I'm sure the list goes on. At best you lie to your employer to make a quick buck and get away with it. At worst, you open yourself to serious civil & criminal liability. 

[CaptainMorgan]

  On 3/24/2024 at 5:12 PM, 1:1:1 said:

It never ceases to amaze me the lengths people will go to in order to justify defrauding the federal or state government. Other great schemes I've heard about:
Loading your car up with cinder blocks before you move
Claiming legal residence in a state you've never set foot in for tax advantage
Having family members charge you rent so that you can pocket the hotel payment on TDY
I'm sure the list goes on. At best you lie to your employer to make a quick buck and get away with it. At worst, you open yourself to serious civil & criminal liability. 

I bought a bunch of ikea furniture to load into my car on my first DITY move. Paid for itself. But I wouldn’t call that fraudulent.


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[HeloDude]

  On 3/24/2024 at 5:12 PM, 1:1:1 said:

It never ceases to amaze me the lengths people will go to in order to justify defrauding the federal or state government. Other great schemes I've heard about:

Loading your car up with cinder blocks before you move

Claiming legal residence in a state you've never set foot in for tax advantage

Having family members charge you rent so that you can pocket the hotel payment on TDY

I'm sure the list goes on. At best you lie to your employer to make a quick buck and get away with it. At worst, you open yourself to serious civil & criminal liability. 

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Are you saying that family members never charge others for staying in their home?  I’ve known of adult children living with their parents who are charged rent.

[disgruntledemployee]

Ammo is heavy and more compact than cinder blocks.  I think a case of 45ACP weighs about 25lbs.  Partial DITY that stuff instead, and then you have ammo at the end of the travels.

[HeloDude]

  On 3/24/2024 at 6:02 PM, disgruntledemployee said:

Ammo is heavy and more compact than cinder blocks.  I think a case of 45ACP weighs about 25lbs.  Partial DITY that stuff instead, and then you have ammo at the end of the travels.

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I think TMO specifically says ammo doesn’t count wrt weight in a DITY.

Edited March 24, 2024 by HeloDude

[disgruntledemployee]

  On 3/24/2024 at 6:10 PM, HeloDude said:

I think the try was specifically say ammo doesn’t count wrt weight in a DITY.

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?

[HeloDude]

  On 3/24/2024 at 6:14 PM, disgruntledemployee said:

?

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Sorry, silly autocorrects/typos.  Corrected. 

[1:1:1]

  On 3/24/2024 at 5:58 PM, HeloDude said:

Are you saying that family members never charge others for staying in their home?  I’ve known of adult children living with their parents who are charged rent.

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No I'm saying you can't forge a rental agreement to pocket the allowance

[HeloDude]

  On 3/24/2024 at 6:58 PM, 1:1:1 said:

No I'm saying you can't forge a rental agreement to pocket the allowance

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Forgeries to process government documents are always illegal (pretty sure).  But if someone is staying with family and they draft up an agreement with receipts, etc, how is this not as legal as a PIT pad?  

[Guest nsplayr]

  On 3/24/2024 at 5:12 PM, 1:1:1 said:

Loading your car up with cinder blocks before you move

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Look those bricks are precious to me! Definitely can’t trust TMO with them…

 

[wikz]

  On 3/24/2024 at 2:28 PM, brabus said:

Am I reading this correctly that the plan is put your parent’s electricity bill in your name (or similar) and that’s good enough for BAH? That is 100% fraud and will you.

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exactly! apparently my unit is super chill and just helps people out like that, but that's why I am hesitant of doing it. I am just curious why she would advise us to do that. its probably possible, but I dont think its worth the risk. 

Edited March 25, 2024 by wikz

[wikz]

  On 3/24/2024 at 10:21 AM, nsplayr said:

If you are single, live at home with your parents, and then enlist -> pipeline, there’s not a case for BAH to be paid that I am aware of. You have no dependents and your housing will be provided to you while at school.

I 1000% do not recommend ing around here, finding out will be painful. $10K is nothing in the scope of what you will make in your career, even if that’s just one term of enlistment.

If your details are different, e.g. you are married and your spouse is staying back in your local area in a home you currently rent or own, etc., you may have a legal way to be entitled to BAH.

Good luck and may you have a long and prosperous career!

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Roger that. thanks for the insight; I was super on the fence about possibly *ucking my career for 10k.

Edited March 25, 2024 by wikz

[brabus]

  On 3/25/2024 at 12:51 AM, wikz said:

exactly! apparently my unit is super chill and just helps people out like that, but that's why I am hesitant of doing it. I am just curious why she would advise us to do that. its probably possible, but I dont think its worth the risk. 

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Either you misunderstood or they gave you horrible advice. Good on you for asking, it was not a dumb question. As mentioned above, watch out for common “make an extra buck” scams like cinder blocks in a trailer, moving an extra car in a trailer and claiming that as HHG weight, etc. There’s a lot of “tricks” out there that people claim is no big deal, but will actually screw you very badly if caught. Never worth it. 

[wikz]

  On 3/25/2024 at 1:35 AM, brabus said:

Either you misunderstood or they gave you horrible advice. Good on you for asking, it was not a dumb question. As mentioned above, watch out for common “make an extra buck” scams like cinder blocks in a trailer, moving an extra car in a trailer and claiming that as HHG weight, etc. There’s a lot of “tricks” out there that people claim is no big deal, but will actually screw you very badly if caught. Never worth it. 

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thanks, will do. 

in regards to the misunderstanding, I was appalled too. I actually asked her to repeat it to me and I wrote it down word for word to make sure I wasn't crazy. maybe its just a reserves thing?

[wikz]

since kind of on the topic, how did you guys finance your PPL? loans? rich parents? side hustles?

being DSG, you make dirt money and obviously im gonna need a second job if I want to even possibly attain enough money. 

 

[brabus]

There are various grants and loan options. IMO, it’s better to get your finances prepped so you can afford to be consistent (2-3x week ideally) vs. “pay cash” as you’re able (i.e. very inconsistent if you don’t have high income). The loan will be worth it. 
 

Also the reserves may offer some options, so look into that. 

Edited March 25, 2024 by brabus

[wikz]

  On 3/25/2024 at 2:45 AM, brabus said:

There are various grants and loan options. IMO, it’s better to get your finances prepped so you can afford to be consistent (2-3x week ideally) vs. “pay cash” as you’re able (i.e. very inconsistent if you don’t have high income). The loan will be worth it. 
 

Also the reserves may offer some options, so look into that. 

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you the man brabus! if the dream ever works out, and when I am of the age, beers on me.

[Biff_T]

Dont try to pull financial scams on TDYs and PCSs. This is not the kind of thing you wanna start doing ever, let alone as a brand new Amn or Lt.  That's what dirtbags do.  

  On 3/25/2024 at 2:06 AM, wikz said:

since kind of on the topic, how did you guys finance your PPL? loans? rich parents? side hustles?

being DSG, you make dirt money and obviously im gonna need a second job if I want to even possibly attain enough money. 

 

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I sold my body to fat chicks on the weekends.  

In all seriousness, @brabus is spot on with keeping the flying consistent.  If that means taking a loan, do it intelligently.    You can't effectively learn while only flying once a month.  

[guineapigfury]

  On 3/25/2024 at 6:07 PM, Biff_T said:

...

In all seriousness, @brabus is spot on with keeping the flying consistent.  If that means taking a loan, do it intelligently.    You can't effectively learn while only flying once a month.  

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This was my experience.  I struggled getting my PPL.  I'd fly, sit for a couple weeks due to bad WX, rinse repeat.  I made little progress.  As soon as I started flying consistently 2-3 times per week it all got much much easier.

[Smokin]

There was a pilot who ended up behind actual bars and then kicked out for falsely claiming BAH for his wife while he was in Korea.  Don't remember the exact details, but something along the lines of she moved back to her parents house in a small town but claimed a NYC or SFO zip code.

[uhhello]

  On 3/27/2024 at 1:25 AM, Smokin said:

There was a pilot who ended up behind actual bars and then kicked out for falsely claiming BAH for his wife while he was in Korea.  Don't remember the exact details, but something along the lines of she moved back to her parents house in a small town but claimed a NYC or SFO zip code.

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Happens multiple times a year in some fashion. 

[brabus]

I know several dudes who’s wives were living in Korea, but they were claiming BAH back in the states. Nobody went to jail at least, but they got very lucky with good leadership at the time.

[BFM this]

The Paul Harvey probably includes some variation of:

Family from some Midwestern town (low BAH)

Fraudulently claims the family lived in Honolulu, San Francisco, etc (high BAH)

It was a dance, especially if the unsponsored spouse couldn’t secure a SOFA recognized job, but it was a manageable dance.