<p>No. The only up front costs you have are getting your appointee (and family members who elect to attend) to orientation and the boot purchase during orientation itself. Everything else is paid for by the loan. Appointees are issued an airline ticket for I-day. Whether to go I-day is each family's decision to make. We were told that attrition is highest among those Basics who don't attend summer seminar and/or orientation.</p>
<p>Kind of unrelated, but do any of the other 3 digs on here know how we can find out on mypay how much we will be getting from our held pay in a month or so? I've been trying to figure it out but I haven't been able to make sense of it yet. All I know is that the only money I've spent from it has been $11 on one flight cap.</p>
<p>I would also like to know the answer to that! I can't figure out mypay!</p>
<p>I am sorry but I am laughing right now @ how much of a stipend. </p>
<p>A. how much time will you really have to spend the money as a 4dig?</p>
<p>B. You will probably have more spending money as a 4 dig than you will ever have in the service.</p>
<p>When Bullet was a Lt. (married as 2nd), I said I can't wait until he is a 1st, b/c than we will have money. when he was a 1st, can't wait until he is a capt., when he was a capt can't wait until he hits 8 yr flight pay, b/c we'll have money(said that for every promo).... are you getting the pic. Bullet will be retiring soon, and now we will have money (corporate + ret), it only took us 20+ years to finally have spending money :D</p>
<p>I would suggest to get a personal acct opened at Bank of America, put enough money in to open it, and you can always deposit money in it. In 20+ yrs I have never seen an Armed Forces Bank in any town or base. PFCU was located at 2 bases (Pentagon and Pope). This way when you graduate you can switch your allotment with your 1st LES. We had an acct from Idaho for yrs (creates a problem with finance on switching, 30 days to do so, hard to do when you have to pay for life at the same time)</p>
<p>USAA for credit cards, insurance and car loans, but IMHO, not for banking. Again no bank at many bases, so when you get a check from grandma for your birthday, you can only cash it at the BX or have to mail it. Trust me it will happen alot</p>
<p>USAA let's you scan a check into the computer and transmit it to them. Immediate access to the money too. Works like a charm. Don't even have to leave the house to go to the ATM. My D loves this - it works like a charm. She scans it in on her multipurpose printer/scanner/fax and transmits it to USAA right from her room at AFA. Instant deposit and instant access. If she needs cash she can use any ATM. USAA does not charge an ATM fee. She can go to any banks ATM to get cash. Our family really likes USAA. Frankly, we have been with USAA as a family for thirty years and my parents for probably 25 or 30 before that. Only recently did we add the checking account and had no idea they make it so easy. It is head and shoulders above the credit union we always had while hubby was active. We still have the Credit Union but USAA is so much better. Have had other "regular" banks over the years as well. Cancelled every single one but still stay with USAA (and the credit union too - though if I could only have one, it would be USAA). BofA - no more. WF - no more. Local small banks - no more. . . </p>
<p>USAA and Armed Forces Bank had a table set up at Orientation for the kids to open their accounts. It was very easy and convenient right there at Orientation. No need to go to the bank or anything. We set up D's online with USAA a week or two prior to orientation, not realizing USAA would be right there at orientation. It worked out fine and was very easy.</p>
<p>^^^ If those are my 2 choices USAA hand over fist. Especially since when you get your SSA rebate at christmas.</p>
<p>I am still a person I want to walk in my bank and not have to go from option 1 to option4 to option7, etc. before I speak to a person and then I have to deal with the fact that I have to deal with time distance. Works great in AK, but not so good in the UK (especially when you have to pay the overseas connection charge). Thus, that is why I said BofA they have been on every base we were stationed at.</p>
<p>I will say USAA has the best car insurance rates, household ins.varies (we went with All State in AK, better rate and ded. the only time in 20+ yrs) Their customer service is unbeatable, except for personal property for jewelry (don't get me started, suffice it to say my diamond was switched at an appraisal and when I went for a re-appraisal after 3 yrs which is a USAA req. that is when we found out and it took me 6 mos to get it replaced after paying premiums for over 12 yrs)</p>
<p>I agree, the USAA Xmas check is awesome! 30 years later, we still forget about it until it shows up! </p>
<p>Other carriers have bid on our auto & property but they never come close. Now when others find out we are with USAA they fold. We've had 2 property claims, thanks to "line of sight" got the entire house re-carpeted. Apparently the "line of sight" is interpreted very favorably with USAA and not so favorably with other carriers! D had her flute stolen from her unlocked car 2 yrs ago :( within 4 days USAA had replaced it with an identical $6500 sterling silver flute :D (usual would have been a month, they did in 4 days because she had a performance & they accommodated the rush). I didn't know they require an appraisal every 3 yrs. I'm going to have to check my jewelry rider and be sure I am in compliance. Glad they finally took care of your diamond problem.</p>
<p>Incidentally, D has the above noted flute with her at AFA. They have a good rider you can add to a renters policy for $25 a year. Can't beat that. If something happens to that flute at AFA I know they will take care of her.</p>
<p>USAA is the best and easiest. You can cash checks on a sunday night in your room at 3am in the dead of winter. Which at USAFA. you do not want to leave you're room during the winter.</p>
<p>On top of cashing checks whenever you want. you can use ANY ATM you want. USAA witll refund you up to $15 a month in atm fees, so you can use AFM or Bank of America ect ATMs for no charge unless you use the atm more that 6 times a month. (Which you have your own issues if you need to use the atm that much.)</p>
<p>UsAA is kind of an everywhere and nowhere bank, which is what makes it great. When i locked my upperclassmens keys in my car and freaked out, USAA sent someone over to open up the vehicle in 45 min. When i talked to the guy that was saving my life, he said he didn't directly work for USAA, but in a sense was kind of contracted by them. In that sense, you can picture it that USAA has people everywhere, ATMs everywhere, and places to deposit checks everywhere, even though they may not specifically work for USAA only. But hey, it works, it's the smallest bank with the largest presense and availiabliltiy in my opinion.</p>
<p>Ouch keys locked in upperclassmens car....Thanks USAA. D uses AFB, they have a branch in the Cadet area, and ATM outside the Cadet Store. Covienient for her Cadet Life. We had a hard time choosing between AFB, and USAA. Chose AFB because I can run out to Nellis, and make desposit pretty easy. </p>
<p>In twenty plus years with the Air Force I usually waited intil I arrived someplace, and found a Bank that was convienient. Switched several times over the years. Still have my first credit union account back at FE Warren.</p>
<p>3 digs:</p>
<p>1) after logging on to my pay,select "Leave and Earnings Statement (LES)"</p>
<p>2) your statement appears with all of the info on what you've been paid, your expense, etc.</p>
<p>3) under remarks on the bottom section, look in the right hand column about 3 from the bottom. a line says :HELD PAY SVC ACADEMY $____</p>
<p>4) that's how much you have sitting there waiting for you.</p>
<p>if you notice, as of friday (when the statement takes effect), they are taking out some of our held pay to pay off our loans! so as of friday we are officially debt free!</p>
<p>the only bad part is if you look at the difference in held pay form alst month to this month, it's much less and therefore depressing, but oh well.</p>
<p>oh, and for the bank situation. its easier initially for the to deposit your pay into the AFB or AAFCU. i recently got a USAA account in addition to my AAFCU b/c interest is much higher and they offer many great rates for loans, credit cards, etc. but i also have the AAFCU close by for quick access and to monitor by spending.</p>
<p>Wait, so you guys are getting your $800 a month now?</p>
<p>no, not until March, and then I think we only get 700</p>
<p>we don't get the increase pay yet, but our debt is paid off. so that money that usually goes towards paying off the debt should go straight into our held pay, which would be sweet.</p>
<p>Everyone is getting an increase this summer. The increase for 4-digs is to about $150, from what I've heard. Is it a $50 increase for uppers?</p>
<p>four digs arleady get $110, so that'd only be $40 raise. and i believe the increase is AF wide, so i'd assume about the same for others</p>