Financial Assistance

Personal Financial Management Program

Your Personal Financial Management Specialist, at the HUB, building 5305, is here to help you and your family members, active duty, retired, DOD, and NAF Civilian Personnel learn more about basic financial management skills and improve their financial fitness through:

• Personalized Budgeting
• Goal Setting
• Savings & Investing
• Use of Credit & Debt
• Planning for Major Financial Challenges
• Risk Coverage
• Tax Planning
• Retirement Planning

The Personal Financial Management Program also offers a wide variety of free financial classes to improve your Financial Fitness. For a list of classes, visit: Personal Financial Management - Marine Corps Community Services | MCAS Miramar (mccsmiramar.com)

You can reach your Personal Financial Management Specialist at: 858-307-9802 or Email: smbmiramarmccs.pfm@usmc.mil or to set up an appointment, visit: https://calendly.com/miramarpfm/financial-meeting 

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

The vision of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is to provide financial, educational, and other assistance to members of the Naval Services of the United States, eligible family members, and survivors when in need; and to receive and manage funds to administer these programs. The NMCRS located in building 2273 can help with the following:

• Quick Assist Loans
• Basic Living Expenses
• Household Set-Up
• Emergency Leave Transportation for Death/Serious Illness of Immediate Family
• Funeral Expenses
• Vehicle Expenses
• Medical/Dental Expenses for Dependents not Covered by Insurance
• Military Pay Problems

In addition, the NMCRS provides budget counseling, Budget for Baby workshops, and operates the Thrift Shop on base, located in building 6275 where you can buy gently used clothing and household items at discounted rates.

To reach the NMCRS call: 858-307-1807 or follow NMCRS on Facebook - NMCRS/Miramar and Instagram @nmcrsmiramar

Government Travel Charge Card

MARADMIN 001/16 mandates the use of the Government Travel Charge Card during a Permanent Change of Station travel effective January 1, 2016. Contact your unit's APC immediately if you are not a cardholder. Please note: no advance of travel entitlements are authorized in conjunction with an activated GTCC.

Basic Allowance for Housing

BAH is a U.S. based allowance prescribed by geographic duty location, paygrade, and dependency status. It provides Service Members with equitable housing compensation based on housing costs in local civilian housing markets within the U.S. when government quarters are not provided. To calculate your BAH rate, visit the BAH Calculator (dod.mil)

Temporary Lodging Expense

TLE is an allowance intended to partially cover lodging and meal expenses that a Service Member incurs while occupying temporary lodging in CONUS upon a PCS. Service Members are authorized the following TLE:

• PCSing to a OCONUS location from a CONUS location, TLE is authorized for 5 days.
• PCSing to a CONUS location, TLE is authorized for 10 days.

Temporary Lodging Allowance

TLA is an entitlement to partially reimburse you for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses while transitioning in/out of housing during a PCS move overseas.

• The GTCC is authorized for TLA.
• For current rates, see: Per Diem Rates (dod.mil)

Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation

Mileage reimbursement is payable to Service Members driving a Privately Owned Vehicle.

The reimbursement is as follows:

• $0.22 per mile per vehicle, regardless of how many dependents are in the vehicle.
• Mileage determines the number of days authorized to travel.
• The GTCC can be used for lodging, food and gas. Please know your limit.

Dislocation Allowance

DLA is flat-rate allowance that is provided to partially reimburse the Service Member for the extraordinary expenses incurred in moving household locations from one PDS to another. If entitled, the GTCC may be used for expenses related to DLA:

• DLA is based on paygrade and dependency status on the effective date of the PCS orders.
• Examples:
  • Carpet Cleaning.
  • Blinds and other household goods.
  • Utility deposit.
• If used, be able to readily justify that the charge is related to household dislocation.
• A member without dependents assigned to government quarters at the new duty station is not authorized DLA.

Upon arrival to MCAS Miramar, complete your travel settlement within 5 days of your report date to ensure all of your entitlements are properly calculated. For additional assistance, contact the Installation Personnel Administration Center at: 858-307-4321, Building 8380.

Just like any place in the world, the cost of living depends on various factors like real estate prices, local taxes etc. In San Diego County, the cost of living is approximately 44% higher than the national average but don't fret, you can enjoy one of the finest climates in the country. In fact, it has more days that are 72 degrees than anywhere. You can enjoy the almost no rained-out summer picnic and free outdoor activities. Even though the area is growing, there are still plenty of open spaces and recreational areas to explore.

Housing/Utilities

You can expect the gas and electric bill to average to $312 a month. Shifting your use outside of the on-peak hours of 4 p.m.-9 p.m., when possible, can help you save money on your energy bill.

Water, trash, and sewer bills run around $90-110 a month. The trash collection in some areas is included in the monthly water bill while in other areas it is billed separately. If government housing is not available, when looking at rental properties, look to see what utilities are included in your rent to help minimize additional costs.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are available year round at very good prices since most of it is grown in California or nearby Mexico.

Car Insurance Requirements

Californians on average pay higher insurance premiums compared to the national average. Most people believe all these rates are fixed by insurance companies and state regulatory agencies, but in reality discounted and competitive rates are available in California. 

California state law requires minimum Bodily Injury Liability Limits of $15,000 per injured person up to a total of $30,000 per accident, and Property Damage Liability coverage with a minimum limit of $5,000. This basic coverage is often referred to as 15/30/5 coverage. 

The state of California follows a Tort system meaning someone must be found to be at fault for causing the accident, and that person and their insurance company is responsible for all the damages. You should be aware that the details of a tort system vary from state to state.

You can also get Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury coverage to cover bodily injury caused by an uninsured and /or underinsured driver (depending on the state). California does not require drivers to purchase this coverage, but you should consider purchasing this valuable coverage in the event the other driver does not have car insurance

Keep in mind that active duty Service Members may be eligible to receive a Military Discount on their car insurance. Check with your insurance provider to see if you can take advantage of any discounts available.