In partnership with
The Better Veteran
Maximize Your Benefits. Optimize Your Life.
June 11, 2026
Last week a veteran asked me a question I've gotten a hundred times:
"I want to use VR&E, but I don't want to get stuck with the low subsistence pay. Is there anything I can do?"
Great question. And almost nobody gets a straight answer to it. You ask in a Facebook group and get 12 contradictory replies. You call your VSO and wait three weeks. You fall down a Google rabbit hole at 11pm and come out more confused than when you started.
So I built something that answers it. Instantly. For free. In plain English.
Say hello to the new Better Veteran Benefits Assistant — a free AI guide built right into the site. Tap the chat button in the corner, ask it anything about your benefits, and it gives you a real answer.
Here's what it told that veteran:
If you're eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you can elect to take your VR&E housing money at the higher GI Bill (MHA) rate and still keep all of VR&E's tuition, books, and counseling. It's been the law since 2018, and most veterans never hear it.
For a lot of veterans, that one move is worth $1,000+ a month (it varies by your school and location). Then it points you straight to the tool to run your own numbers.
That's the whole idea: an assistant that knows the strategies most veterans never get told and hands them to you in seconds.
And now everything lives in one place
While I was at it, I rebuilt the whole experience. Every tool we've ever made — all 14 of them — now lives in one clean home:
It's organized the way you actually think about your benefits: disability, education, retirement, housing, state benefits, and more. No more digging through a list to find what you need. And if you're not sure where to start, hit "Match me with the right tools" and it'll point you to what fits your situation in about 60 seconds.
New design, same Navy and Gold colors (Go Navy), one centralized hub for all tools that I’ve built and will ever build.
The part I'm proudest of
I built the AI to be honest and that mattered to me more than making it flashy or giving you a sycophant that will tell you the world is yours for the taking if you’re a veteran.
It won't make up a number. It won't tell you that you personally qualify for something — that's between you, God and an accredited VSO, and it'll say exactly that. It always points you to verify with VA.gov. And when it doesn't know, it tells you instead of guessing.
It's a guide, not a salesman. Completely free — no signup, no catch, ever.
That's the whole point of The Better Veteran: straight answers about what you've earned, with nobody trying to sell you anything. If there’s anything the AI chat can’t answer for you, you can always feel free to reach out to me so I can try to point you in the right direction a little more clearly.
The chat button is in the bottom-right corner.
One quick favor
Here's what I'm working on in the background for you other than free tools: free, no-pitch webinars from people who actually help veterans win: VA loan experts, financial advisors, veterans who used the GI Bill or VR&E to land advanced degrees, claims and application advisors, and more. Free for you. Always.
So tell me:
If I brought in free, no-pitch webinars from experts who actually help veterans win — would you show up?
Got a specific type of expert you'd want first: financial advisor that helps veterans specifically, a VA loan pro, a claims expert, someone who used their GI Bill for an advanced degree?
Hit reply and tell me. That's how I decide who to bring you next.
Talk soon,
Zak
If you run a business, make sure that your accounting stays solid!
Your business has grown. Is your accounting on the same path?
When you started out, doing your own books made sense. But the business you're running today isn't the one you started. If your accounting hasn't kept pace, it's quietly costing you — outdated financials, no clear view of what's actually profitable, and hours every week pulled away from the work that grows your business. At BELAY, our Financial Experts integrate directly into your business. They manage your books, reconcile accounts, run payroll, and deliver the timely insight you need to make big decisions with confidence. Stop guessing. Start knowing.
If you’d like to support the mission of The Better Veteran, you can do so here. If anything I’ve ever shared has opened your eyes on how to take advantage of your benefits, or saved you money, and you feel so inclined to show support. You can do so here:
All tools and resources will remain free, forever, for veterans. This is just a way of saying thanks.
More from The Better Veteran:
The full Toolbox — all 14 free tools in one place
Not sure what you're missing? Start with the Benefits Finder Quiz
Stay informed. Stay empowered. -- The Better Veteran Team
This newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or benefits advice. The Benefits Assistant provides general planning help, not official determinations. Always verify your eligibility and benefit amounts with VA.gov or an accredited VSO.
