Veteran education
The VA process, in plain English.
I'm a Navy veteran and certified veteran disability benefits educator. I provide education on how the process works, what the steps mean, and what questions to ask.
Explore veteran educationNavy veteran. Girl dad. Still building.
I'm Brian
Palermo.
Veteran education, children's books, and conversations that matter to me.
I educate veterans about the VA disability process, write about Bobo and Kyra, and co host Faith, Money & Mental Health. I also work in financial education and fintech. This is where all of it lives.
A few different parts of my life
Start with what brought you here.
The work is different.
The person behind it is the same.
Children's books
Bobo and Kyra, in print.
Bobo is the chihuahua. Kyra is the shiba. They are family, and each one found a way into a picture book written for families to read together.
Meet Bobo and Kyra
The podcast
Faith, Money & Mental Health.
I co host the show with Mark Yard and Aaron Duchane. We have honest conversations about the parts of life people often carry quietly.
Explore the podcast
Financial education and fintech
Understand the choices in front of you.
Financial education and practical tools for understanding money, protection, and everyday financial decisions.
Explore financial education
The person behind the work
Nobody handed me a map either.
When I left the Navy, the VA process made no sense to me. When I became a dad, money stopped being an abstract subject. When I started talking openly about mental health, I learned how many people were waiting for somebody else to go first.
I do not pretend those are all the same problem. They are connected by one belief: people make better decisions when somebody explains things clearly and treats them like a person.
From our family to your bookshelf
Bobo and Kyra.
Picture book
Bobo: The World's Friendliest Chihuahua
A warm, playful story about a little Chihuahua with a huge heart and a gift for making friends wherever he goes.
Inside the book
Picture book
The Sassy Shiba Goes For A Walk
A fun, rhyming story about Kyra, a spirited Shiba with plenty of personality and a walk that turns into an adventure.
Inside the bookA few photos of the dogs behind the books
With Mark Yard and Aaron Duchane
Faith, Money &
Mental Health.
Real life does not keep faith, mental health, and money in separate boxes. That is what we talk about on the show.
Something you can use today
Put a few numbers
on paper.
Simple calculators for budgeting, retirement, coverage, and the Rule of 72. No login and no email required.
Latest from Brian
Straight talk, in writing.
Mental HealthSeptember 3, 2026
Real Life Doesn't Stay in Separate Boxes
Faith, family, money, and mental health do not take turns. They show up together, which is why I refuse to talk about them like they are unrelated.
Read
GeneralSeptember 3, 2026
People Do Better With a Straight Answer
Most people do not need more noise. They need someone to slow down, explain what matters, and be honest about what they do and do not know.
Read
GeneralSeptember 3, 2026
The Common Thread in Everything I'm Building
Veteran education, money, books, a podcast. They look different from the outside. To me, they all come back to the same thing.
Read
Follow the work
Where I show up online.
Keep the conversation going
Have something in mind?
For books, speaking, podcast questions, or a project together, send me a message.
Here for veteran education?
Start with how the free 30 minute strategy session works.
I am a veteran disability benefits educator, not an attorney or an accredited claims agent. I do not prepare, file, or represent VA claims. This is education, not legal or medical advice, and nothing here guarantees any VA benefit, rating, or outcome.
This business is not sponsored by or affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, any state department of veterans affairs, or any federally chartered veterans service organization. Those organizations may be able to provide this service free of charge, and you may qualify for other veterans benefits beyond what I offer.
All disability claims are processed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. I cannot expedite the processing of a claim.