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Military Money Guides
Written from active dutyThe decisions behind the calculators. PCS moves, deployment pay, and retirement elections, explained in plain English by someone who lives them.
Reviewed by Guilherme Correia, active-duty U.S. Air Force
Our calculators give you the number. These guides give you the decision. Should you do a PPM? How do you capture every dollar on a deployment? Should you take the BRS lump sum? They’re written from inside the military, not from a corporate desk, and every figure traces to an official 2026 source. No fluff, no "10 money tips," just the real math and the gotchas nobody warns you about.
Showing the 8 guides that cite BAH Rates by Base. See all guides
Guides for the BAH Rates by Base
8 publishedPay & Allowances
Pentagon ZIP Code for BAH: 20301, Military Housing Area DC053, and the 2026 Washington, DC Metro Rate by Grade
The Pentagon's mailing ZIP is 20301, Washington, DC, even though the building stands in Arlington, Virginia. For housing allowance purposes it sits in Military Housing Area DC053. Here is what that area pays in 2026 by grade, how it compares with Quantico and Fort Meade, and what the ZIP does and does not change.
6 min readPay & Allowances
2027 BAH Rates: When They Come Out, What Moves Them, and What You Can Already Count On
The 2027 Basic Allowance for Housing rates are not published. Last year the Department released the new rates on December 11 for a January 1 start. Until then, three things are already certain: the pay raise does not set your BAH, rental data does, and rate protection means a lower 2027 rate cannot cut what you receive now. Here is what is settled, and what a typical year-to-year change is worth in dollars.
6 min readPay & Allowances
OPM Pay Scale for 2026: The GS Table, the 2027 Civilian Pay Freeze, and What Seven Military Grades Earn Against It
The OPM pay scale in force today is Salary Table 2026-GS, a 1 percent increase effective January 2026, running from $22,584 at GS-1 step 1 to $164,301 at GS-15 step 10 before locality pay. On August 26, 2026 the President told Congress that 2027 civilian base and locality pay "will not change from the 2026 rates" while military basic pay rises 7, 6 or 5 percent. Here is the table, the locality math, and seven military grades priced against it.
8 min readVeterans Benefits
Chapter 33 VA Benefits for 2026-2027: The Six Tiers, the $30,908.34 Private School Cap, and What Housing Pays Near Five Bases
Chapter 33 is the Post-9/11 GI Bill. VA's rates for August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027 are set; here is what each tier pays, and how the housing compares with the BAH you drew on active duty.
6 min readVeterans Benefits
GI Bill Schools Overbilling VA: What the $300 Million Investigation Found, Who Repays, and Whether Your Months Come Back (October 2026)
8 min readVeterans Benefits
Post-9/11 GI Bill Rates for 2026-27: The $30,908 Private-School Cap, the $1,198 Online Housing Rate, and What the Housing Allowance Is Worth by Campus
VA's Post-9/11 GI Bill rates for August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 are posted: the private and foreign school tuition cap is $30,908.34 (up 3.3% from $29,920.95), the online-only housing rate is $1,198.00 a month, and the books stipend stays at $1,000. The housing allowance is the biggest number and it depends on the campus, so here is what it pays near nine installations.
7 min readVeterans Benefits
Does the GI Bill Expire? The Deadline for Chapter 33, 30, 1606 and 35, and the $1,200 You Can Still Lose (October 2026)
7 min readPay & Allowances
Reservist Differential Pay: Federal Employees on Active Duty Orders May Be Owed the Gap, and What It Is Worth by Rank
If you are a federal civilian employee serving on active duty orders and your military pay is lower than your civilian salary, federal law requires your agency to make up the difference. The Supreme Court ruled in 2025 that the law covers more orders than OPM's guidance does, a 2026 MSPB decision applied that ruling to voluntary orders, and five reservists filed a class appeal in September 2026. Here is what is settled, what is pending, and what the gap is worth at seven ranks.
7 min readHow these guides are sourced
Every figure comes from a primary 2026 source: the Joint Travel Regulations, DoD Financial Management Regulation, DFAS pay tables, IRS publications, or U.S. Code. Each guide lists exactly which. Worked examples are clearly labeled illustrations, never real-person claims. Read more about our research methodology and update cadence.
REF: Military Toolkit Guides, effective 2026
Official 2026 DoD, DFAS, DTMO, IRS, and VA sources
Results are estimates. Always verify with your finance office.
Reviewed by Guilherme Correia · Military Toolkit editorial