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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 BRS Calculator. See all guides
Guides for the BRS Calculator
8 publishedPay & Allowances
BRS Continuation Pay by Service: Each Branch's Multiplier and What It Pays by Grade
Continuation pay is one law and six different checks. The Navy has published 2.5 times for 2027, the Marine Corps pays 5.0 times in 2026, and the Coast Guard pays 9 times at eight years. Here is every branch's published multiplier, what has not been announced, and the dollar amount by grade from the 2026 pay table.
7 min readRetirement & Transition
BRS Lump Sum vs. Full Pension: The 2026 Math, Honestly
At retirement the Blended Retirement System offers you a lump sum in exchange for a smaller pension until age 67. It looks like free money. The discount rate is where they get you. Here is how to actually run the decision.
10 min readRetirement & Transition
TSP Contribution Limits for 2027 Are Not Out Yet: the 2026 Limits, the Formula That Sets 2027, and the BRS Match by Rank
As of October 20, 2026 the IRS has not published the 2027 Thrift Savings Plan limits. The 2026 limits from IRS Notice 2025-67 are $24,500.00 in elective deferrals, $8,000.00 more at age 50, $11,250.00 more at ages 60 to 63 and $72,000.00 in total annual additions. The IRS posted the last three annual notices on November 1, 2023, November 1, 2024 and November 13, 2025. Here is what the statute does to those figures each year, what the BRS match is worth by rank from the 2026 pay table, and how combat zone pay changes the ceiling.
8 min readRetirement & Transition
The 2027 COLA Is 3.6%: September CPI-W Closes the Formula for Retired Pay, SBP and VA Compensation
BLS published the September Consumer Price Index on October 14, 2026, the last of the three months that set next year's cost of living adjustment for military retired pay, SBP annuities and VA compensation. The arithmetic is now closed: the 2027 COLA is 3.6%, and Social Security announced the same figure the same morning. Here is the calculation, what it is worth by retired grade, and the one piece still missing on the VA side.
8 min readRetirement & Transition
TSP Share Price History: Where the Official Numbers Are, and What Each Fund Has Returned Through October 2, 2026
The Thrift Savings Plan publishes the share price of every fund for every business day back to 2003. This page shows where that file lives, the closing prices on October 2, 2026, and what the five core funds returned this year, last year and over five and ten years, all computed from the official prices. Then the part that matters more than any price: what to do with it.
6 min readPay & Allowances
Roth or Traditional TSP: The Choice That Quietly Decides Your Taxes
Every dollar you put in the TSP goes into one of two buckets, and the difference is just when you pay taxes on it. For most service members, and especially anyone deploying, one side has a clear edge.
7 min readRetirement & Transition
High-3 vs. BRS: Which Retirement System Are You Even Under?
There are two military retirement systems, they pay very differently, and a surprising number of people do not know which one they are in. Here is how to tell, and what each one actually gives you.
7 min readRetirement & Transition
The TSP Fund Choice, Demystified: G, F, C, S, and I
The Thrift Savings Plan gives you five core funds and a set of Lifecycle funds, and that is where most people freeze. Here is what each one actually is, in plain terms, and how to think about the choice without the jargon.
8 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