Reference & AI
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 PCS Calculator. See all guides
Guides for the PCS Calculator
8 publishedPCS & Moving
DFAS SmartVoucher: How to File a PCS Travel Voucher, and What DFAS Form 9098 Is For
SmartVoucher is the DFAS tool that asks you questions and builds the DD Form 1351-2 for you. DFAS Form 9098 is the claim for Temporary Lodging Expense that rides with it. Here is who can use SmartVoucher, the four steps, which form goes with which claim, how long DFAS says payment is taking this week, and what each part of the settlement is worth.
6 min readFamily & Spouse
Texas Is Investigating TriWest Over TRICARE Claim Denials. If "Other Health Insurance" Is on Your Denial, Here Is What to Check
On September 1, 2026 the Texas Attorney General opened an investigation into TriWest, the TRICARE West Region contractor, over claims denied on the ground that the patient had other health insurance. An investigation is not a finding. But the rule behind those denials is real, it is written on TRICARE's own site, and one wrong entry in your record is enough to trigger it.
5 min readPCS & Moving
The PCS System Is Being Rebuilt: HomeSafe's Contract Is Gone, a Pentagon Activity Now Runs Household Goods, and the Services Were Ordered to Cut Discretionary Moves in Half by 2030
Four Pentagon memos between May 2025 and January 2026 changed how a military move works and how many there will be: the Global Household Goods Contract was terminated for cause, the Personal Property Activity at Scott AFB now owns the program, PPM reimbursement is back to 100% of the government cost, and the services must cut discretionary PCS budgets 10% in FY2027 and 50% by FY2030. What each one means for your orders and your money.
9 min readVeterans Benefits
VA Loan Limits for 2027: Not Announced Yet, Who They Apply To, and the 2026 County Figures
The 2027 county limits come from FHFA, which has announced each year's figures in the last week of November. They matter only to a borrower whose VA entitlement is still tied up in another loan. Here is the 2026 table at major bases, the formula VA uses, the 2027 funding fee the statute already fixes, and what a San Diego PCS looks like by grade with a VA loan still open at Eglin.
7 min readVeterans Benefits
Assumable VA Loans: Who Can Take Over One, the 0.5% Fee, and the Entitlement a Seller Can Leave Behind
Taking over a seller's VA loan keeps their old interest rate and costs a 0.5 percent funding fee instead of 2.15. The catch is on both sides: the buyer pays the seller's equity, and a seller who lets a non-veteran assume can leave entitlement tied up for years. Here is what the statute and VA's rules say, and what a low assumed rate is worth against 2026 BAH by grade.
7 min readFamily & Spouse
Military Child Care in 2026: What a CDC Costs by Rank, Who Gets a Spot First, and the $2,000 Fee Assistance Cap
A military child development center charges by total family income, not by rank or base: $54.00 to $236.00 a week per child on the DoD chart now posted. Here is how DoD counts your income, which of its 12 categories each grade lands in, and how the waitlist decides who is offered a spot.
7 min readFamily & Spouse
The President's Military Spouse Commission: What It Is, What It Can Change, and How to Send It Your Experience
Executive Order 14417, signed August 3, 2026, created the President's Military Spouse Commission. It is an advisory body: it changes no pay rate and creates no benefit by itself. What it does have is a direct line to the President, a two-year clock, and a public form where spouses can submit their experience. Here is what the order says, and what already exists for spouses today.
6 min readDeployment & Pay
The State of the Force Address: Six New Initiatives, and What Changes for Your Pay, Your Next Move and Your Career
On September 30, 2026 the Secretary of War spoke at Quantico to 600 O-3 officers and E-6 enlisted members and announced six initiatives: a new four-star command for autonomous warfare, a study of future war, a basing program, a new installation, more commissioning programs and an Office of Religious Affairs. None of them changes a pay table today. Three of them could change where you are stationed and what job you hold. Here is what was said, and what was not.
6 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