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 11 guides that cite TSP Calculator. See all guides
Guides for the TSP Calculator
11 publishedRetirement & 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
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 readPay & Allowances
The 2027 Military Pay Raise: 7-6-5 Is Set, 3.6% Is Still on the Table
On August 26, 2026 the President set the January 2027 raise at 7% for E-5 and below, 6% for E-6 to O-3 and 5% for O-4 and above. The Senate committee's defense bill would make it a flat 3.6% instead. The gap is worth $1,200 to $2,200 a year depending on your rank. Here is the real math on your paycheck.
8 min readDeployment & Pay
Every Dollar You're Owed on a Deployment: The 2026 Combat-Zone Pay Stack
Deployment pay is not one entitlement. It is a stack of six that layer on top of each other, each with its own rules, tax treatment, and gotchas. Here is the whole stack in plain English, in the order it hits your LES.
11 min readPay & Allowances
Marine Corps FY2027 Reenlistment Bonuses: Every Kicker, the Biggest MOS Payouts, and Why the Money Now Arrives in the Fiscal Year of Your ECC
MARADMIN 023/26 sets the Selective Retention Bonus program for Marines whose contracts end between October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2027: seven kickers up to $50,000, PMOS bonuses up to $67,500 in a single zone, a $360,000 career cap, and a change in when the money is paid. Here is the whole plan, priced against 2026 basic pay.
9 min readDeployment & Pay
The Combat Zone Tax Exclusion: Why a Deployment Can Make Your Pay Tax-Free
Serve even one day in a designated combat zone in a month and that whole month of pay can come out federal-tax-free. Here is how the exclusion works, the cap that applies to officers, and what it means at filing time.
7 min readPay & Allowances
Your First Military Paycheck: What You Actually Take Home
A military paycheck is not one number, it is a stack of base pay and allowances, and a big chunk of it is tax-free. Here is how the pieces fit together so you understand what really lands in your account.
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 readDeployment & Pay
The Savings Deposit Program: A Guaranteed 10% You Have to Claim
There is exactly one place in American finance that pays a guaranteed 10%, and it only exists while you are deployed to a combat zone. Most people either set it up too late or miss it entirely. Here is how to not be one of them.
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 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