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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 11 guides that cite VA Disability Calculator. See all guides
Guides for the VA Disability Calculator
11 publishedVeterans Benefits
Trajector Filed for Bankruptcy With Veterans' Lawsuits Pending. The Claim Deadline, the Hearing on October 15, and the Law on Paying for VA Claim Help
Trajector, a company that charges veterans in connection with VA disability claims, filed for Chapter 11 on July 23, 2026 while proposed class actions against it were pending. The deadline printed on the bankruptcy notice for filing a claim was October 1. Two motions to extend it are set for a hearing on October 15. Here is what the court record shows, and what federal law says about paying anyone for help with a VA claim.
7 min readVeterans Benefits
Can VA Disability Be Garnished for Child Support? What Federal Law Allows, and What State Courts Still Do
Federal law shields VA disability compensation from creditors, and in most cases from garnishment. There is one exception written into the statute, a Supreme Court decision that lets state courts count the money anyway, and a VA rule that changed on February 9, 2026. Here is each piece, with the text it comes from.
6 min readVeterans Benefits
2027 VA Disability Rates: The Estimate for Every Rating, and the Two Things Still Missing
The 2027 VA disability compensation rates do not exist yet. The percentage is not final until October 14, 2026, and the bill that carries the increase has not passed. Two of the three months that set the percentage are published, though, which is enough to estimate every rating to within a few dollars. Here is that estimate, what is settled, and what is not.
6 min readVeterans Benefits
The VA Disability Claim: How the Process Actually Works
A VA disability claim is one of the most valuable things you can do before and after you separate, and one of the most misunderstood. Here is how the process really works, from filing to a rating.
8 min readDeployment & Pay
Shaving Waivers and the One-Year Rule: What the Grooming Standard Says, and What a Separation Would Mean for Your Pay
A memorandum dated August 20, 2025 set the standard as clean-shaven and gave service members with medical shaving waivers one year of treatment before commanders start separation. That year has now run for the earliest cases. Here is what the Department said the rule is, what it said the rule is not, and the money questions to settle before any separation paperwork moves.
5 min readRetirement & Transition
The Major Richard Star Act in October 2026: 340 House Cosponsors, 80 in the Senate, and Still No Vote
The Major Richard Star Act would let medically retired veterans with combat-related disabilities keep their full retired pay alongside VA compensation. It has more cosponsors than almost any bill in Congress. It has not had a vote in either chamber. Here is exactly where both bills stand as of October 3, 2026, who it would cover, and what those veterans can claim today.
6 min readRetirement & Transition
Two of the Three Months That Decide the 2027 COLA Are Now Published
BLS published the August Consumer Price Index on September 11, 2026. August is the second of the three months that set next year's cost of living adjustment for military retired pay, SBP annuities and VA compensation. Two of the three are now fixed. Here is the arithmetic, what September can still move, and what each outcome is worth by retired grade.
8 min readVeterans Benefits
The VA Home Loan: No Down Payment, No PMI, and the Fee Nobody Explains
The VA loan is one of the most valuable benefits of service, and one of the least understood. Here is what makes it different from a regular mortgage, and the one-time fee you should plan for.
7 min readVeterans Benefits
The Post-9/11 GI Bill: Three Benefits in One, and How to Use Them
The GI Bill is not just tuition. It is three separate benefits bundled together, and understanding all three (plus the option to give it to your kids) is how you get the full value out of what you earned.
7 min readFamily & Spouse
SGLI and the $500,000 Decision You Make When You Get Out
While you serve, you have up to half a million dollars of life insurance you barely think about. When you separate, you get one short window to keep it, and missing it can cost your family the coverage entirely.
6 min readRetirement & Transition
The Transition Timeline: What to Do at 18, 12, 6, and 3 Months Out
Leaving the military well is a project with a deadline, and the people who land softly start a year or more out. Here is the countdown, from the first paperwork to your final out-processing.
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