Retired pay, maximized.
Legacy vs BRS. The SBP election. Concurrent receipt. Reserve and Guard at 60. The military-to-federal civilian buyback decision.
The latest additions.
The VA Waiver: Why Military Retired Pay Is Offset by Disability Pay (2026)
VA disability pay offsets military retired pay dollar-for-dollar via the VA waiver. Why it happens, how CRDP and CRSC restore it, plus a calculator to see it.
State Taxes on Military Retirement Pay: The 2026 Map
37 states don't tax military retirement pay at all; only California and DC fully tax it. The no-tax nine, partial-exemption states, and a state lookup.
The high-leverage decisions
- SBP election — 6.5% of retired pay for life, in exchange for spouse 55% of base. Most retirees should elect; some shouldn't. The math depends on your spouse's age, your health, and your other survivor benefits.
- Concurrent receipt — if you're rated 50%+ by the VA, you can receive both retired pay and VA disability. Below 50%, the offset cuts your retired pay dollar-for-dollar.
- Military service deposit — buying back military time for FERS counts that service toward your federal civilian pension. Almost always worth it.
- Reserve/Guard retirement — reservists with 20+ qualifying years get a pension starting at age 60 (or earlier for post-2008 active duty time).
Military Retirement articles.
Legacy High-3 vs BRS: The Real Military Pension Math
The 2.5% pension vs the 2.0% pension plus a TSP match. Which is worth more, who’s in which system, and the honest lifetime math — with a side-by-side calculator.
CRDP vs CRSC: Concurrent Receipt Explained
Taxable CRDP or tax-free CRSC? The combat-related test, the breakeven math, and why you can only hold one — with an after-tax comparison tool.
Is SBP Worth It? The 6.5% Survivor Benefit Decision
The premium, the 55% annuity, the paid-up rule, and the eliminated SBP-DIC offset. A worth-it analyzer for the most expensive election most retirees never revisit.
Guard and Reserve Retirement at 60: Points and Pay
How points become a pension, the gray-area years, and the 90-day rule that pulls your start age below 60 — with a Reserve retirement estimator.
Military Divorce and the USFSPA: Dividing Your Pension
The coverture formula, the Frozen Benefit Rule, the truth about 10/10 and 20/20/20, and how a VA waiver reshapes the split — with a former-spouse share estimator.
TRICARE Prime vs Select vs For Life
The retiree health-coverage choice across your lifecycle, the 2026 costs, and the Part B move that protects you at 65 — with a Prime-vs-Select cost comparison.
Chapter 61 Military Medical Retirement: The Pay Math
The 30% threshold, the greater-of-two-methods pay formula, TDRL vs permanent, and the VA-offset and CRSC interaction — with a disability-retirement pay calculator.
Military Pension and Social Security: Stacking
Your pension and Social Security stack in full — no WEP, no GPO. The real interaction is taxation — with a taxable-Social-Security estimator.