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Whether you’ve served in the military for four years or 30, becoming a civilian again is one of the biggest changes you’ll face. It pays to do your homework long before you hang up the uniform. Making sure you know as much as you can about your military retirement benefits is crucial.

Retiree COLAs: Tracking Inflation
Military retired pay rises each year to ensure that inflation does not erode the purchasing power of retirees. These cost-of-living adjustments, known as COLAs, match the annual increase in Social...
Posted Friday Feb 22, 2013 17:14:24 EST
U.S. Military (Ret.): Now is a good time to think about long-term care options
The start of the year is an ideal time to sit down and review your personal financial information.
Posted Thursday Jan 10, 2013 16:54:14 EST
No refunds for SBP payments past 360 months, age 70
My mail indicates there is still some concern and bitterness among retired service members who paid into their Survivor Benefit Plan longer than they feel they should have — and want...
Posted Thursday Nov 29, 2012 15:49:15 EST
U.S. Military (Ret.): Prepare for the worst by compiling info for family
For most of us, thoughts of mortality are unsettling. The natural inclination is to put it out of our minds.
Posted Thursday Oct 18, 2012 14:40:03 EDT
Beneficiaries should give feedback directly to VA
We're just a few weeks from the start of a new fiscal year, when Congress is supposed to have finished work on the funding bills for various federal agencies, such as the Pentagon and Veterans...
Posted Thursday Sep 20, 2012 15:20:28 EDT
U.S. Military (Ret.): Make personal copies of your military health records
I receive a fair number of inquiries from retirees who had medical conditions before retiring but never made personal copies of their military health records and had trouble locating the originals.
Posted Thursday Sep 6, 2012 17:31:24 EDT
U.S. Military (Ret.): State courts including disability pay in divorce cases
A new front in the retiree divorce wars has been intensifying in recent years.
Posted Thursday Jul 12, 2012 19:08:03 EDT
U.S. Military (Ret.): Commission could cut benefits, but talks will take years, at least
When the House of Representatives recently rejected the Pentagon's call to create a new commission to recommend potential changes to the military retirement system, many retirees might have thought...
Posted Friday Jun 29, 2012 11:55:48 EDT
U.S. Military (Ret.): Can I claim spouse benefit without contacting ex-husband?
Q. I am the ex-spouse of an Air Force enlisted retiree. I have not spoken to him in over six years. However, in our divorce decree, I was granted a portion of his retirement pay. He is now...
Posted Thursday Jun 14, 2012 15:08:29 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Online town halls help spread information to military retirees
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service recently held its first online "town hall" meeting to give military retirees and those preparing to retire the chance to chat live with military retirement...
Posted Friday Jun 1, 2012 14:27:37 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Veterans hold advantages in federal job market
Since the Civil War, retirees and other veterans have enjoyed some degree of preference in hiring for jobs with the federal government.
Posted Thursday May 17, 2012 11:53:58 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Explaining eligibility for early reserve retirement
It's been a few years now since Congress enacted a law under which reserve-component members can qualify for retirement pay and benefits three months earlier than age 60, the longtime standard...
Posted Thursday May 3, 2012 15:28:31 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Monthly VA pay offered beyond 100 percent disability
Q. I am already rated 100 percent disabled by the Veterans Affairs Department, including the loss of my right eye to enemy fire. I have just submitted a new claim to VA for a...
Posted Thursday Apr 19, 2012 15:02:36 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Offer of early retirement up to the services
Q. I've been reading that some troops may be offered early retirement as part of the coming drawdown. Do you have any updates on that?
Posted Thursday Apr 5, 2012 13:30:29 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Contact lawmakers as budget hearings ramp up
Not unexpectedly, the Pentagon's recent calls for further significant increases in Tricare fees for retirees — including even older retirees — have red flags going up all over the...
Posted Wednesday Mar 21, 2012 18:23:30 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Know rules, limitations of Survivor Benefit Plan
Q. Who can I designate as beneficiary for my Survivor Benefit Plan? Also, if I designate my wife, what happens if we are later divorced?
Posted Thursday Mar 8, 2012 12:51:42 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): Military retirement benefits are safe, for now
Q. My brother is retired from the Navy. We have heard rumblings that Congress is considering changes to retirement benefits. From what we can gather, Congress is proposing that retirement...
Posted Thursday Feb 9, 2012 13:57:43 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): Congress has resisted linking Tricare fees to paygrade
Q: In all the discussion about Tricare fees, I don't recall seeing a suggestion that fees be indexed to the paygrade of the retiree sponsor. It's not a radical idea — rates charged at...
Posted Thursday Jan 26, 2012 12:07:11 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): Don’t count on open season for Survivor Benefit Plan
Q. Can you tell me if there are any plans for another Survivor Benefit Plan open season for military retirees? I have not been enrolled in SBP but am interested in doing so now.
Posted Thursday Jan 12, 2012 11:37:58 EST

U.S. military (Ret.): Tell lawmakers not to gut your benefits
We're heading toward the end of a tumultuous year for military pay and benefits, with lots of talk about overhauling military retirement benefits in particular.
Posted Thursday Dec 29, 2011 11:27:56 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): VA claims backlog leads to frustration
Despite a few glimmers of hope in the Veterans Affairs Department's never-ending battle with its mountain of backlogged benefits claims, enough tales of disappointment and frustration still bubble up...
Posted Thursday Dec 15, 2011 12:17:50 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): Members of Congress do pay for health care
Retired Marine Master Gunnery Sgt. Eddie Tubbs says he's one of the many military retirees who were promised "free health care for life."
Posted Thursday Dec 1, 2011 19:07:13 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): Voice for vets in D.C. fights to preserve retirement
Top Defense Department officials — and a number of lawmakers — have made it clear that they believe any potential changes to the military retirement system should apply only to future...
Posted Thursday Nov 17, 2011 20:52:25 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): VA claim stalled for 10 months
In recent months, I've devoted two columns to readers who were fortunate enough to find a way to make the Veterans Affairs Department's disability claims system work smoothly for them.
Posted Thursday Nov 3, 2011 10:46:06 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Squaring budget realities with health care promises
Retirees who follow the news are painfully aware that military retirement benefits, including health care, are in the spotlight as part of the broader debate over how to fix our nation's financial...
Posted Thursday Oct 20, 2011 15:26:25 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): VA claims process can work smoothly
I just received my second recent email from a veteran who reports satisfying results with the Veterans Affairs Department claims process.
Posted Thursday Oct 6, 2011 14:03:48 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Revising retirement system could derail incentive to serve
The retiree blogosphere has exploded recently in the wake of reports in this newspaper and elsewhere about a plan put forth by a Pentagon advisory board to radically overhaul the military retirement...
Posted Thursday Sep 22, 2011 10:51:00 EDT

Hatching a new nest egg
A new plan to overhaul the military retirement system proposed by the Defense Business Board would radically reshape military retirement — scrapping the 20-year retirement model in favor of a...
Posted Sunday Sep 18, 2011 19:12:20 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): What retirees must know about Tricare and Medicare
Tricare questions normally are handled by my fellow columnist James E. Hamby Jr. in his Tricare Help column on this page.
Posted Thursday Sep 8, 2011 13:27:00 EDT

Plan to cut retirement outrages service members
Like thousands of other troops, Air Force 1st Lt. Daniel Worden said he was stunned and offended by a recent proposal to overhaul the military retirement system in a way that would directly and...
Posted Thursday Sep 1, 2011 12:36:57 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Disability pay is community property in some states
Medically retired Air Force Maj. Mark Beres is leading an effort to get the Arizona legislature to enact a law to prohibit any form of veterans disability compensation from being counted as income in...
Posted Thursday Aug 25, 2011 10:19:56 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): First-time accuracy can speed VA claims process
The problems with the Veterans Affairs Department disability and benefits claims system are very real and very well-known.
Posted Sunday Aug 14, 2011 14:02:59 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Military associations prepare for retirement changes
Military associations are moving to a higher state of alert over recent shifts in the wind regarding the military retirement system.
Posted Thursday Jul 28, 2011 11:21:51 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Vets must become own advocates to navigate stressed VA system
An issue that I routinely touch on in this column that generates a lot of response is the performance of the Veterans Affairs Department's disability system.
Posted Thursday Jul 14, 2011 13:47:22 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Many qualifications guide eligibility for Arlington
A. Absolutely.
Posted Thursday Jun 30, 2011 14:27:58 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Go straight to state websites to clear up retirement-tax rules
Q. I just read your June 6 column about how states treat military retirement pay for tax purposes. I checked the website you mentioned, and you are correct that the site says Kentucky taxes...
Posted Thursday Jun 16, 2011 13:35:15 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Consider state taxes before settling into retirement
A significant financial consideration for military retirees — particularly those who don't plan to continue working after service — is income taxes.
Posted Thursday Jun 2, 2011 11:54:05 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Lump-sum repayment not an option for voluntary separation pay
Our regular column on issues affecting retired military.
Posted Thursday May 19, 2011 10:52:15 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Reserve retired plan lets survivors get annuities
Our regular column on issues affecting retired military.
Posted Thursday May 5, 2011 11:27:06 EDT

U.S. military (ret.): Military retirement package is among the best
I recently had the opportunity to speak to a room full of military retirees during a Veterans of Foreign Wars indoctrination dinner. My topic was the value of a military career and the benefit...
Posted Thursday Apr 21, 2011 14:57:30 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Tricare fee hikes seem likely
By now, most retirees and soon-to-be retirees have heard about the Defense Department's new push to increase Tricare health care fees.
Posted Thursday Apr 7, 2011 16:19:48 EDT

Be specific in divorce agreements to avoid future legal trouble
A recent ruling in a case in New Jersey's state courts departed from established law on the contentious issue of how a service member's military retirement pay is treated in divorce cases.
Posted Thursday Mar 24, 2011 14:13:13 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Law change means higher withholding, but doesn’t raise tax rate
Several readers have written in over the past few weeks with concerns about federal income tax withholding. The most recent:
Posted Thursday Mar 10, 2011 16:44:55 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): The other side: Ex-military spouse weighs in on benefits after divorce
The touchiest subject I've ever dealt with in this column is the Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act, the law that lets state courts treat military retired pay as divisible community...
Posted Thursday Jan 27, 2011 15:26:12 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): Now’s the time for retirees to make benefits changes
The start of a new year is a good time for military retirees to review their pay and benefit entitlements and get up to speed on major initiatives in the works that may have an impact on their...
Posted Thursday Jan 13, 2011 15:17:29 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): Know your RAS: Statement can answer questions
As we close out the year, retirees should be receiving their annual tax statements from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service — the 1099-R that reflects any taxable military retired pay...
Posted Wednesday Dec 29, 2010 16:04:18 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): Tricare launches coverage for gray-area retirees
National Guard and reserve members who have retired from military service but are not yet age 60, the age they can get their retirement benefits, now have a way into the Tricare system.
Posted Friday Dec 17, 2010 11:29:42 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): ‘10/10 rule’ doesn’t protect retired pay in a divorce
Our regular column on issues affecting retired military.
Posted Thursday Dec 2, 2010 12:55:07 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): Benefits for Agent Orange backdate to VA filing
Our regular column on issues affecting retired military.
Posted Thursday Nov 18, 2010 15:28:40 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): No COLA, but retirees can lobby for one-time payment
Election Day 2010 came just a couple of weeks after military retirees got the discouraging news that they will see no cost-of-living adjustment for a second consecutive year in 2011 — the only...
Posted Thursday Nov 4, 2010 14:13:18 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Lack of COLA, state taxes chip away at pay
My past few columns about the effect of the Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act on military retired pay generated lively discussion among readers.
Posted Thursday Oct 21, 2010 16:46:03 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Veterans claim disability pay exempt in divorce cases
The responses to my last two columns on the Former Spouses' Protection Act show this is a hot-button issue for many retirees.
Posted Thursday Oct 7, 2010 17:01:19 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Disparity in state courts’ interpretation of Former Spouses’ Protection Act
My recent column on the Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act provoked a flood of responses — as much as I've ever received for one column.
Posted Thursday Sep 23, 2010 13:25:53 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Officials should consider different index for COLA
Amid a shaky economy and high jobless rates, military retirees are growing worried about the possibility of a second straight year with no cost-of-living adjustment in retired pay.
Posted Thursday Sep 9, 2010 15:29:16 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Retirees should know ins and outs of USFSPA
Now and then, I get an e-mail from a disabled veteran asking if disability pay is considered marital property that can be divided in divorce proceedings.
Posted Thursday Aug 26, 2010 14:44:09 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): MyPay account critical to navigating DFAS maze
I hear from many retirees who have questions about that mysterious monolith, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service.
Posted Thursday Aug 12, 2010 14:49:19 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Disability basics: How to begin the VA claim process
I've written a lot recently about disability claims and how the Veterans Affairs Department is trying to deal with the huge backlog. I also touched a nerve with columns about the claims assistance...
Posted Monday Aug 2, 2010 20:01:14 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): VA battling stubborn claims backlog
If Congress approves the White House's 2011 budget request for the Veterans Affairs Department, VA may finally start to get its arms around the backlogged disability claims process — which...
Posted Monday Jul 19, 2010 14:24:25 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): The right way to contact your representatives
In this column, I often urge readers to contact their senators and representatives about issues that are of concern to us as military retirees.
Posted Thursday Jul 1, 2010 16:17:06 EDT

Bill would let troops put leave into TSP at retirement
A new bill would allow Thrift Savings Plan participants to deposit some or all of the cash value of their unused annual leave into their accounts when they retire.
Posted Tuesday Apr 6, 2010 13:07:41 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): DAV can lead retirees through benefit red tape
Over the past few years, I have often talked about the challenges that disabled retirees face in maneuvering a complex bureaucratic system to get the benefits they are due.
Posted Saturday Apr 3, 2010 14:55:52 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Budget-busting recession could affect retiree benefits
I routinely hear from readers frustrated with the many problems facing our country as it weathers the worst economic landscape since the Great Depression.
Posted Sunday Mar 14, 2010 18:23:34 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Another path to concurrent receipt for some retired troops
In my last column, I talked about the Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payments program, or CRDP, one of the two concurrent-receipt programs for veterans who are entitled to both military retired...
Posted Friday Jan 15, 2010 10:29:17 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): Time to clear up confusion about concurrent receipt
My recent column on Chapter 61 medical retirees produced a flood of e-mails that tells me there is still a lot of confusion about the issue known as concurrent receipt.
Posted Friday Jan 8, 2010 10:23:49 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): Changes at VA slow but progressing
I've been hearing a lot from retirees who are increasingly worried about their benefits.
Posted Monday Dec 14, 2009 18:27:49 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): How Dental Program coverage works under new contract
It's been a year since Delta Dental of California began a new five-year term as administrator of the Tricare Retiree Dental Program.
Posted Wednesday Dec 2, 2009 14:33:43 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): Retirees face long-term care premium hike
The government has been telling us that living costs are falling, so military retirees will not get a cost-of-living adjustment this year.
Posted Wednesday Dec 2, 2009 14:31:49 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): Vets can’t be passive when dealing with VA
Nothing speaks wisdom like the voice of experience. I recently wrote about the Veterans Affairs Department disability claims system and offered a few do's and don'ts for submitting a claim or...
Posted Wednesday Dec 2, 2009 14:31:07 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): If inflation rate is negative, retirees won’t get annual COLA increase
The fiscal year ended Sept. 30, which means we will soon know whether the inflation rate for fiscal 2009 ended in negative territory.
Posted Wednesday Dec 2, 2009 14:28:51 EST

U.S. Military (Ret.): If inflation rate is negative, retirees won’t get annual COLA increase
The fiscal year ended Sept. 30, which means we will soon know whether the inflation rate for fiscal 2009 ended in negative territory.
Posted Monday Oct 5, 2009 20:39:00 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): How to wade through VA’s disability claims process
I get a steady stream of e-mail from retirees frustrated with the Veterans Affairs Department's disability claims process, particularly the appeals process.
Posted Wednesday Sep 23, 2009 11:15:01 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret).: Try not to worry (yet) about the health reform bill
Judging from my mail in recent weeks, retirees are nervous about the potential impact of the new health care reform legislation on Tricare — particularly Tricare for Life — and the...
Posted Monday Sep 14, 2009 15:24:32 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Paid-Up SBP’s rules have no wiggle room
I'm digging into the mailbag this week to address a couple of issues about which multiple readers have written to me recently.
Posted Monday Sep 14, 2009 15:22:40 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): COLA won’t lead to cut in pay
Military retirees are nervously watching the inflation rate and wondering what it means for the annual cost-of-living adjustment in their retired pay.
Posted Monday Sep 14, 2009 15:21:10 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Avoid disaster (and red tape): Request copy of your records
How valuable are your military records? Just ask retiree John Legner.
Posted Monday Sep 14, 2009 15:20:22 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Calif. retired pay bill put on hold for ’09
For the many readers who have contacted me recently about the legislative initiative in California to exempt military retired pay from state and local taxes there, I have a little discouraging news:
Posted Monday Sep 14, 2009 15:19:03 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): After you’re gone
About a year ago, I wrote about a topic that doesn't make for great conversation around the dinner table, but is something all retirees need to think about and plan for — your funeral and...
Posted Sunday Sep 6, 2009 11:03:28 EDT

TSP: It may be 2 years before Roth is offered
The top executive overseeing the Thrift Savings Plan said it will take a "minimum of one year, more likely two" to get a Roth investment option in place.
Posted Thursday Jun 11, 2009 11:04:16 EDT

Retirees weigh in on California tax-break plan
My recent column discussing how different states treat military retirement pay for tax purposes and (to make California more tax-friendly for retirees) stirred up a lot of responses.
Posted Thursday May 21, 2009 15:44:31 EDT

U.S. Military (Ret.): Weighing pros and cons of a ‘benefits menu’
I recently came across a report by James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation titled: "A Rucksack for U.S. Military Personnel: Modernizing Military Compensation," which addresses how to best...
Posted Thursday May 21, 2009 15:28:38 EDT

‘Game-changing’ Roth option for TSP clears House
Congress is poised to add three new benefits to the popular Thrift Savings Plan.
Posted Thursday May 7, 2009 11:22:27 EDT

Retirees under 65 should pay more for Tricare, QRMC says
The idea that military retirees under age 65 should pay more for their Tricare benefits has become a familiar Pentagon refrain, voiced in a 2006 report on military compensation and by the 2007 Task...
Posted Tuesday Aug 12, 2008 15:44:24 EDT

Group officials blast retirement pay proposal
An independent commission's call for an integrated active and reserve retirement system — which would put an end to immediate retirement pay for active-duty members after 20 years — has...
Posted Thursday Feb 14, 2008 14:13:32 EST

Retirement pay calculator
Military members receive retirement pay under one of three pay systems: "Final pay," "High-3" or "Career Status Bonus/Redux."...
Posted Thursday Feb 14, 2008 3:42:25 EST

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