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Projections
What your profile and the decisions you have recorded add up to. Mark a mistake on any checklist page and the lines here move.
Estimates only. These figures are not financial advice and not a promise of any benefit. They use rates published for 2026, which change every year. Verify anything you plan to act on with your finance office.
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Blended Retirement System against Legacy High-3
Which one applies to you is set by your DIEMS date and cannot be chosen now.
| Option | Legacy High-3 | Blended Retirement System |
|---|---|---|
| Who is in it | DIEMS before 1 Jan 2018 | DIEMS on or after 1 Jan 2018 |
| Multiplier per year | 2.5% | 2.0% |
| At 20 years | 50% of High-3 | 40% of High-3 |
| At 30 years | 75% of High-3 | 60% of High-3 |
| TSP automatic 1% | No | Yes, after 60 days of service |
| TSP match up to 4% | No | Yes, from 2 years of service |
| Continuation pay | No | Yes, between 8 and 12 years of service |
| Lump-sum option | No | Yes, 25% or 50% at retirement |
TRICARE plans by life stage
Costs change every year. Check tricare.mil for the current figures before deciding.
| Plan | Who it is for | Enrolment deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Prime | Active duty, families, retirees under 65 in a Prime Service Area | Open Season, or 90 days from a qualifying life event |
| Select | Families and retirees under 65 who want provider choice | Open Season, or 90 days from a qualifying life event |
| Reserve Select | Selected Reserve members not eligible for FEHB | Any time, or at a qualifying life event |
| Retired Reserve | Gray-area retirees under 60 holding a 20-year letter | After you qualify. It does not start automatically |
| For Life | Anyone 65 or older with Medicare Part A and Part B | Automatic, but Part B must already be in place |
| Young Adult | Unmarried children aged 21 to 26 without their own plan | Any time after regular eligibility ends |
| CHCBP | Anyone losing TRICARE, including former spouses | 60 days from losing eligibility |
Concurrent receipt: CRDP against CRSC
You cannot receive both. There is an annual season to switch between them.
| Option | CRDP | CRSC |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Restores retired pay offset by VA compensation | Pays compensation for combat-related disability |
| Rating needed | 50% or more | 10% or more |
| Service needed | 20-year retirement | Retirement, and a combat-related condition |
| How you get it | Automatic if you qualify | You must apply |
| Taxable | Yes | No |
Social Security claiming age
Full Retirement Age is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.
| Claim at | Effect on the monthly amount | Worth considering when |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | Permanently reduced, to 70% of the full amount at an FRA of 67 | You need the income now, or you have reason to expect a shorter retirement |
| Full Retirement Age | The full amount | You want the straightforward answer |
| 70 | Increased to 124% of the full amount at an FRA of 67 | You expect a long retirement, or you want to raise a surviving spouse's benefit |
Figures we could not verify
These are deliberately excluded from every calculation on this page rather than estimated.
- BRS lump-sum discount rate. Published annually by the DoD Office of the Actuary. The current-year rate could not be confirmed to a primary source. Verify ↗
- Temporary Early Retirement Authority (15-19 years). The statutory authority reportedly lapsed on 31 December 2025, but a Department comptroller policy memo for FY2026 also exists. The two sources conflict. Verify ↗
- Continuation pay multiplier and the exact year it is offered. Each service publishes its own multiplier annually and they diverge. Do not rely on another service's figure. Verify ↗
- SkillBridge duration caps by rank. Rank-tiered caps were tightened in 2026 and differ by branch. Verify ↗
- Post-9/11 GI Bill transfer-of-entitlement eligibility caps. A service-years cap on transfer eligibility has been proposed and rescinded historically. Current policy could not be confirmed. Verify ↗
- Conditions added to the PACT Act presumptive list in 2025-2026. The presumptive list is expanded on a rolling basis. Only the VA's own list is authoritative. Verify ↗