Guard & Reserve Retirement

“I Would Have Started My Reserve Pension By Now!”

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: October 1, 2020 19 Comments

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I get that pension comment every month from readers who are in their 60s... or even older. Most of them are doing fine, both financially and in life. They usually served some active duty before the Reserves or National Guard, and a few were even drafted for Vietnam. They decided not to gut it out to 20 years of active duty and they moved to the … [Read more...] about “I Would Have Started My Reserve Pension By Now!”

How Much Is The COLA On My Military Pension?!?

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: August 11, 2021 5 Comments

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[September 2020 update: We have a new answer on this question! Financially, you'll get the biggest pension boost from retiring on 1 March of your chosen year. See the end of this post to download Douglas Fowler's research paper and review the math. You'll still have to pick the best date for your family, your bridge career, your travel plans, … [Read more...] about How Much Is The COLA On My Military Pension?!?

Don’t Gut It Out To 20: Leave Active Duty For The Reserves Or National Guard

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: August 11, 2021 69 Comments

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This post gets personal. Let me give you the permission to think about these questions in your own career. A reader writes: I'm active duty and coming up on year #9 this May. I have owned your book for a few years and dig into the blog content on occasion. Love it! My question has to do specifically with one of the closing paragraphs in your … [Read more...] about Don’t Gut It Out To 20: Leave Active Duty For The Reserves Or National Guard

Tricky Details Of The Military Blended Retirement System

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 11, 2019 37 Comments

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I really wanted to use the titles "Hidden Secrets Of The BRS!!" or "Shocking Urban Legends Of The BRS Revealed-- #4 Is Jaw-dropping!!" But this is a serious life-changing decision. I've had a ton of reader BRS questions and feedback. The good news is that a group of us military personal-finance bloggers have tracked down the answers with the … [Read more...] about Tricky Details Of The Military Blended Retirement System

The Military Blended Retirement System: “Dude, Where’s My Calculator?”

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: June 11, 2019 17 Comments

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[Ah, good, the DoD BRS calculator has been officially released.] A reader asks an outstanding question: Does it make sense to opt in to the military's new Blended Retirement System in 2018? One of our NCOs has a pessimistic view of the BRS, especially since they're over 12 years of service and don't see how the BRS will benefit them. In … [Read more...] about The Military Blended Retirement System: “Dude, Where’s My Calculator?”

How To Calculate A Reserve Retirement

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: November 6, 2020 184 Comments

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In response to a question from a reader, Doug originally created and published this post in 2012. The sender was seeking a Reserve Retirement Calculator, specifically for the National Guard or Reserve. Instead of referring him to one of the many Military Retirement Calculators online, Doug dedicated the time, to write a very detailed post to … [Read more...] about How To Calculate A Reserve Retirement

Using Reserve & Guard Retirement Calculators To Estimate Your Military Pension

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: August 11, 2021 15 Comments

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A reader writes: There used to be a great National Guard Retirement Calculators the Army put out– you enter your years of service, total points and the multiplier and it gave you a projected pay per month for your Reserve retirement. This should be on your site– the Army has taken it down…Help the lazy folk! "Lazy"? I appreciate you pointing this … [Read more...] about Using Reserve & Guard Retirement Calculators To Estimate Your Military Pension

Title 10 Military Sanctuary & Retirement During A Reserve Career

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: February 5, 2019 26 Comments

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A reader writes: I am an Air Force reservist with 18 good years of service. I have been trying to get back in for over four years, but to no avail. Per two recruiters, I have had to retake the ASVAB (which I passed), only to be told that they lost my results and have to take the ASVAB a third time. I was also told that my blood pressure has to be … [Read more...] about Title 10 Military Sanctuary & Retirement During A Reserve Career

What You Need To Know About National Guard Retirement

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: August 6, 2019 133 Comments

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Retiring from the Reserves or National Guard is more flexible than retiring from active duty. In the vast majority of cases, your retirement is based on at least 20 good years of service. (A "good year" requires a certain minimum number of points or days of drill or active duty as well as complying with other readiness requirements.) You'll be … [Read more...] about What You Need To Know About National Guard Retirement

Reserve Retirement: Time In Rank And High-Three Pay

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: December 16, 2019 75 Comments

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I've written many posts about military retirement, and the system is hugely complicated. (See the related links at the end of this post.) Instead of trying to cover all of that in a humongous 20,000-word post, I've written a big-picture pillar post plus a bunch of shorter posts about specific reader questions. Today's post covers Reserve and … [Read more...] about Reserve Retirement: Time In Rank And High-Three Pay