May 11, 2017

What Military Personnel Need to Know About the New Retirement Plan

"...The military’s introduction of its new Blended Retirement System leaves nearly all current service members in a quandary. Those with between one and 12 years of service must choose between the old and new retirement plans—and there is nothing easy about the calculation.

Why one to 12 years? Because on Jan. 1, 2018, all military personnel whose length of service is in that time bubble are eligible for either the old or the new programs. Both have pros and cons. Service members will have one year to make an irrevocable choice. About 88% of active-duty military—or 1.15 million service members—fall into this category...

The military just rolled out a calculator that service members can use to compare their options, which is labeled as the beta version of the Blended Retirement System Comparison Calculator. Some unofficial calculators are also available, including one from USAA, a financial services company that serves military families.

To choose wisely, those in the bubble years will need to take a hard look at their expected tenure in the military and..."

Read more at time.com