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RUNWAYMilitary family retirement plannerAlready bought? Enter your code
★ Made by a Navy veteran

“Prior planning prevents poor performance.”

For retiring service members from every branch
ArmyNavyMarine CorpsAir ForceSpace ForceCoast Guard

Know your first 24 months of retirement before they start

Runway turns your pay grade, years of service, VA rating, family and state into a month-by-month plan, so you can see the month money gets tight while you still have time to fix it.

  • Retired pay, VA pay and state tax worked out from your own numbers
  • A balance chart for the move, the job search and the first paycheck gap
  • Every figure traced to the VA, DFAS, TSP, IRS, BLS or SBA

Get free access to Runway Lite

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Why retirees use it

Retired pay, VA pay, taxes and a new job do not arrive on the same schedule. Runway puts them on one timeline.

1

See the gap

Costs like the move and the job search come before the steady paycheck. The chart shows the month your balance gets low.

2

Use the right numbers

2026 basic pay tables, VA rates effective December 2025, High-3 and Blended rules, and state tax rules for all 50 states and DC.

3

Plan as a family

Single, spouse, children or parents. Add your spouse’s job, business or federal pay, and everyone sees the same result.

Lite is free. Full goes further.

Lite has real value on its own. Full adds the job, business, budget and paperwork tools for people who want them.

What you getLite (free)Full ()
Cash-flow plan with retired pay, VA pay, state tax and balance chartsIncludedIncluded
Move your TSP: rollover costs and step-by-step guideIncludedIncluded
Reference guide with sources and definitionsIncludedIncluded
Careers: 22 senior roles with BLS median pay, plus a federal job (GS and FERS) estimator, all feeding your planFull onlyIncluded
Business: ramp-up calculator, 20 franchises, SBA help, due-diligence checklistFull onlyIncluded
Budget: fillable income, bills and debt with a payoff plan that feeds your planFull onlyIncluded
Paperwork checklist and links to official formsFull onlyIncluded

Full version: one price, everything included

Careers with senior-role pay, a business and franchise guide with SBA help, a fillable Budget tab for income, bills and debt with a debt payoff plan, and a paperwork checklist with official form links. One payment of , no subscription. Budget is part of Full only, so Lite does not include it.

Where the numbers come from

Every tab lists its sources. Where official sources disagree, Runway says so instead of guessing.

VA.gov disability ratesDFAS pay and retired payTSP.govIRSBureau of Labor StatisticsEntrepreneur Franchise 500SBAFTC Franchise Rule

Built by Curtis, a Navy veteran who retired in December 2025 after 16 years. Military Retirement Runway is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs or any military branch. It is planning guidance, not financial, tax or legal advice.

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Privacy

What stays on your device

The numbers you enter in the planner (pay grade, VA rating, savings and so on) are used only in your browser. Runway does not send them to us. Your browser may save them locally so they are there next time.

What we collect

  • Your email address and the time you signed up, from the sign-up form.
  • If you buy the Full version, the payment provider on the checkout page handles your payment. Runway never sees your card number.

How we use it

  • To give you access and send Runway updates, such as new pay and VA rate tables, and the offer to upgrade.
  • Every email includes a way to unsubscribe.
  • We do not sell or share your email.

Links and referrals

Links go to official agency pages and other sites with their own policies. One link in the TSP section is a Robinhood referral link, and it is labeled as one.

Contact

Questions or deletion requests: use the contact on this page.

RUNWAYMilitary retirement planner · Made by a Navy veteran
“Prior planning prevents poor performance.”

Military Retirement Runway

Choose your branch, pay grade, years of service, VA rating, family, and state. Runway works out your monthly retired pay and VA pay, then shows when money gets tight.

ArmyNavyMarine CorpsAir ForceSpace ForceCoast Guard2026 pay tablesVA rates Dec 202550 states + DC
CASH, COST AND TIMING ENTRIES ARE EXAMPLES. REPLACE WITH YOURS. Jump to the reference guide

Built by a Navy veteran for retirees from every branch. The numbers you enter stay in your browser. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any military branch.

Your numbers

Retirement

VA disability

Taxes

Cash on hand

Spouse or partner

Costs

Timing

Result

Tightest month
Balance then
Balance at month 24
Months with a shortfall

Your monthly retirement and VA pay

Cash balance by month

Where each month’s money comes from

Retired pay VA pay New income Spouse income One time: terminal leave, VA back pay Money out

Your state tax in every state

When each income source turns on

The gaps where fewer sources are on are usually the months that squeeze you.

Month by month

MonthMoney inMoney outBalance

This is planning guidance, not financial advice. Basic pay uses the 2026 tables (3.8% raise, effective January 1, 2026). VA pay uses the rates effective December 1, 2025. Your real high-3 average is usually a bit lower than your final basic pay, and DFAS and the VA decide your exact amounts. State rules were cross-checked across several published guides on October 2, 2026 and they differ on some states, marked Verify. Confirm with your state tax agency before you pick where to live. Nothing you type leaves this page. Your entries are remembered only in this browser.

Move your TSP

Yes, you can roll a TSP balance into a Robinhood IRA. The TSP sends the money to any IRA company as a direct rollover, and Robinhood offers traditional and Roth IRAs. Try the numbers before you decide. Balances below are examples.

How a rollover works

  1. Separate from service first. The TSP pays out only after your separation date.
  2. Open a Robinhood traditional IRA for your pretax balance, and a Roth IRA if you are moving Roth money.
  3. Ask Robinhood for its rollover instructions, including who the check is payable to and where it goes.
  4. Log in to your TSP account and request a withdrawal as a direct rollover to the IRA. The TSP says a paper form is not needed for this. Older guides mention form TSP-70 for a full withdrawal and TSP-77 for a partial one. A direct rollover has no tax withheld. If the money goes to you first, 20% is withheld and you have 60 days to replace it.
  5. When the money lands in the IRA it is cash. You still have to buy the investments.
  6. In January, expect a 1099-R from the TSP. A direct rollover is reported as a rollover, not as income.

Robinhood match. Robinhood publishes a 1% match on IRA transfers and old 401(k) rollovers with no Gold membership required. You must keep the matched money in the IRA for at least 5 years or risk a clawback. Its published terms do not name the TSP, so ask Robinhood support to confirm a TSP rollover counts before you move money. Match terms can change.

About this link. This is a referral link. If you open a Robinhood account through it, you and the creator of Runway may each get a stock reward under Robinhood’s referral terms. Runway does not rank brokers, and Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard and others also take TSP rollovers.

Open a Robinhood account (referral link)

Share Runway with a service member

Know someone retiring from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, or Coast Guard? Copy your plan or a short message and send it along with the link to this page.

Reference guide

Everything Runway uses, in one place. Figures were gathered October 2 and 3, 2026. Pay and VA rates change every year, so check the sources at the bottom before you act on a number. Each tab also has its own forms and official links.

How it works Rate tables What is left out Glossary Sources

How to use Runway

  1. Pick your pay grade, years of service, and retirement system.
  2. Pick your VA rating and who counts as your dependents.
  3. Pick the state you will live in, enter your age, and check the tax rates.
  4. Enter savings, terminal leave, new income, and costs, then set when each income starts.
  5. Read the result line and the tightest month. The table shows every month.
  6. Tap the what-if buttons to see a late VA decision or a late job start.
  7. Open Move your TSP if you have a TSP balance.

How the numbers are worked out

Retired pay
Basic pay at your grade and years of service, times years of service, times 2.5% (High-3) or 2.0% (Blended). The result is capped at 75% of basic pay. Runway uses the 2026 basic pay table for your final year. Your real retired pay uses the average of your highest 36 months, which is usually a little lower.
Your DFAS estimate
If you type your own gross monthly retired pay, Runway uses it and skips the calculation.
VA pay
The monthly rate for your rating and dependents from the VA table below. It is tax free at the federal level and in every state.
VA offset
With a rating under 50%, retired pay is reduced by the VA amount unless you qualify for CRSC. With a rating of 50% or more and 20 or more years of service, you get both in full.
Federal tax
The rate you enter times your taxable retired pay.
State tax
Your state’s exclusion is taken off first, using your age and income where the state requires it. The rest is taxed at the rate you enter. The state defaults are rough, so edit them.
Monthly money in
After-tax retired pay, VA pay, and new income, each starting the month after its delay.
Monthly money out
Living costs plus new health insurance. Month 1 also adds your moving costs and the terminal leave payout comes in.
VA back pay
If checked, one lump sum equal to the months you waited times your monthly VA pay arrives with the first VA deposit.
Result line
Red if your balance goes below zero, amber if your lowest balance is under one month of costs, green otherwise.

Rate tables

2026 monthly basic pay, E-6 to O-10

Effective January 1, 2026, with a 3.8% raise. Shown by years of service at retirement and rounded to the dollar. Multiply by years of service and your 2.0% or 2.5% share to get retired pay. Pay is capped at 75%.

VA disability pay, 0% to 100%

Effective December 1, 2025. Ratings of 10% and 20% pay the same amount whether or not you have dependents. The extra-child column applies from 30% and up, and the amount for each added child under 18 depends on your rating. A child over 18 in school and a spouse who needs aid and attendance get different add-ons that Runway does not use.

State tax on military retired pay, all 50 states and DC

States tagged VERIFY are ones where the guides I checked disagree. Local notes are general. Cities and counties change their rules, so confirm with your own tax office.

What Runway leaves out

  • Survivor Benefit Plan premiums, which come out of retired pay if you choose spouse coverage.
  • Yearly cost of living raises and inflation.
  • Housing allowance, TRICARE plan details, and life insurance premiums. Use the health insurance and living cost boxes for these.
  • Medical retirement, disability severance, and Guard or Reserve retirement paid at 60.
  • VA special monthly compensation, individual unemployability, and add-ons for a child over 18 in school or a spouse who needs aid and attendance.
  • Investment growth on your savings and tax on any new job or business income.
  • Exact city and county tax calculations.

Glossary

Basic pay
Your base monthly military pay, before housing and other allowances.
High-3
The legacy retirement system. Retired pay is 2.5% times years of service times the average of your highest 36 months of basic pay.
Blended Retirement System
The newer system for people who joined in 2018 or later, or who opted in. Retired pay is 2.0% per year of service, plus government contributions to your TSP while you served.
DFAS
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service. It pays your retired pay and can give you an exact estimate.
CRSC
Combat-Related Special Compensation. A tax-free payment for a combat-related disability that replaces the VA offset. You apply through your service branch.
CRDP
Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay. It lets retirees with 20 or more years and a VA rating of 50% or more receive full retired pay and full VA pay.
VA rating
The percentage the VA assigns to your service-connected disabilities. It sets your monthly VA pay.
Dependents
A spouse, children, or parents the VA counts for extra pay. You must report them to the VA.
Back pay
VA pay owed from your claim’s effective date until the VA starts paying.
Terminal leave
Unused leave you take before your separation date while you are still paid.
SBP
The Survivor Benefit Plan. Optional coverage that pays your spouse part of your retired pay after you die. The premium comes out of retired pay.
COLA
Cost of living adjustment. The yearly raise to retired pay and VA pay.
Debt avalanche
Pay minimums on every debt, then put all extra money on the debt with the highest interest rate. It usually costs the least interest.
Debt snowball
Pay minimums on every debt, then put all extra money on the smallest balance first. It clears debts sooner, which some people find motivating.
TSP
The Thrift Savings Plan, the federal retirement savings plan, similar to a 401(k).
Direct rollover
Moving TSP money straight to an IRA with no tax withheld.
IRA
An individual retirement account. Traditional IRAs hold pretax money. Roth IRAs hold after-tax money that grows tax free.
BLS median pay
The middle yearly pay for a role from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Half of workers earn more and half earn less.
SDVOSB and VOSB
Service-disabled veteran-owned and veteran-owned small businesses. SBA certification can open federal contract set-asides.
SkillBridge
A DoD program that lets eligible service members train with a civilian employer during their last months of service.
Franchise Disclosure Document
The legal document a franchisor must give you before you buy. It lists costs, fees, earnings claims, and closures.
Franchise 500
Entrepreneur magazine’s yearly ranking of franchise brands.

Moving your TSP to Robinhood

If you decide to roll your TSP into a Robinhood IRA, you can open the account with the link below. It is a referral link. You and the creator of Runway may each get a stock reward under Robinhood’s referral terms, and the planner’s numbers do not change either way. The rollover steps, costs, and the age 55 rule are in the Move your TSP section above. Ask Robinhood to confirm a TSP rollover gets the 1% match before you move money.

Open a Robinhood account (referral link)

Sources and how sure each number is

  • VA.gov compensation rates Base VA rates by rating and dependents. The amounts for each added child came from published rate guides that match the VA’s tables, so confirm them on VA.gov.
  • ustax.tools 2026 pay chart and navycs.com pay chart 2026 basic pay. I could not read the Department of Defense pay page directly, so these figures come from published charts that match each other. The O-6 figure at 30 years differed slightly between sources and Runway uses the higher one.
  • statebystatetax.com, Veterans United, Rank and Pay, and Military.com State tax treatment. These guides disagree on several states, shown as VERIFY. Use your state tax agency as the final word.
  • DFAS retired military forms and VA Form 21-526EZ Names and purposes of the retirement pay, tax withholding, Survivor Benefit Plan, and VA claim forms listed on the Retirement plan tab.
  • SBA Franchise Directory, SBA 7(a) loans, and MilitaryConsumer.gov Small business and franchise resources on the Own a business tab. The June 1, 2025 franchise directory rule comes from a law firm summary of SBA’s lending rules, so confirm it with your lender.
  • TSP forms and resources The TSP says withdrawals after leaving service are requested in My Account with no paper form. Older guides still mention forms TSP-70 and TSP-77.
  • OPM: FERS information The three parts of FERS (basic benefit, Social Security and the TSP), for a spouse who works for the federal government.
  • BLS: real estate brokers and sales agents Median pay of $57,400 in May 2025, state licensing, and the share who are self-employed.
  • OPM: 2026 General Schedule pay tables Base pay by grade and step with the 1% January 2026 increase, and the locality tables.
  • OPM: FERS basic annuity formula 1% of high-3 pay per year of service, or 1.1% at age 62 or older with 20 or more years.
  • OPM: FERS retirement eligibility Immediate retirement rules, MRA+10 and the minimum retirement age.
  • Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board: TSP letter to FERS new hires The 1% agency automatic contribution and the match on the first 5% you contribute.
  • FedWeek: military service in a federal annuity The deposit and the military retired pay waiver rule, with the combat-disability and Reserve exceptions. Confirm with OPM.
  • FedSmith: 2026 locality pay percentages The locality percentages used here, checked against a second source. Confirm your area with OPM.
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook Median pay in May 2025, job growth for 2025 to 2035, and typical education for every role on the Jobs tab. Growth is shown only where the BLS page gave it.
  • Entrepreneur: top 10 franchises in every industry, 2026 and NJBIZ on the 2026 Franchise 500 Franchise ranks and category cost ranges. Automotive and fitness showed identical figures on the source page, so I left the automotive range out.
  • SBA veteran small business certification Who qualifies and what certification allows.
  • FINRA: rolling over TSP funds and FedWeek: TSP rollovers TSP rollover rules, forms, and the age 55 exception.
  • Robinhood IRA match FAQ The 1% rollover match and 5-year hold. Terms can change.

Planning guidance, not financial or legal advice. Runway shows estimates from numbers you enter. DFAS, the VA, the TSP, and your state tax agency decide your real amounts.

Planning guidance, not financial, tax or legal advice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any military branch.Privacy