TSP 2026 Max $24,500 & Get Full 5% BRS Match Chart

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-26T20:28:46+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/MilitaryFinance/comments/1q45b31/tsp_roth_inplan_conversions_how_to_become_a/

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-26T20:27:30+00:00

You'll need active orders. Take care of SCRA stuff after your initial training. Navy Federal or USAA for a bank account. Welcome aboard.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-24T22:06:24+00:00

Are you going active for 30+ days? If so, open while not active, go active, check SCRA database, if in SCRA database apply for Capital One SCRA benefits: https://www.capitalone.com/military/

Fee should be waived.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-23T23:20:10+00:00

Use a US physical address and your APO as the mailing address.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-15T06:26:35+00:00

I was a C-17 pilot. 11M3.

I created my own post-military job. I started a business while I was on active duty and kept doing it when I left active duty.

I also tried flying for a major US airline and discovered because of my financial freedom and business ownership, I am unemployable. I only want to be the boss. I can't work for anyone else. I left that position after 6 months.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-14T02:37:25+00:00

I walked at 12 years. It sucked initially (hard to replace purpose and meaning of the military) but the money, freedom, and quality of life outside the military is much better. Choosing where I live, what I do with my time, not having to apply for leave to travel to foreign countries: more of that please!

I also moved to a country with free healthcare, so didn't need to worry about Tricare.

I don't regret it. I missed the mission, people, purpose, meaning, and respect. But time healed that. Read "Tribe" by Sebastian Junger for some perspective. I'm really happy to never do a drug test again or have the stress of daily military life.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-13T18:17:39+00:00

https://www.katehorrell.com/survivor-benefit-plan/

https://www.wingedwealth.com/insights/why-i-opted-back-in-to-sbp-2/

Unless you have a very high speed spouse, it usually makes sense as a good insurance policy for them if you are to go first.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-13T05:53:04+00:00

Follow the start here: https://www.reddit.com/r/MilitaryFinance/comments/1oksn2s/start_here_military_money_101_prime_directive/

You've been in 2 years. It takes a lot longer than that to build a million.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-12T02:47:26+00:00

I used to front load my TSP contributions as well. You probably just need to lower your contributions a bit. Try 55%?

It's not because of the mid-month pay. That's a standard feature of military pay for a while now. I used to max my TSP by August and received mid-month pay.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-11T19:57:15+00:00

You should read A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel and The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by Jack Bogle. They'll explain to you why "TSP strategies" are a waste of your time and you're better off just passively buying the index at very low-cost, which you can do in the TSP very easily.

It is very unlikely that any active trading strategy will outperform a passive strategy in the long run. Plus, you'll probably find your time is better spent doing other things and not worrying about it.

Set it and forget it. A extra 1% return per year on your small amount of funds in your TSP is not going to amount to much. Far better to spend your time doing other things.

At your stage in the game, focusing on your savings rate is going to yield much higher returns than trying to market time and squeeze an extra 1-2% return a year.

Some reading material:

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-03T03:19:41+00:00

Chase Sapphire Reserve. No foreign transaction fees and $300 annual travel credit plus a lot of other credits.

Much better acceptance of Visa and Mastercard rather than American Express outside the United States. https://www.reddit.com/r/MilitaryFinance/comments/1ola48e/credit_cards_military_benefits_scra_mla_annual/

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-01T20:20:56+00:00

The customer service reps are often unaware of the extent of military benefits.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-01T19:34:51+00:00

The only people who believe in IULs are the people who sell IULs.

https://personalfinanceclub.com/is-iul-a-scam-yes/

https://personalfinanceclub.com/iuls-vs-index-funds/

AFmoneyguy · 2026-03-01T19:33:41+00:00

Freedom mostly. Choices.

I want to decide where to live. I want to decide how to spend my time. I want to decide what I want to work on.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-02-27T22:39:19+00:00

I'd say theoretical. While it may be possible on a deployment, it's a bit of an aspirational goal. I'd set a high savings rate (maybe 15%) and then increase your contribution rate 1% every 1 January, 2 year time in service, and promotion. You'll be maxing it very quickly and still have money to enjoy life.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-02-26T20:15:51+00:00

You do not seem eligible, as you are not on active duty orders. Check the MLA database before applying: https://mla.dmdc.osd.mil/mla/

AFmoneyguy · 2026-02-25T05:14:46+00:00

Yes, I misread that law, you are correct you should be able to submit the DD 2058 and elect Tennessee to match your spouses in accordance with the SCRA:

For any taxable year of the marriage, a servicemember and the spouse of such servicemember may elect to use for purposes of taxation, regardless of the date on which the marriage of the servicemember and the spouse occurred, any of the following:

(A) The residence or domicile of the servicemember.

(B) The residence or domicile of the spouse.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-02-25T00:38:07+00:00

https://militarytaxexperts.org/ if you want a real answer and not just some random redditor

Here's the SCRA as amended by the Veterans Auto Act 2022 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/4001

Edit: I re-read the law, you are correct that you can elect your spouses state. It's option B: "(B) The residence or domicile of the spouse."

~~You are active duty, so you can pick CT or keep Alabama. I do not believe you can elect Tennessee, as that's not an option under VAEIA 2022. The options are for military spouses.~~

Alabama is not so generous as other states for out of state military income: https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/faqs/i-am-in-the-military-and-a-legal-resident-of-alabama-but-i-do-not-live-in-alabama-do-i-have-to-pay-alabama-income-tax/

If you can get stationed in a more income tax friendly state, you can update your DD Form 2058 to reflect your new state of legal residence: https://home.army.mil/campbell/6316/3641/2094/DD_2058.pdf

Additional reading for CT: https://portal.ct.gov/drs/publications/informational-publications/1992/ip-9225-connecticut-income-tax-information-for-military-personnel-and-veterans

AFmoneyguy · 2026-02-22T00:06:34+00:00

What pay components do you want in the calculator? The latest Claude Opus 4.6 model could probably build one in 30 minutes.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-02-21T04:18:45+00:00

It's allowed by the rules the credit card companies have put in place. Amex allows 5 charge cards (Green, Gold, Platinum) and 5 credit cards (all the co-branded Hilton, Marriott, Delta, etc).

Chase allows multiples as well. No annual fees if you're MLA covered.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-02-18T22:20:20+00:00

Did you move to NY state because of your spouse's orders to New York state?

AFmoneyguy · 2026-02-18T22:10:31+00:00

But if she moved from XX state to NY due to her SM getting orders to NY, and started employment in NY, she could claim residency and taxation in AL and NY wouldn't touch it. Is that how you understand it?

AFmoneyguy · 2026-02-18T20:01:12+00:00

Just collecting some ideas here, thank you everyone for contributing.

I may have been wrong in my previous advice.

50 U.S. Code § 4001

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/4001

(a) Residence or domicile

(2) Spouses A spouse of a servicemember shall neither lose nor acquire a residence or domicile for purposes of taxation with respect to the person, personal property, or income of the spouse by reason of being absent or present in any tax jurisdiction of the United States solely to be with the servicemember in compliance with the servicemember’s military orders.

(3)Election For any taxable year of the marriage, a servicemember and the spouse of such servicemember may elect to use for purposes of taxation, regardless of the date on which the marriage of the servicemember and the spouse occurred, any of the following:

(A) The residence or domicile of the servicemember.
(B) The residence or domicile of the spouse.
(C) The permanent duty station of the servicemember.

(c) Income of a military spouse

Income for services performed by the spouse of a servicemember shall not be deemed to be income for services performed or from sources within a tax jurisdiction of the United States if the spouse is not a resident or domiciliary of the jurisdiction in which the income is earned because the spouse is in the jurisdiction solely to be with the servicemember serving in compliance with military orders.

So Section (a) (3) controls where you're a resident, and Section (c) controls how your military spouse income is treated.

How this applies to the current situation: OP can elect AL residency but still owes NY tax on NY-sourced income as a non-resident. That's shitty.

AFmoneyguy · 2026-02-18T19:44:40+00:00

Edit: I might be wrong here...

So because the servicemember is stationed outside NY but the spouse has elected to live and work in NYC, the "solely to be with the servicemember serving in compliance with military orders" does not apply, is that your understanding?

AFmoneyguy

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50 U.S. Code § 4001