“Prior planning prevents poor performance.”
For retiring service members from every branchRunway 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, taxes and a new job do not arrive on the same schedule. Runway puts them on one timeline.
Costs like the move and the job search come before the steady paycheck. The chart shows the month your balance gets low.
2026 basic pay tables, VA rates effective December 2025, High-3 and Blended rules, and state tax rules for all 50 states and DC.
Single, spouse, children or parents. Add your spouse’s job, business or federal pay, and everyone sees the same result.
Lite has real value on its own. Full adds the job, business, budget and paperwork tools for people who want them.
| What you get | Lite (free) | Full ($19.99) |
|---|---|---|
| Cash-flow plan with retired pay, VA pay, state tax and balance charts | Included | Included |
| Move your TSP: rollover costs and step-by-step guide | Included | Included |
| Reference guide with sources and definitions | Included | Included |
| Careers: 22 senior roles with BLS median pay, plus a federal job (GS and FERS) estimator, all feeding your plan | Full only | Included |
| Business: ramp-up calculator, 20 franchises, SBA help, due-diligence checklist | Full only | Included |
| Budget: fillable income, bills and debt with a payoff plan that feeds your plan | Full only | Included |
| Paperwork checklist and links to official forms | Full only | 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 $19.99, no subscription. Budget is part of Full only, so Lite does not include it.
Every tab lists its sources. Where official sources disagree, Runway says so instead of guessing.
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.
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.
Links go to official agency pages and other sites with their own policies. Runway does not take referral fees or payments from any link in the planner, and it does not recommend a specific financial company.
Questions or deletion requests: use the contact on this page.
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.
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.
Retirement
VA disability
Taxes
Cash on hand
Spouse or partner
Costs
Timing
The gaps where fewer sources are on are usually the months that squeeze you.
| Month | Money in | Money out | Balance |
|---|
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.
Yes, you can roll a TSP balance into an IRA. The TSP sends the money to any IRA company as a direct rollover, and most offer traditional and Roth IRAs. Try the numbers before you decide. Balances below are examples.
Rollover bonuses. Some IRA companies advertise a bonus or match on incoming rollovers. Terms vary, the money often has to stay for years or the bonus can be taken back, and the terms may not name the TSP. Ask the company in writing before you move money. Runway does not rank or recommend any company, and the numbers on this tab do not count any bonus.
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.
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%.
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.
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.
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.