RankUp — Military Financial Management 2026

Gross compensation — 2026 DFAS pay tables

Pay grade

Years of service

Status

Housing

Special / incentive pays ($/mo)

Other income — 1099, side income ($/mo)

BAH by zip: defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm

Your BAH ($/mo)

BAS 2026: Enlisted $476.10 · Officer $329.10 · DFAS.mil, Jan 1 2026

Take-home pay

Gross pay doesn't fully hit your account. Enter what you actually receive, or use the estimator.

1st of month deposit ($)

What hits your account on the 1st

15th of month deposit ($)

What hits your account on the 15th

Find these on your LES at mypay.dfas.mil

Enter deposits above

$0

/month take-home

vs. gross

—

Monthly budget

Household income

$0

Total expenses

$0

Surplus / deficit

$0

Spending by category

Savings & assets

Checking / savings account ($)

Emergency fund target (months)

TSP current balance ($)

Monthly TSP contribution ($)

Brokerage / investments ($)

Real estate equity ($)

Emergency fund progress

TSP accumulation forecast

Balance tracking only — not counted as retirement income in the transition bridge.

Years until retirement

Govt match % (BRS only)

Expected annual return7.0%

Consumer debt

Car loans, credit cards, personal loans

Name Balance ($) Rate (%) Min pmt ($) Pre-service?

Student loans

Tracked separately — military members may qualify for forgiveness programs

Why student loans are tracked separately: Military members may qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), Income-Driven Repayment with $0 payments, or DoD loan repayment programs. Aggressively paying down student loans may be the wrong strategy if forgiveness is available to you.

Accelerated payoff

Extra monthly payment ($)

Strategy: Snowball — smallest balance first

Minimum payments only

Attack plan — Snowball

Payoff timeline — debt by debt

Money going to the bank vs. your pocket

Financial readiness score

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Breakdown

Recommendations

Transition profile

Grade and YOS are carried over from your Income tab automatically.

Retirement grade

Years at retirement

Retirement system

Months until separation

Civilian job start (months post-sep)

New civilian salary ($/mo)

BAH lookup: defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm

Current BAH ($/mo)

Special pays ($/mo)

Other income — 1099, side ($/mo)

Service-related expenses ending at separation

Costs you carry now because of service that disappear when you separate — second rent, dual-household costs, duty-station expenses

These amounts are subtracted from your post-retirement income requirement. They reduce your effective gap because you will no longer be paying them after separation.

Transition readiness score

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/ 100

How to improve

Income at a glance

Source	Monthly	Annual	Tax

Household income — pre vs. post retirement

Full household picture — military pay and spouse income before retirement, versus all retirement income sources plus spouse income after.

Pre-retirement household

$0

/month gross household

Post-retirement household

$0

/month gross household

Income source	Pre-retirement	Post-retirement	Change

Visual income bridge

Who these benefits apply to

✓ Service member — all programs on this tab apply to active duty members. Veterans qualify for most.

✓ Spouses — PSLF and IDR only — spouses may qualify independently through their own employment at a qualifying public service employer. Military service does not transfer to a spouse.

✗ Spouses — SCRA — the 6% interest cap covers the service member’s loans only, or any loan the service member co-signed.

✗ Spouses — DoD repayment programs — no branch offers loan repayment to spouses or dependents.

SCRA — 6% interest rate cap

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act caps interest at 6% on debts taken out before active duty — including student loans. Applies to the service member only.

How to claim: Send a written request plus a copy of your military orders to your loan servicer via certified mail. You may be entitled to a retroactive refund of interest charged above 6% since your active duty start date. Most servicers will not apply this automatically — you must request it in writing.

Use this exact language with your servicer: “I am requesting SCRA interest rate relief under 50 U.S.C. § 3937.”

Resource: militaryconsumer.ftc.gov · SCRA hotline: 1-800-342-9647

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

Active duty military service qualifies as public service employment. After 120 qualifying monthly payments on an Income-Driven Repayment plan, your remaining federal loan balance is forgiven — tax-free.

The key insight for junior enlisted: IDR payments are based on taxable income only. BAH and BAS are excluded from the IDR income calculation — meaning many junior enlisted members qualify for $0 per month payments. A $0 payment still counts as one of the 120 qualifying payments toward forgiveness.

120

Qualifying payments

10 yrs

Of qualifying service

Tax-free

Forgiveness

2025 status: PSLF rules have been in flux. The SAVE repayment plan was blocked by courts in 2024 and is currently unavailable. Verify which plans currently qualify at studentaid.gov/pslf before making any repayment decisions.

Action item: Submit an Employer Certification Form (ECF) at studentaid.gov every year — don’t wait until you have 120 payments. It’s free, takes 15 minutes, and locks your qualifying employer status on record.

Spouses: May qualify for PSLF independently if they personally work full-time for a qualifying public service employer. This is based on the spouse’s own employment, not the service member’s military service.

Income-Driven Repayment (IDR)

IDR plans cap your monthly federal loan payment as a percentage of your discretionary income. Available to any federal loan borrower — service members, veterans, and spouses alike.

Military advantage on IDR: BAH and BAS are excluded from your income for IDR calculation purposes — only taxable base pay counts. This significantly lowers your calculated payment. Many service members, especially junior enlisted, qualify for $0 per month. This exclusion applies to the service member’s own loans only. Spouses on IDR use their own income with no military exclusion.

Use the Loan Simulator: Log into studentaid.gov, go to Manage Loans, then Loan Simulator. Enter your information to see your estimated payment under each currently available IDR plan. Takes about 5 minutes.

DoD student loan repayment programs

These programs apply to service members only. No branch of the military offers direct loan repayment for spouses or dependents.

Army

Up to $65,000

Army Loan Repayment Program. Active duty and Reserve. Must be negotiated at enlistment or reenlistment. Pays 33.3% of qualifying loan balance per year. Payments are taxable as income.

goarmy.com →

Navy

Up to $65,000

Available for certain enlisted ratings and officer programs. Eligibility and amounts vary by rating and contract. Contact your recruiter or retention specialist for current availability.

navy.com →

Air Force / Space Force

Up to $10,000

Available for select officer specialties and enlisted fields with critical shortfalls. Terms vary by career field and fiscal year. Contact your recruiter or finance office for current programs.

airforce.com →

National Guard

Up to $50,000

State-administered programs vary significantly by state. Some states offer additional repayment on top of the federal Guard program. Contact your state Adjutant General education office.

nationalguard.mil →

Already serving? Speak with your retention NCO. Reenlistment bonuses sometimes include loan repayment options depending on your MOS or rate and current service needs.

Official resources

studentaid.gov/pslf — Official PSLF application, employer certification, and payment tracker. PSLF hub →

MOHELA — Current federal PSLF loan servicer. All PSLF applications are processed here. mohela.com →

Military OneSource — Free financial counseling for active duty, Guard, Reserve, and veterans. 1-800-342-9647. militaryonesource.mil →

CFPB Military Financial Protection — Consumer protection resources specifically for service members and military families. consumerfinance.gov/servicemembers →

SCRA hotline — 1-800-342-9647 · Verify SCRA coverage and get help disputing interest charges with creditors. militaryconsumer.ftc.gov →