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Personal Economic Recovery Calculator [Skip to Content] Recovering from a devastating investment loss takes both time and very often new contributions. Even a very large
Living Wage Calculator Planning for an upcoming PCS and want to get a jump start on what things will cost at your next duty station?
Estate Tax Planning Calculator Estate tax planning is very important to preserving your wealth for future generations. Knowing your potential estate tax liability is a
Net Worth Your net worth is the value of all of your assets, minus the total of all of your liabilities. Put another way, it
Retirement Planner Calculator Do you know what it takes to work towards a secure retirement? Use this calculator to help you create your retirement plan.
How long will my retirement savings last? Use this calculator to see how long your retirement savings will last. This is based on your retirement
Investment Savings and Distributions Use this calculator to help you determine how long your investment savings might last. Enter your current savings plan in the
Retirement Plan Withdrawal Calculator Withdrawing money from a qualified retirement plan, such as a Traditional IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) plan, among others, can create a
Stream-Lined Snowball Debt Elimination Calculator The Snowball Debt Elimination Calculator applies a simple principle to paying off your debt. When a balance paid off, add
Amortizing Loan Calculator Enter your desired payment – and let us calculate your loan amount. Or, enter in the loan amount and we will calculate
401(k) Calculator There are several ways to manage your 401(k) balance when you leave an employer. The most fundamental of which is should you spend
401(k) Calculator A 401(k) can be one of your best tools for creating a secure retirement. It provides you with two important advantages. First, all
Debt-to-Income Ratio Use this calculator to quickly determine your debt-to-income ratio. This is the percentage of your gross income required to cover your housing and
Mortgage Calculator Use this mortgage calculator to determine your monthly payment and generate an estimated amortization schedule. Quickly see how much interest you could pay
Home Rent vs. Buy Calculator Should you rent or should you buy your home? It takes more than looking at your mortgage payment to answer
Cool Million Calculator What might it take to save one million dollars? This financial calculator helps you find out. Enter in your current savings plan
Investment Goal Calculator What will it take to reach your investment goal? Use this investment goal calculator to determine how much your investment might grow
Should my spouse work? This calculator is designed to help you see the financial impact of adding, or removing, a spouse’s income to your household.
Lump Sum Future Value Calculator Use this calculator to determine the future value of an investment. Javascript is required for this calculator. If you are
Future Value Calculator Use this calculator to determine the future value of an investment which can include an initial deposit and a stream of periodic
Emergency Savings Calculator Having adequate emergency savings can make unforeseen unemployment, auto repairs, medical emergencies, property damage and even legal issues more manageable. With adequate
Roll-Down Your Credit Card Debt Calculator! The credit card roll-down applies two simple principles to paying off your credit card debt. Pay off your highest
Lease vs. Buy Calculator Should you lease or buy your car? Use this calculator to find out! We calculate your monthly payments and your total
Car Loan Calculator Use this calculator to help you determine your monthly car loan payment or your car purchase price. After you have entered your
What you need to know about the Blended Retirement System.
The BRS offers free money! Here’s how it works.
The pension under the BRS can be received in a partial lump sum.
How the BRS pension differs from the Legacy System pension.
Tips for weighing the decision between the two systems.
This video explains why maxing out your TSP too quickly under the BRS could cost you valuable matching contributions.
Explains the relationship between the TSP and the BRS.
When you document your pay for budgeting purposes, put in your gross — the amount you make before taxes or other deductions are taken out.
Life is full of decisions, some bigger or more impactful than others. This is fairly obvious. What’s not so obvious is that some seemingly small
How do you even begin to create a budget? Walk yourself through 4 simple steps: Recon. Take stock of your situation. Tally up all the funds
Think of learning to stick to a budget, like training for a fitness goal. If you want to run a marathon, you’ll put together a training plan
Making a spending plan isn’t just about tracking your expenses. It also means looking carefully at what you have to work with — your income.
Ready to create a budget? Great! First, know where you stand by tallying up all the funds coming in (whoo hoo!) and all the spending
Once you know what money you have to work with and where it goes, you get to shift focus from what is to what could be. Where do you
Getting Financially and Legally Prepared for Deployment If deployment is on the horizon, you need to prepare for any possible life scenario. Part of this
Think you’ve got a handle on the funds coming in? Then it’s time to look at the money going out. We know this may be
Deployment: It’s a basic fact of military life. It’s also one of the most challenging situations a military family can face. Lives and living situations
If you’ve got kids heading to school you know that it can be an expensive time of the year. Spending hundreds of dollars to get
You’ve put a lot of time and effort into this spending plan thing. Once you’ve created a plan, try to stick to it. Don’t take on an
Now that you know how much you can afford to spend in each spending plan category and still move towards your savings goals, it’s time to live
Download the Budget worksheet to help your family create a budget they can stick to.
Download the DTI worksheet to determine your Debt-To-Income ratio.
Download the Red Flag Credit Test worksheet to find out where your personal credit situation stands.
Download the Savings Pro worksheet and you will be saving like a Pro in no time.
A few simple steps to get you on the path to a solid credit history.
There’s no denying that cards get a lot of people in a lot of financial trouble. But the real answer to this question is up
Getting caught in a credit crisis can make you desperate and vulnerable to scams. You want that house, that car, or even that job — and you’ll
The DoD Seeks Enhanced Credit Protections for Service Members A recent report released by the Department of Defense (DoD) indicates that revisions to the Military
If you have little or no credit history, it’s difficult for lenders to decide whether you are a good credit risk. On the other hand,
Does qualifying for credit feel like a classic chicken or egg situation? It doesn’t have to be. With the right moves you can start building
The big credit score to care about is called your FICO® score. Three major credit bureaus — Experian, TransUnion and Equifax — use data from
You’ve heard of denial, right? When it comes to your finances, it’s best to face facts. Reviewing your credit report once a year is a
When you want to build positive credit history and improve your credit score, the most important rule to remember is never, never, never be late
Why Should I Think About Credit Right Now? Too often, people don’t worry about credit until they want something big. But when the day comes
Debt isn’t something you jump into blindly. To make sure you consider all the variables, grab a pen and paper, and analyze its RIFF (Repayment
Using a credit card to pay for impulse purchases. Taking on debt without a realistic plan to pay it back. Losing track of how much
Debt is tricky. Though it’s an extremely useful financial tool many people depend on, it can be very dangerous when used improperly or carelessly. Here’s
It can be reassuring to know that if you ever find (or have already found) yourself in too deep, there’s help. There are wonderful nonprofit
How to Make Credit Cards Work For You (Not Against You) For better or worse, credit cards are a big part of our society today.
It’s hard to know whether you’re doing a good job at curbing your debt, if you could do better, or if you could do A
Adjust your lifestyle so that you are no longer adding to your debt. Pay bills on time to avoid unnecessary late fees and high interest
Top Things Military Personnel Should Know About Auto Insurance If you’re a service member or a service member’s spouse, and you’re relocating to a city
For many drivers, the cost of protecting your vehicle – as well as yourself and your family – has actually decreased in the last decade
Safer driving starts with a number of common sense approaches, including reducing your potential for distractions. Now, the nation’s three major cell phone carriers are
Cell phones can take a back seat now to simple daydreaming as the primary cause of distracted driving. This loss of focus on the task
Take a more financially savvy approach to your insurance by sitting down and reviewing your current policies. That means homeowners, auto, renters, health and any
Texting while driving is a serious and growing problem on our streets and highways. Most states have laws prohibiting it. Now, in New Jersey, those
Sometimes it’s not always good to be first – a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that more Americans
There are many, many kinds of investments — but don’t freak out. It’s a good thing. It means there are many, many ways to put
Could you have cut your tax bill by contributing to an IRA this year? It’s a common question during tax season and the answer is;
It’s true that buying into a single mutual fund or exchange traded fund (ETF) delivers more effective diversification than you can create on your own.
Smart investors don’t put all their investment eggs in one basket. Instead, they put money into a mix of different baskets when trying to …
When you’re just getting started, it can be tough to plan for something as far off as retirement. Even a 5-year plan that includes a
Investing is a wealth building strategy you should think about sooner rather than later. But it’s not for beginners. To get off on the right
Let’s get one thing clear: Investing isn’t gambling. It’s a way to take on calculated risks over time to put your money to work for
The market is always in motion. Every day, events around the world create upturns and downturns, and countless opportunities for pundits and “experts” and all
How will the next 30 years of investment performance benefit you? No one can say for certain, but you can look at the past to
When we say investing, do you picture a bunch of old guys in top hats smoking cigars at the country club? Ok … just stop.
You grew up with the Internet, right? Right. Today, it’s easy to open a brokerage account online, deposit some money, and start trading. Great. But
Deciding which investments to make takes time and energy, and just making the investments often costs money. You can save on investment costs by going
What Investment Accounts Should I Account For? There are as many ways to invest as there are reasons to invest. Luckily, there are 3 basic
“I know, I know, I’ll get to it.” If you’ve ever thought that about investing, you’re not alone. But you’re also not right. With investing,
Okay, say you don’t want to take on risk or tie up your money in investments. You might be asking yourself: “Do I have to
There’s no one way to invest. There’s no exact formula for success. There is, however, a reason to get in there and try. Develop a
Bullying is no longer something that occurs on the school playground. This infographic will help you learn more about the rise in cyberbullying, what exactly
Making the switch from a military to a civilian career can be much different than what you are used to. Learn various tips and tricks
When life seems hopeless, always know that there is hope. Learn some of the signs of suicidal thoughts and how to encourage anyone experiencing these
If you’re contemplating a big buy, spend a few minutes with the Major Purchase Worksheet on the following page to help you decide if you’re
Come on admit it. Just the look of some cars (or trucks) can get your blood pumping. They can even get some people to fork
Buying a house is a great way to feel like you’re part of the community. But it’s also a huge financial decision with far-reaching implications.
There’s no question about it: major purchases require major consideration. But before you can even go there, you have to first acknowledge that it’s a
There’s more to buying a car than thinking you can afford the monthly car payment. Make sure you understand exactly what you are getting yourself
Before you take that plunge into the cold, dark depths of debt (yes, we’re trying to scare you), here are a few final gut checks to
Too many people buy houses and cars way beyond their means. “House poor” is a common term. But there are probably even more people who
Get Career College-Specific Assistance To Plan Your Next Steps If your child is enrolled in one of the many career education high schools around the
Investing for retirement is a wealth building strategy you should think about sooner rather than later. But it’s not something you should just jump into
When we go on about retirement, do you drift off? We get it. Retirement may seem irrelevant when you’re young and excited about a brand
We’re talking about investment vehicles you can use to work towards your biggest, farthest out goals like retirement…aka making work optional someday. While there may
You think you’ve got years and years (and years!) to deal with this (yawn!) retirement stuff, right? Wrong. If you want to make work optional
How Else Can I “Do” Retirement Savings? Want to do more to get to retirement? Or maybe you’ve got goals other than retirement on your
This may seem painfully obvious, but let’s get one thing clear: If you don’t leave your retirement savings for retirement, well … you won’t be
With all the benefits of the TSP, participation is a no brainer for a lot of servicemembers. But there are a couple of things to
Both kinds of IRAs are geared to help you get to the golden years. Each has tax advantages, rules, and limits to consider before you
What should you do with your TSP when you separate from the military? Is it best to just leave it alone or should you do
With regular pay increases built right into the military system, you’re gaining skills, moving through the ranks, and making bank. When raises start rolling in,
IRA stands for Individual Retirement Arrangement. If you want to do more to invest for retirement than your employer-provided TSP, or you just want to
Ready to start investing for retirement? Don’t overlook one of the easiest ways to get started: the Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP. This tax-advantaged program
When you’re just getting started, it can be tough to plan for something as far off as retirement. You might not even believe that retirement
We don’t need to tell you all the reasons why it’s a good idea to save money. You know that already. What you might not
Is your bank account about to get a big boost from a tax refund? If so, here are five quick tips to help you make
A Savings Strategy for Millennials and Other Generations It seems like everyone describes the millennial generation as if each member is exactly the same –
For a short-term savings strategy (anywhere from 1 month to 3 years), there are a number of savings account types you should consider. The advantage
There isn’t an exact science to how much you should save, but your age and situation both play major roles. Generally, if you’re in your
The absolute most positive and painless way to save money is to make it automatic. Set up an allotment from your pay or a direct
You have to pay everyone else —shouldn’t you get your share too? The answer is, you should. Your spending plan helps you pay yourself, first.
The question isn’t IF you should start saving but WHEN. And the answer to that…we’re about to make it real easy for you. The best
During Military Family Appreciation Month, service members will find many businesses offering additional discounts and special savings on a variety of products and services and
Ready? Now that you’re basically a savings pro, let’s get it down on paper while it’s still fresh. Answer the following questions (do it over
Unexpected expenses come in many forms and can quickly get you into debt or push you further into debt. Prepare for these unexpected expenses with
If you don’t have to think about savings and you never see the money, you’re more likely to leave it alone. Even small amounts each
To reach your savings goals, you may have to cut back — or cut out — spending in other areas. This is how budgeting gets
Review your credit score gameplan and make sure you’re on track to that high credit score!
Use these five financial tips to help navigate your way out of debt and achieve your financial freedom.
Finding the perfect vehicle for your teenager can be difficult. Learn the best considerations to make when choosing a vehicle for them with this helpful
Anytime you are behind the wheel, but not focused on the road in front of you, you are putting your safety at risk.
Despite their relative convenience, getting easy money through a military payday loan can do much more harm than good. Learn how payday loans can actually
Learn more about what factors affect your credit score and how your financial habits can change your score for the better or for the worse.
Follow this 7-step process to get your finances on track and keep them there.
Use these links to check your personal credit report from one of the three major credit reporting agencies. Annual Credit Report Request Equifax Experian TransUnion
Links to Help You Navigate Your Military Lifestyle These links should help you navigate your military lifestyle questions. FINRED Defense Finance and Accounting Service Internal
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