Can a Pension & the VA Offset Military Pay? 

As a retiree I go to the Marine and Navy bases often here in San Diego. I notice many high-end expensive vehicles military members drive. The very expensive items I see being sold on the Px shows me the military members tend to live above their means to impress others and keep up with each other or their civilian friends. All the while when they get out, the shock hits them when they lose their comrats, bah, etc. it is not easy out here so you had better plan ahead.

Another great video today and yesterday’s. I just retired and have been sharing your videos with my buddy’s officers and NCOs that are still in. Keep it up.

Thank you so much for creating these videos. As a Navy Senior Chief looking at retirement in the next 18 months, I have found them extremely helpful. Please keep it going Sir! Thanks again.

Thank you for including the Warrant Officer scale.

There is a definite gap in pay between NCOs and officers, but while I knew some who "lived it up", I served under many officers who stayed humble. LTCs and COLs driving older economy cars instead of the latest Tesla. MAJs who packed their lunch and avoided the Shoppette and fast food to save a few pennies. As a retired SFC, I'd say that if anything, we senior NCOs are guilty of trying to "keep up with the Joneses" more so than our officer counterparts. How many 1SGs and CSMs drive around post in their shiny F-350s, bragging about taking their boat out over the weekend? Me? I paid off my truck in 2013, drove it until I retired at the end of 2022, and still have it. Speaking of frivolous spending, it's ingrained in me that officers are--by and large--simply more responsible with their money and financial decisions. By and large, the biggest expenses most of us will incur are housing and children. NCOs like me have a little bit of a head start with the latter; I started young, and as a 45-year-old Retiree, I have two kids in their 20s and three teenagers, one of whom turns 18 next year. So, before I hit my sixth year of retirement, my children will all be adults. Parental responsibilities don't end, of course, to include some financial burden, but I've got a bit of an advantage over the career-driven officer who marries in his late-20s and has a few children from age 30 to 38. Housing is another matter. I rarely look at Facebook, but something that recently caught my eye was a friend who'd I'd served with on Sand Hill, who was venting his frustrations about the housing market. His retirement takes effect in the coming months, and he is only now looking at buying, finally getting an offer accepted yesterday. I took a different path, buying my house mid-career (about seven years in) when the Army sent me to recruit down south. As such, I had about 14 years of equity built up by the time I retired. But back to those poor financial decisions... I let family and friends stay in my house largely rent-free due to natural disasters that forced them out of their homes. So, for the last half of my career, I paid both a mortgage and rent. I all but wiped out my TSP recently to pay off credit card debt incurred over the past few years of juggling bills (funerals aren't cheap, and my last couple of PCS moves were not pleasant experiences). So, what in the heck is my point? This has nothing to do with the video, does it? Well, in my mind, I'm doing pretty well on a few fronts. My 100% rating coupled with retirement pay amounts to roughly $7k/month. I work a full-time job and make about $20k more (counting disability and retirement) than I did as an Active-Duty E-7 in the DC region (including BAH), live in a house that is worth far more than I owe, and can afford to do things I never thought possible. Many officers enter retirement with a decent financial plan in place, while many NCOs retire while still having a fair amount of debt. My TSP is all but gone, but the lack of debt coupled with disability and retirement income means I can ramp up my civilian 401K substantially. So, in short, VA disability coupled with a decrease in monthly expenditures has me living better now than I did when I put on a uniform daily. The only thing I miss is the telework I got to experience over my last 2.5 years in. I wouldn't mind that again. 😃

I know right? But yet they sell a whole lot of high-end expensive stuff many service members shouldn’t be able to afford. Why are they selling $4,000 tv’s and $2,000 bbq grills? It’s nonsense what they sell here in the San Diego area.

Once again, great topic and an informative video.

Malarky! ... You Dawg Faced Pony Sold.........any way.... Thanks for the pre stretch and warm ups for the Mathletics that our Mathaletes will experience this morning! Yesterday was the last day I will spend anymore money on Maryland Lotteries except a weekly ticket of the Multi Match (progressive state game)! YOU were the sign I needed to self reflect a little, Thanks!

What is funny though, many claim the enlisted members are poor and underpaid but yet just go to a base and look at the cars being parked at the barracks or base housing. Teslas, Benz, BMW’s, Raptors, Denali pickups. Don’t look underpaid to me.

Hello colonel, im an e5 with 5 years in the army. Im just curious if I diligently invest in my brokerage accout and also invest 5% in tsp will that be enough to fund my life after 20 years in army. I dont want to get a full time second job and wouldnt mind doing freelancing

i retired from the military and want my spouse to be secured if i should pass. Can my wife receive part of my military retirement pay, the SBP, and part of my social security pay as well? Can she receive both or can she just receive the highest? I want her to be sure about this

The Richard Star Act needs passed. It needs to include non-combat medically retired veterans as well. Medical Retirees get 0 (none) or 1/2 of what they should get in retirement. This is due to the VA offset rule. Medically retired enlisted get 100% shafted because the VA offset removed retired pay in-full. A friend of mine was a 1SG with 17 years and is medically retired. He only gets his VA pay and no DoD retired pay. Another friend is a medically retired O-5 (senior O-4 with promotion orders pending when retired), he only gets 1/2 of the standard 50% retirement (25%) and his VA pay. He had 19 YOS. The DoD is notorious for publicly "lauding" the troops while removing and limiting benefits as much as possible. The only reason the VA is the way it is now (decent) is because of WW2 through Vietnam veterans putting their boots firmly to the governments backsides.

Come on, I don't speak Army ranks.