Military Pension vs BRS Calculator

Legacy "High-3" pays 2.5% × years of service × high-3 base pay average (no TSP match). BRS pays 2.0% × years × high-3 (lower pension multiplier) PLUS a 5% TSP match throughout your career. BRS wins for service members who DON'T serve 20 years (they get TSP balance; legacy gives them nothing). Legacy wins for 20+ year career servicemembers because the higher pension multiplier compounds for life.

No - the opt-in window for legacy-era service members (entered before Jan 1, 2018) closed Dec 31, 2018. Anyone who entered service Jan 1, 2018 or later is automatically BRS. If you joined before 2018 and didn't opt in, you're grandfathered into legacy High-3 (or older "Final Pay" for those who entered before Sept 8, 1980).

At the 12-year mark, BRS service members are offered a lump-sum continuation bonus of 2.5x to 13x monthly basic pay in exchange for committing to 4 more years of service. The standard offer is 2.5x. Critical communities (special operations, certain ratings) can see higher multipliers. This bonus partially compensates for the lower pension multiplier under BRS.

Yes - BRS uniquely offers a lump-sum option at retirement: 25% or 50% of the present value of your retirement pay can be taken upfront in exchange for reduced monthly retirement pay until you reach full Social Security retirement age, at which point payments revert to the full amount. The discount rate used by DFAS makes this mathematically unattractive for most retirees, but some prefer the cash for major life events.