How to Update Your Military Retirement Benefits
Military retirement benefits have gotten complicated with all the forms, websites, and bureaucratic requirements flying around. As someone who’s been retired for years and helped countless fellow retirees navigate the DFAS system, I learned everything there is to know about keeping your benefits current and avoiding administrative nightmares. Today, I will share it all with you.
Verify Your Current Benefits
Probably should have led with this section, honestly. Before you change anything, you need to know exactly what benefits you’re currently receiving. Pull up your latest Retiree Account Statement (RAS) from DFAS—this is the monthly document that breaks down your retirement pay, deductions, and allotments. Check every line: gross pay, SBP premiums, tax withholdings, allotments for insurance or charities, and your net deposit. If something looks off, don’t assume it’ll fix itself. Contact DFAS immediately.
Update Your Personal Information
Your benefits are tied directly to your personal information, and if DFAS has the wrong address or marital status, you’ll miss important notices or have payment problems. Log into myPay—the DFAS online portal—and verify your name, mailing address, email, phone number, and marital status. If you’ve moved, changed your name, or gotten married/divorced, update it immediately. DFAS won’t automatically know about these changes unless you tell them.
Review and Update Your Beneficiaries
Your beneficiary designations determine who gets your unpaid pay and allowances if you die. This is separate from your SBP coverage—we’re talking about the lump sum payments for any pay you earned but hadn’t received yet. Major life events like marriage, divorce, births, or deaths in the family should trigger an immediate beneficiary review. Use DD Form 2894 (Designation of Beneficiary for Arrears of Pay) and submit it to DFAS. Don’t assume your will handles this—beneficiary forms trump wills for these specific payments.
Check for Eligibility Changes
Eligibility for certain benefits can change based on your age, disability rating, or family status. Turning 65 means you transition from TRICARE Prime or Select to TRICARE for Life with Medicare. Getting a VA disability rating can qualify you for Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) or Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC). Losing a spouse might affect your SBP coverage. That’s what makes eligibility changes endearing to us retirees—sometimes they open doors to benefits you didn’t even know existed.
Update Your Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)
SBP is one of the few benefits you can actually change after retirement—but only under specific circumstances. You can add spouse coverage within one year of marriage. If you get divorced, you might be required by court order to continue SBP coverage for your ex-spouse. If your spouse dies, your SBP premiums stop and coverage ends. To make changes, use DD Form 2656-6 (Survivor Benefit Plan Election Certificate) or go through myPay. Don’t delay these updates—missing the window can mean losing options permanently.
Consider Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA)
Every December, DFAS announces the next year’s COLA for military retirement pay. This adjustment is based on changes in the Consumer Price Index and typically ranges from 1-3% annually. Your COLA increase shows up automatically in your January payment—you don’t need to request it. Check your RAS in January to verify the COLA was applied correctly. If the math doesn’t add up, contact DFAS. Understanding your COLA helps you forecast retirement income for budgeting and financial planning.
Utilize VA Benefits
DoD retirement and VA benefits are completely separate systems, but they work together to support veterans. If you have service-connected disabilities, file a VA claim for disability compensation. If you’re rated at 50% or higher, you qualify for CRDP, which allows you to receive both your full DoD retirement pay and VA disability compensation without offset. Sign up for an eBenefits account to manage your VA benefits online—you can check claim status, upload documents, and access your disability rating letter.
Seek Financial Planning Assistance
Most military installations have Personal Financial Management (PFM) programs that offer free counseling to retirees. These counselors can review your RAS, explain your benefits, help you understand tax implications, and assist with retirement budgeting. Even if you don’t live near a base, many installations offer virtual counseling appointments. Schedule an annual financial review—especially when you’re approaching major milestones like age 65, starting Social Security, or facing required minimum distributions from your TSP.
Keep Records and Documentation
DFAS and the VA lose paperwork—it’s just a fact of dealing with government bureaucracy. Keep copies of everything: your DD-214, retirement orders, SBP election forms, beneficiary designations, correspondence with DFAS, and medical records. Scan these documents and store them digitally with cloud backup. When DFAS claims they never received your form, you can email them a copy with the date you originally submitted it. That paper trail has saved my retirement pay more than once.
Monitor Legislative Changes
Congress loves tinkering with military benefits, and these changes can directly impact your retirement pay. The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act eliminated the SBP-DIC offset for most survivors. The 2018 BRS rollout changed retirement for millions of service members. The 2019 Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act opened commissary and exchange access to all veterans. Subscribe to publications like Military Times or join veteran organizations like MOAA (Military Officers Association of America) to stay current on legislative changes. That’s what makes legislative monitoring endearing to us retirees—new laws can sometimes increase your benefits or open new opportunities.
The bottom line: keeping your military retirement benefits updated requires regular attention and proactive management. Check your RAS monthly, update personal information immediately when life changes happen, review beneficiaries annually, and stay informed about legislative changes. Your retirement benefits are earned compensation for decades of service—make sure you’re getting everything you’re entitled to.
