Darnell
Sample planMilitary Retiree · 58 · Fayetteville, NC
married to Alicia
The 20-year pension has paid since he was 38, TRICARE erased the health-insurance bridge, and now the SECOND career is ending. The floor was poured twenty years ago.
Runs short in the 70s as-is — even the pension + VA can't cover the spending
Income streams
Savings — $60,000
Spending
The 12-month glide
- 12 months out
Map all four streams: military pension (inflation-adjusted, paying for 20 years already), VA disability (tax-free), the civilian 401k, and the TSP. Most drills build a floor — his was poured at 38.
- 9 months out
The honest audit: pension plus VA covers 60% of their spending before touching a single account. Everything else is margin.
- 6 months out
Alicia's timeline is her own — she works to 60 by choice. Per-person retirement dates, per-person plans.
- 3 months out
TRICARE election at the job's loss-of-coverage event. The bridge that terrifies every civilian episode is a rounding error here.
Now run Darnell’s plan.
Open the What-If board with Darnell’s exact numbers — drag a lever and watch the earliest age Darnell can actually retire.
Explore Darnell’s What-If →