MIL // MILITARY FINANCE DECISIONS

Financial decisions for every stage in uniform

From your first paycheck to your final PCS. The money decisions of a career in uniform, with the math you can run yourself.

FINANCIAL READINESSINFORMATIONAL ONLY

First Contract Money Brief

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MRC // FCMBREQ 01

PERIODICITY · R (As required)

Should You Pay Off Debt or Start Investing?

Pay off debt or invest? Compare the interest rate to your expected return, grab any employer 401(k) match first, and clear high-interest debt before investing.

6 min read·June 7, 2026

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PLANNED MAINTENANCE · PMS

The money maintenance schedule

M (Monthly)

Reconcile your LES against last month
Pay more than the credit card minimum
Confirm your TSP contribution is at least 5%

Q (Quarterly)

Check your emergency fund against the target
Re-run the budget if your pay changed

A (Annual)

Rebalance your TSP allocation
Reset savings after the year's pay raise

R (As required)

Before a car: run the true cost
Before a deployment: set the savings plan
Before you separate: find your runway

PUT IT TO WORK

Run your numbers

The military-specific tools, built on the 2026 DFAS tables: pay, TSP match, deployment savings, true car cost, and your separation runway.

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First Contract Money Brief

Should You Pay Off Debt or Start Investing?

The money maintenance schedule

Run your numbers

Money, made clear