DuffelMath

Military Money & Transition Tools: An Annotated Guide

The official sites service members and families use most for moves, pay, retirement, VA benefits, health care and family support, with what each one is for and a practical tip. All 38 are free government or government-sponsored resources; we don't use affiliate links. DuffelMath is not affiliated with the DoD, DFAS, the VA or any military service.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-25. Sites move and rename often; if a link is broken, search the agency's home page for the tool name.

PCS & moving

Moving Your Personal Property (Military OneSource)
The official home for the Defense Personal Property Program, now run by DoD's Personal Property Activity. The old Move.mil information site closed in 2021 (the DPS login below still uses a move.mil address). It explains each step of a household goods or PPM move, links to the Defense Personal Property System (DPS) login and lists help-desk contacts. Read it the week your orders arrive, before you call your transportation office. Estimate it: PCS Move Cost & Entitlement Estimator.
Defense Personal Property System (DPS)
DPS is where you request a household goods shipment, track it and file a loss or damage claim. Peak season runs May 15 to September 30, so request your move as soon as you have orders if you are moving in summer. Estimate it: PCS Move Cost & Entitlement Estimator.
Plan My Move
A free Military OneSource planner that builds a moving checklist from your move date and destination. Use it to keep track of the paperwork and deadlines that a PCS stacks up.
MilitaryINSTALLATIONS
Directory of every installation's key offices, phone numbers and community information. Look up your new base's housing, child care and transportation offices before you arrive.
DTMO Per Diem Rate Lookup
The Defense Travel Management Office's lookup for lodging and meal (M&IE) rates by location and fiscal year. You need these locality rates to estimate Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) at your old and new duty stations. Estimate it: PCS Move Cost & Entitlement Estimator.
DTMO Dislocation Allowance (DLA) rates
Official DLA tables by pay grade and dependency status. DLA rates usually change each January, so check the table in effect on your move date rather than last year's figure. Estimate it: PCS Move Cost & Entitlement Estimator.
Joint Travel Regulations (JTR)
The rulebook behind every PCS and TDY travel allowance. Chapter 5 covers PCS travel; when a finance office and a forum disagree, the JTR is the source to cite.
DoD Lodging
Search and book on-base lodging (such as Navy Lodge and Army and Air Force lodging) worldwide. Check it first when you need temporary lodging during a PCS, and keep every lodging receipt for your TLE claim.

Pay & finances

myPay
DFAS's self-service site for your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), W-2s, tax withholding, direct deposit and allotments. DFAS says it does not make unsolicited calls about debts or pay errors, so make pay changes here yourself rather than over the phone.
DFAS military members
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service hub for active, Guard and Reserve pay, travel pay and debt questions. Start here when you need the official explanation of an entitlement or a travel voucher form.
DTMO BAH Rate Lookup
Look up Basic Allowance for Housing by duty-station ZIP code, year and pay grade. Check it before you sign a lease at a new duty station, since BAH is set by the duty-station ZIP, not where you live.
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
The federal retirement savings plan for service members and civilians. If you are under the Blended Retirement System, contribute at least 5% of basic pay to get the full government match. Estimate it: Military Retirement Pay Calculator.
SCRA website (DMDC)
The Defense Manpower Data Center's site where lenders and courts verify active duty status under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. You can request your own status certificate to send to a lender when asking for SCRA protections such as the 6% interest cap on pre-service debt.
DOJ Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative
The Justice Department's guide to legal protections such as the SCRA and USERRA. Read it if a landlord, lender or employer is not honoring a military protection; your installation legal office can help for free.
CFPB military financial lifecycle
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's money guides organized by career stage, from first assignment through PCS, deployment and separation. Useful for checking a loan or car deal against your rights before signing.
Military OneSource financial and legal
Free financial counseling, tax filing help and legal resources for service members and families. Book a session with a financial counselor before a big decision such as a home purchase or a retirement-plan choice.

Retirement & transition

DoD Transition Assistance Program (DoDTAP)
The official site for TAP, the required transition program for separating and retiring members. Start TAP as early as allowed (generally no later than a year before separation) so you have time for the employment, education and VA tracks. Estimate it: Military Retirement Pay Calculator.
DoD SkillBridge
Lets eligible members spend up to their last 180 days of service in civilian training, apprenticeships or internships while still drawing military pay. Commander approval is required, so raise it with your chain of command early and search the approved programs list.
Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD)
VA's pre-discharge program for filing a disability claim 180 to 90 days before you separate. Filing in that window can mean a faster decision after you leave; check the VA page for the current eligibility rules first. Estimate it: Military Retirement Pay Calculator.
Blended Retirement System (DoD Military Compensation)
DoD's official explanation of BRS: the 2.0% pension multiplier, TSP matching, continuation pay and the lump-sum option. Read it alongside a retired-pay estimate before deciding on the lump sum at retirement. Estimate it: Military Retirement Pay Calculator.
DFAS Retired Military
DFAS's hub for retired pay, including how to start it, change tax withholding and update beneficiaries. Set up your myPay access before retirement so your first retired-pay statement is easy to check. Estimate it: Military Retirement Pay Calculator.
DFAS Survivor Benefit Plan
Official SBP rules: costs, coverage options and the spouse-consent requirement on DD Form 2656. The election is made before you retire and is hard to undo, so read this with your spouse well ahead of time. Estimate it: SBP Cost & Break-Even Calculator.
DoD Office of the Actuary
Publishes DoD's official actuarial tools, including Survivor Benefit Plan calculators. Use them for a second, official estimate when comparing SBP with private life insurance. Estimate it: SBP Cost & Break-Even Calculator.
DOL Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS)
The Labor Department office behind the employment part of TAP and USERRA enforcement. Look here for job-search programs and if a civilian employer won't reemploy you after military service.

Benefits & VA

VA.gov
The single front door for VA disability compensation, health care, education and home-loan benefits. eBenefits was retired and its features moved here, so apply and check claim status on VA.gov.
VA.gov sign-in (eBenefits and DS Logon replacement)
VA no longer accepts DS Logon (removed November 18, 2025) or a My HealtheVet user ID; you now sign in with an identity-verified Login.gov, ID.me or CLEAR account. Set one up before separation so a lockout doesn't delay your claim.
VA disability compensation rates
Current monthly VA compensation by rating and number of dependents. Use the figure for your rating with a retired-pay estimate to see how the VA offset or CRDP affects your total. Estimate it: Military Retirement Pay Calculator.
GI Bill Comparison Tool
VA's tool for estimating GI Bill tuition, housing and book payments at a specific school or training program. Compare the housing allowance across schools; it is based on the school's location and can differ widely.
Find a VA accredited representative
Search for a VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization representative, attorney or claims agent. Accredited VSO representatives help with claims at no charge, so check accreditation before working with anyone on a claim.
milConnect
DMDC's portal for DEERS records, adding family members, TRICARE coverage details, Post-9/11 GI Bill transfer requests and personnel documents. Check that your family's DEERS information is correct before a PCS or separation, since benefits depend on it.

Healthcare (TRICARE)

TRICARE
The official site for military health coverage: plans, costs, finding a provider and filing claims. Life events such as a PCS, marriage, a new child or retirement start a window to change plans, so check it after each one.
TRICARE Plan Finder
Answer a few questions about your status and location to see which TRICARE plans you qualify for. Run it before retirement, when your coverage options and costs change.
BENEFEDS (FEDVIP dental and vision)
Where eligible retirees and certain family members enroll in Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) plans. Retiree dental is not automatic, so enroll in the window after retirement if you want it.

Family & support

Military OneSource
DoD's free 24/7 support line and website for service members and families, covering non-medical counseling, relocation, tax help, spouse careers and more. Call 800-342-9647 when you are not sure where to start.
SpouseWorks (formerly SECO / MySECO)
Military OneSource's spouse career program, renamed from Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO). It offers free career coaching, the Military Spouse Employer Partnership job board and the SpouseWorks Scholarship (formerly MyCAA); log in to use the job board.
MilitaryChildCare.com
The single DoD site for requesting child care at military child development centers and approved programs. Join the waitlist for your next base as soon as you have orders, since waits can be long.

Writing & admin

The Tongue and Quill (DAFH 33-337)
The Department of the Air Force handbook for writing and speaking: memos, bullet background papers, talking papers and briefings. Search the e-Publishing site for DAFH33-337 to get the current edition and its guidance memos; the official Word templates are posted there too.
DoD Forms Management (DD forms)
The official source for blank DD forms such as the DD 1351-2 travel voucher and DD 2656 retired-pay data form. Download from here rather than a third-party site so you have the current version.

Not official. Not financial, tax or legal advice. DuffelMath is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Defense, DFAS, the VA or any military service. Estimates only; your finance office, transportation office and DFAS decide what you are actually paid. Rates as of 2026-10-25; check the linked official sources.