Survivor & family.
Protecting the people who depend on your military retirement — survivor annuities, and how divorce affects the pension, VA compensation, and a former spouse’s benefits.
Every guide in this cluster
Fixing an SBP Election: Spouse Consent and the BCMR
Fix a military SBP election you never made: the spouse concurrence rule, the 1-year deadlines, and correcting it through the BCMR on DD Form 149.
TRICARE Young Adult When Your Child Turns 23
Regular TRICARE ends at 21, or 23 for students. TRICARE Young Adult costs, Prime vs Select, and why FEDVIP dental ends too.
When a Military Retiree Dies: Survivor Checklist
What to do when a military retiree dies: report the death to DFAS, claim the SBP annuity and final pay, and keep TRICARE.
Is SBP Worth It? The 6.5% Survivor Benefit Decision
The premium, the 55% annuity, the paid-up rule, and the eliminated SBP-DIC offset. A worth-it analyzer for the most expensive election most retirees never revisit.
The Military SBP Opt-Out
Retired pay stops at death. The 55% survivor benefit, the 6.5% premium, the notarized-consent rule, and why declining SBP is nearly permanent — with a calculator.
Military Divorce and the USFSPA: Dividing Your Pension
The coverture formula, the Frozen Benefit Rule, the truth about 10/10 and 20/20/20, and how a VA waiver reshapes the split — with a former-spouse share estimator.
VA Disability in Divorce: What’s Divisible and What’s Not
VA disability can’t be split as property (USFSPA, Howell) but counts as income for support. The waiver’s effect, the 2026 apportionment change, and a divisible-vs-protected calculator.
The 20/20/20 Rule: Military Benefits for Divorced Spouses
Lifetime TRICARE, commissary, and exchange for an unremarried former spouse who clears three 20-year tests. The 20/20/15 fallback, how remarriage ends it, and why pension division is separate — with an eligibility checker.
Back to the full pillar
This is one cluster of the Military Retirement pillar. Explore the pension, disability & concurrent receipt, and health & taxes in the full pillar.
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