Fiduciary guidance for pensions, VA benefits, TSP, and estate planning – tailored to your military journey.
Military retirement is a major milestone, and it comes with complex decisions. At Mercer Advisors, we help military officers and retirees turn their pensions, TSP, and VA benefits into a long-term financial strategy that supports your family, reduces taxes, and builds lasting security.
Our team includes advisors with military backgrounds and deep experience navigating the complexities of military retirement. We don’t just understand the system. We’ve lived it.
How We Help Military Officers Retire with Confidence
Retiring from the military is a major life change. At Mercer Advisors, we specialize in financial planning for military retirement, helping senior officers like you navigate the complexities of pensions, VA benefits, and the transition to your civilian career with clarity and confidence.
- Government Benefits Come with Strings Attached: Military pensions, VA benefits, and healthcare options are valuable, but they come with strict rules and limited flexibility. One wrong move can drastically impact your benefits.
- Timing Is Everything: A lack of planning around timely, retirement based decisions like your TSP can have irreversible consequences for your income and your family’s protection.
- Healthcare Planning After Retirement: Understanding how TriCare, Medicare, and supplemental coverage work together is essential for long-term health and financial security.
- Legacy Planning Is More Complex: Military families face unique inheritance risks and legal considerations. From guardianship to survivor benefits, your estate plan must reflect military-specific laws and protections.
Estate & Tax Planning for Military Families
You’ve led with discipline. Now lead your family into a secure financial future. Our estate and tax planning strategies are built for military families, helping you protect your benefits, reduce taxes, and pass on your legacy with confidence.
- We Speak Your Language (and Your Spouse’s)
We know that financial decisions are a family affair. That’s why we engage both partners in the planning process, ensuring everyone’s goals are aligned and protected. - Estate Plans Tailored for TSP and VA Asset Transfer
We can structure your estate to help ensure a tax-efficient transfer of assets like your TSP, GI Bill (if transferred), and other eligible military benefits. Note: VA disability and healthcare benefits are not typically transferable. - Trust Strategies to Protect Survivor Benefits and Children
From revocable trusts to guardianship planning, we design strategies that help safeguard your family’s financial future, especially in the event of early loss. - State-Specific Tax Considerations on Military Benefits
Military pensions and VA benefits are taxed differently across states. We can navigate you through these rules to help minimize your tax burden and maximize your income potential. - Optimization of Life Insurance with a Needs-Based Approach
We evaluate your SBP election, VGLI, and private life insurance options to help ensure your coverage aligns with your family’s needs and your financial goals.
Specialized Financial Services for Military Retirement
- Guidance on pension elections and SBP planning
- TSP rollover strategies to IRA, Roth, or civilian TSP
- VA benefits coordination with retirement income
- Second Career financial planning
- Retirement income forecasting based on military and civilian assets
- Real estate & VA loan strategies
- Multi-state tax planning, from PCS to post-retirement
- Civilian compensation package analysis
Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning document preparation and other legal advice is provided through select third parties unaffiliated to Mercer Advisors. Tax preparation and tax filing are a separate fee from our investment management and planning services.
Why Military Officers Can Trust Mercer Advisors
One Advisor, Always by Your Side
Your advisor is a licensed fiduciary. That means they’re legally obligated to always work in your best interest. They’re here for the long haul: through PCS moves, civilian transitions and beyond.Military Benefits Optimization
We can help you make the most of your VA benefits, helping you maximize your pension, SBP, healthcare, and TSP.Family-First Financial Planning
From spousal support to children’s education and estate planning for military families, we build a strategy that helps protect your loved ones.Beyond the TSP
Flexible plans that adapt as your needs change.CFP® Professionals With Military Financial Expertise
Our military specialist advisors have deep experience working with families like yours, and since we are bound by the fiduciary standard, we always act in your best interest.We understand your service and your goals.
Planning for Life
After the Uniform
Most military officers retire in their 40s, with decades of opportunity ahead. Whether you’re pursuing a second career, entrepreneurship, or early retirement, we help you align your pension, benefits, and new income into one cohesive plan.
- Evaluate civilian job offers with equity compensation, 401(k)s, and bonuses
- Plan for lifestyle changes and potential tax increases
- Coordinate benefits with your spouse’s career and healthcare coverage
Military Retirement Checklist
At Mercer Advisors, we believe you deserve “flight plan” for your financial life, driving the strategy and decisions behind your key moves.
Military Retirement & Financial Planning
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No, once you separate from service, you can no longer contribute to your TSP, but your account can remain open, and you can manage or roll over the funds.
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Yes, you have rollover options for your TSP, but you’ll owe taxes on the pre-tax portion at the time of the rollover, so timing and tax strategy are key. Working with an advisor who understands financial planning for military officers can help.
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SPB premiums cost up to 6.5% of your pension so that your surviving spouse can claim up to 55% of your pensions. Those premiums are non-refundable and can add up over time.
However, the guaranteed, inflation-adjusted income it provides to your spouse may be difficult to replicate with private insurance, making it a valuable option for many families, especially those without other survivor income sources. Whether it’s worth it depends on your family’s needs, other insurance options, and long-term goals. Working with an advisor who understands military compensation can help you avoid costly mistakes.
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Maximizing your TSP before retirement can boost your tax-advantaged savings and give you more flexibility in your post-military financial strategy. It can allow you to build a larger retirement cushion before transitioning to civilian life, which is especially important if there’s a gap between military retirement and your next career move. Plus, contributing more during your final years of service may help offset future tax liabilities through strategic withdrawals or rollovers.
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It depends on where you live. Some states fully exempt military retirement and SBP income, while others partially tax or fully include it. State-specific planning can help reduce your tax burden. Our advisors can help provide the detailed knowledge so that you don’t have to worry about how to navigate state law.
