I am currently at five years, 03, I don't really know if I want to do a full 20. Obviously the BRS is the way to go for me Right?

BQ78 said:

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From what I've read about it, yes. Having 401K like investment money is better than nothing if you don't do 20.

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This 100%. Wish it would have started long ago. Just ETS for the NG after three years, and eight years Active Duty prior to that. Would have loved to have something saved up.

You've really got to run the numbers for yourself and the odds of you staying in to 20. Obviously if you make it to 20, the legacy system is much better, because you get the "free" pension that starts the day you leave the service. And you can do your own TSP investing on top of it. With BRS, you don't get those TSP dollars until after you retire (If I recall correctly).

I don't know if once the GWOT starts dwindling we're going to enter into a new cold war with China, but we may start seeing a draw down of forces like we saw after the fall of the USSR. If that happens, people who thought they'd be in for 20 might start getting pushed out/incentivized out.

I'm also O3 with a long way to go till 20, in a job that could see big cuts if combat operations really slow down. So I'm still not sure on what I'll do myself. Right now I'm leaning towards staying with legacy, basically as a high risk high reward gamble, as I'm currently single and able to save a lot on my own.


ETA: Remember, you've got all of 2018 to decide as well.
And here's some more info here from a previous discussion.
https://texags.com/forums/63/topics/2862873/replies

Opting in. Just not sure if I want to do 20 and would hate to leave with nothing. If I do decide to stay, then 20 years is still worth 40% retirement and I'll have a nice hearty TSP.

This is a question I keeping hearing from everyone. As of right now I'm planning on staying in, and the legacy system seems to be the better option for what I want to do. Trident, its all on how you look at the future.

Run the numbers in the online calculator they've got. I did it yesterday and found it very interesting. I've been a reservist since 2004, so 13 years in, and I'm currently on my second active duty deployment. I'm planning on making 20, so my gut is to stay in the legacy. I ran the numbers and interestingly enough, it's almost a wash if I do 3-5 more years active, but it's better to stay in legacy if I only do 1 or 2. Seems counterintuitive until you realize that the system is maxing out the TSP payments and that builds up the more active time you have, while your high 36 stays the same.

For any of you guys on active duty thinking of getting out, I'd say that unless you really are sick of the B.S. that comes with the job, you should consider going into the reserve and stay to make your 20. The reserve retirement is not as good as active, of course, but if you've got a lot of active time, it boosts your reserve total, and the 20 years are cumulative. There is simply zero reason in my mind to leave active after about 15 years or so and not go reserve to make 20.

Now, if you are not going to make 20, you have to do the new system. Goes without saying.

Of course, you can do TSP too if you're in the legacy system, you just don't get the match. So you're only giving up 5 percent there, not 10.