Money after 50: the six decisions, in order.
Most of these have a date attached and a wrong answer that cannot be undone. This is the hub: what each one is, the official number, and the StandWatch guide that goes deeper.
1. Your VA rating is money, at any age
A service-connected rating pays a tax-free monthly amount that rises with cost-of-living adjustments matched to Social Security. The 2026 rates took effect December 1, 2025. Two of the VA's own examples: a Veteran rated 30% with a spouse and no children receives $617.47 a month; a Veteran rated 70% with a spouse and one child starts at $2,074.45, plus $76.00 for each additional child under 18. A rating also waives the VA funding fee on a home loan. If you have never filed, or have conditions that worsened, the VA claims guide covers the process without a paid middleman.
Source: VA, current Veterans disability compensation rates, effective December 1, 2025. va.gov
2. The Survivor Benefit Plan, decided at retirement
SBP is an annuity: a monthly payment for the lifetime of an eligible beneficiary, sized as a percentage of your retired pay based on the election you make. Enrollment is not automatic, premiums come out of retired pay, and the election is generally made at retirement, with limited chances to add coverage later. DFAS's own framing is that it is a decision requiring careful consideration of advantages, disadvantages, costs, and eligible beneficiaries. The retirement guide walks the trade-offs; the survivor benefits guide shows what a survivor actually receives.
Source: DFAS, Survivor Benefit Plan. dfas.mil
3. Social Security: 62, full retirement age, or 70
You can start as early as 62, but full benefits arrive at your full retirement age, which is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. Starting at 62 reduces the benefit for every month before full retirement age: for a 1960-or-later birth year that is a 30% cut, so a $1,000 full benefit becomes $700 for life. Waiting past full retirement age increases it, up to age 70. Military retired pay and VA compensation do not reduce Social Security.
| Born | Full retirement age | $1,000 benefit taken at 62 |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months | $741 |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months | $716 |
| 1960 or later | 67 | $700 |
Source: Social Security Administration, retirement age and benefit reduction. ssa.gov
4. Medicare at 65, and TRICARE For Life behind it
TRICARE For Life is Medicare-wraparound coverage for TRICARE-eligible people who have Medicare Part A and Part B. There is no enrollment and no card: coverage is automatic the day Parts A and B are in effect, worldwide, and your Medicare card plus your uniformed services ID are the proof. The catch is the one people miss: you must pay the Medicare Part B premium, and TFL does not cover family members who are not themselves Medicare-eligible. Our aging and care guide covers what comes after.
Source: TRICARE, TRICARE For Life. tricare.mil
5. The TSP and the age 73 rule
Required minimum distributions from the TSP and similar plans begin for the year you reach age 73 under current IRS rules, with the first one allowed to be delayed to April 1 of the following year and every later one due by December 31. Missing one is expensive. The TSP guide covers withdrawal options and the tax picture before that date arrives.
Source: IRS, retirement plan and IRA required minimum distributions FAQs. irs.gov
6. What your survivor receives: DIC
If a Veteran dies from a service-connected condition, or meets the other qualifying paths, the surviving spouse receives Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, tax-exempt, at a base rate of $1,699.36 a month effective December 1, 2025, with added amounts for children under 18, the 8-year provision, Aid and Attendance, and a transitional amount for the first two years. DIC is separate from SBP, and the interaction between the two is the single most misunderstood line in a retiree's plan. The survivor benefits guide lays both out.
Source: VA, current DIC rates for spouses and dependents, effective December 1, 2025. va.gov
Quick answers
Does VA compensation reduce Social Security or military retired pay? VA disability compensation is tax-free and does not reduce Social Security. Concurrent receipt rules between VA compensation and military retired pay depend on your rating and retirement type; the VA claims guide and retirement guide cover them.
Do I have to enroll in TRICARE For Life at 65? No. TFL is automatic once you have Medicare Part A and Part B. What you must do is enroll in Medicare and pay the Part B premium; without Part B there is no TFL.
What is the first thing to check at 50? Whether you have a VA rating you have never filed for, or one that no longer reflects your conditions. It pays monthly for life, adjusts for inflation, and waives the funding fee on a home loan.
Sources
- VA, Veterans disability compensation rates (effective December 1, 2025): va.gov
- VA, DIC rates for spouses and dependents (effective December 1, 2025): va.gov
- DFAS, Survivor Benefit Plan: dfas.mil
- Social Security Administration, retirement age and benefit reduction: ssa.gov
- TRICARE, TRICARE For Life: tricare.mil
- IRS, required minimum distributions FAQs: irs.gov
Every figure above was read at the linked source on September 1, 2026. Educational information for the whole military community, not advice for your situation. StandWatch is not the VA, DoD, or a lender.
