Personal Financial Mgmt

As directed by Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 1322.34, ("Financial Readiness of Service Members"), and NAVADMIN 209/24, ("Fiscal Year 2025 Common Military Requirements"), Sailors are provided financial readiness training at personal and professional touchpoints across the military lifecycle, beginning with recruit and officer accessions training and continuing throughout a Service member's career and transition to civilian life.  The first touchpoint is "Initial Entry Training" whereby financial readiness training is provided at Boot Camp for enlisted Sailors and during the officer accessions training pipeline for officers.  The other touchpoints are as follows:

• First permanent duty station
• Permanent Change of Station (O3 and below, E4 and below)
• Promotion (O4 and below, E5 and below)
• Vesting in TSP (under BRS upon completion of 2 Years of Service)
• Entitlement to Continuation Pay (under BRS)
• Marriage
• Divorce
• Birth of First Child
• Disabling Sickness or Condition
• Pre- and Post- deployment
• Leadership training
• Transition of the Service member from AC to RC, separation or retirement.  (The required financial readiness training for this touchpoint is provided during the "Financial Planning for Transition" portion of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) class.  This course is also available online at https://tapevents.mil/courses.)

Starting with the “First permanent duty station” touchpoint, Service members can complete the mandatory financial readiness touchpoint training via one of three delivery methods:
 

•  Online using Navy e-Learning (NeL).  To easily find these courses on NeL, search for the title “touchpoint” under the Course Catalog tab.
• The MyNavy Financial Literacy mobile app, which hosts the touchpoint courses and allows Sailors to submit course completion certificates directly to their Electronic Training Jacket (ETJ).
• Or in-person training provided by a Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) Personal Financial Manager (PFM), a Command Financial Specialist (CFS), or a Navy Reserve Center-assigned Personal Financial Counselor (PFC).  In-person training resources and information can be found on the GMT webpage (Personal Financial Management section), and on the Department of Defense Office of Financial Readiness (FINRED) website's Navy Resources webpage.  Once in-person training is completed, ensure that training is recorded in a member's Electronic Training Jacket (ETJ) by documenting in FLTMPS via a Learning Event Completion Form (LECF).

Sailors will receive a Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS) email notification upon reaching a financial readiness touchpoint, informing them of the requirement to complete the required training.  It is important to ensure that an up-to-date email address is maintained in NSIPS.

 Revised for 2024, the MyNavy Financial Literacy application provides Navy personnel with information to help them achieve their personal financial goals and meet the Navy’s financial literacy education requirements.

BRS combines a defined benefit, like the legacy (High-3) retirement plan, with a defined contribution component (automatic plus matching contributions to a member’s Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account) and continuation pay.  BRS uses a 2.0% multiplier (vice the 2.5% used in the legacy retirement system) in calculating retired pay.  Thus, a member who served 20 years would receive 40% of the average of the highest 36 months of basic pay, a TSP account that contained government and optional member contributions, as well as continuation pay at the mid-career point.  BRS Tools and Links are located on the right-hand side of this webpage.
 

BRS Opt-In eligible members are required to complete the BRS Opt-In course (available on Joint Knowledge Online (JKO)).  BRS Opt-In issues should be sent to the MyNavy Career Center (MNCC) at: AskMNCC@us.navy.mil

DoD has expanded eligibility for a DCFSA to military families.  The DCFSA is a pre-tax account used to pay for eligible dependent care services, such as preschool, day camp, before or after-school programs, and child or adult daycare.  Active Component and Training and Administration of the Reserves (TAR) Sailors are eligible for enrollment in DCFSAs.  Sailors in the Reserve Component, except for TAR Sailors, are NOT eligible.  Eligible Sailors may enroll or re-enroll in a DCFSA during the Federal Open Season each year from mid-November through mid-December.  Eligible Sailors must re-enroll each year during the Federal Open Season to continue participation.  A Sailor's participation will NOT automatically carry over from year to year.  Eligible Sailors may also enroll at any time in a DCFSA following a qualifying life event such as the birth or adoption of a child, a divorce, or a permanent change of station.  Find out more here.
 
Free assistance is available to help Sailors make the right decision, provide information on enrollment, and understand how the DCFSA affects both their families’ financial budget and tax situation.  See your local Fleet and Family Support Center personal financial managers and Command Financial Specialist.
Find free tax consultation here.