Transition Out | VetraFi Education
Transition Out
Separating or retiring. SkillBridge, VA disability, and your TSP at separation.
Retired Pay Math: High-3, CRDP, and CRSC
The multiplier, the 20-year cliff, and two programs that protect your pension.
Social Security on Top of Your Military Pension
Your pension doesn't shrink your Social Security by a dime. Here's how the two stack.
VA Claims Backlog Falls Below 70,000: What It Means If You're Filing
The bigger story is not the backlog, it is the opportunity a faster decision gives you.
2027 COLA Watch: What the Projected Increase Means for Your VA and Retirement Pay
The 2027 COLA is projected near 3.9%, but it is not official until October.
Should You Be on LinkedIn While You're Still Active Duty?
Building your LinkedIn before you separate gives your job search a running start.
What Is a Nexus Letter, and When Do You Actually Need One for a VA Claim?
A nexus links your condition to your service, and here's when it helps your claim.
When Should You File a BDD Claim? The Pre-Separation VA Disability Window
BDD lets you file your VA disability claim 180 to 90 days before you separate.
Buddy Statements: How a Lay Statement Can Strengthen Your VA Claim
A buddy statement is lay evidence from a witness, filed on VA Form 21-10210.
VA Math: Why Two 50% Ratings Don't Equal 100%
The VA combines ratings with a whole-person method, so your total is usually lower.
Can You Work With a 100 Percent VA Rating? Schedular 100 Percent vs. TDIU
Schedular 100 percent and TDIU both pay the same rate, but only one limits your work.
What Is a C&P Exam and How Do You Prepare for It?
A C&P exam is how the VA checks if a condition is service-connected. Here's how to prep.
Unemployment for Veterans: How UCX Works After You Separate
UCX pays unemployment benefits after you separate honorably; your state sets the amount.
How to Find a Good VSO (and Why You Should Not Pay to File Your First VA Claim)
A VSO helps with VA claims for free, and rules limit when anyone can charge you.
What Happens to Your Security Clearance After You Get Out?
Your clearance ends at separation, but eligibility often returns within two years.
Terminal Leave and Starting a Civilian Job: What You Can and Cannot Do
Terminal leave lets you use accrued leave on active pay, but a civilian job has limits.
What Is a DD-214, and Why Every Block Matters
Your DD-214 proves your service and gates your benefits. Here's what each block means.
How to Request or Correct Your Military Records (DD-214, DD-149, DD-293)
Get your DD-214 free from the National Archives, or ask a board to fix an error.
SGLI to VGLI: Keeping Life Insurance After You Separate
Keep your group life insurance after you separate through the VGLI conversion window.
Your VA Home Loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE), Explained
The COE proves to your lender that you qualify for a VA-backed home loan.
Concurrent Receipt: Can You Get VA Disability and Retired Pay Together? (CRDP and CRSC)
You usually can't draw full retired pay and disability together. CRDP, CRSC are exceptions.
Secondary VA Claims: Getting Rated for Conditions Caused by Other Conditions
A secondary claim links a new condition to one the VA already service-connected.
Denied by the VA? Supplemental Claim vs. Higher-Level Review vs. Board Appeal
The VA gives you three ways to challenge a decision, and here's what each does.
The PACT Act: Toxic-Exposure Benefits and Presumptive Conditions, Explained
The PACT Act expanded VA benefits for toxic exposures. Here's what it covers.
How to Read Your VA Rating Decision Letter
Your VA decision letter shows your rating, effective date, and appeal deadline.
How Veterans Break Into Management Consulting: 10 Firms and Programs to Know
A starting map of ten firms and programs that recruit veterans into consulting.
10 Nonprofits That Help Veterans Land a Civilian Job
Ten nonprofits offering free help with resumes, mentoring, and job connections.
How Veterans Break Into Investment Banking and Finance: 10 Programs and Firms
Ten vetted programs and three routes veterans use to enter investment banking.
How Veterans Break Into Private Equity and VC Operations: 10 to Know
Ten vetted funds and programs, and how PE and VC operations roles differ from investing.
10 Career Resources for Military Spouses
Ten vetted career resources for military spouses, most of them free.
10 Companies Known for Hiring and Supporting Veterans
Ten large employers with recognized veteran hiring programs, and how to start.
10 Organizations That Help Veterans Get Into College
Ten vetted resources that help veterans choose schools and strengthen applications.
10 Private Employers for Veterans With a TS/SCI Clearance
Ten employers that hire cleared veterans, and why your clearance is leverage.
10 Entrepreneurship Organizations for Veterans
Ten organizations that train, coach, and connect veterans who want to start a business.
10 Defense-Tech Companies Hiring Veterans
Ten defense-tech companies building autonomy and AI, and how veterans can break in.
10 Resources for Veterans Applying to a Top MBA Program
Ten vetted resources that help veterans navigate MBA admissions and funding.
10 Funding Sources for Veteran-Owned Startups
Ten funding sources for veteran founders, sorted by grants, loans, or equity.
10 Programs That Help Veterans Move Into Tech
Ten training programs, most free, that help veterans move into tech.
10 Resources for Veterans Applying to Law School (JD)
Ten vetted resources that help veterans prepare for the LSAT and build a JD application.
10 Accelerators and Incubators for Veteran Founders
Ten accelerators and incubators that help veteran founders build and scale a company.
10 Mentorship and Networking Organizations for Veterans
Ten organizations that connect veterans with mentors, peers, and professional networks.
10 Scholarships and Fellowships for Student Veterans
Ten vetted scholarships and fellowships that help student veterans pay for school.
10 Competitive Fellowships for Transitioning Service Members
Ten fellowships that turn your transition into a launchpad, SkillBridge to leadership.
10 Universities Widely Recognized for Supporting Student Veterans
Ten universities recognized for veteran support, from resource centers to Yellow Ribbon.
10 Transition and Career-Readiness Programs for Service Members
Ten programs, several government-run, that prepare you and your spouse for civilian life.
Your Last Year in Uniform: The Separation Money Checklist
Terminal leave, your final paycheck, SGLI, TRICARE, unemployment, and a cash cushion.
SkillBridge: Your Runway to a Civilian Job
Spend your last 180 days at a civilian job on military pay. Here's how to get approved.
Your TSP When You Separate: Keep It, Roll It, or Cash It Out
Your TSP doesn't vanish at separation: the three options, and what cashing out costs.
VA Disability Claims and Ratings: The Basics
What a rating is, how to file before separating, the monthly check, and why help is free.
TRICARE When You Separate: TAMP and CHCBP
Coverage windows after service: who gets 180 free days, and the cost to bridge after.
The Survivor Benefit Plan
The retirement choice that pays your family up to 55% of your pension.
Your 2026 VA Disability Pay: Exact Monthly Amounts After the 2.8% COLA
VA disability pay went up 2.8% in January 2026. Here are the exact amounts by rating.