Civilian compensation · Military transition
After military retirement, a civilian paycheck can arrive alongside retired pay, VA disability compensation, a TSP, a new 401(k), bonuses, equity compensation, healthcare elections, and a different tax picture.
The First 90 Days Civilian Compensation Playbook helps senior military leaders slow the process down, see the whole package, and identify which decisions need to be coordinated.
Free 13-page PDF. Opens in a new tab. No email, form, or meeting required.
13-page PDF · Free · No email or meeting required
The playbook treats a civilian offer as a stack of components that interact with one another and with your military picture. Each one carries its own timing, tax, liquidity, and concentration questions.
Inside: a two-page decision worksheet, a fictional illustrative scenario, and source checks for every figure cited.
Educational decision aid. Not personalized investment, tax, or legal advice.
Page 4 of 13: the civilian compensation stack
Most offer letters show compensation as a list. A transition household needs a sequence. The playbook organizes the first 90 days into three windows, each with its own set of questions.
01
02
03
Command decision
Separate the decisions with fixed deadlines from the decisions that improve once real payroll and pension data exist. Speed on the wrong item is not progress.
Many senior military leaders move into aerospace, defense, engineering, program management, and leadership roles. The compensation that comes with those roles introduces decisions the military never asked you to make.
401(k) elections beside an existing TSP, HSA eligibility, employer stock, deferred compensation, and withholding across several payers.
Joshua has answered employer-specific questions for two defense employers in Wealthtender's independent Q&A series.
Entering Lockheed Martin after military retirement
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Read Joshua's Lockheed Martin Q&A on Wealthtender ↗Financial advisors for Lockheed Martin employees & executives: Q&A insights ↗Retiring from Lockheed Martin later in your career? Get the Before Your Last Day Decision Map →Exponential Advisors LLC is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Lockheed Martin Corporation. Plan provisions vary by employee group and change over time; confirm yours in your current plan documents and benefits portal.
Civilian compensation after military retirement at Bell
Featured on Wealthtender
Read Joshua's Bell Textron Q&A on Wealthtender ↗Retiring from Bell later in your career? Get the Before Your Last Day Decision Map →Exponential Advisors LLC is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Bell Textron Inc. or Textron Inc. Plan provisions vary by employee group and change over time; confirm yours in your current plan documents and benefits portal.
Company names are used for identification only. Exponential Advisors LLC is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bell Textron Inc., or Textron Inc.
Wealthtender is an independent third-party directory. Exponential Advisors LLC pays Wealthtender a flat subscription fee for its advisor profile.
A Q&A feature is not an endorsement by any employer or regulator, is not a client testimonial, and is not an indication of investment performance.
A civilian offer is one corner of the Decision Triangle℠. The SBP election comes through retirement processing. TSP choices often come through an adviser or a rollover form. The offer arrives from HR.
Each enters through a different door, and each can change the other two. A civilian 401(k) can change the TSP question. Civilian pay and bonus timing can change the first two tax years.
Survivor-income planning shifts with every new source of household income. Operational Wealth Stewardship℠ is the firm's discipline of deciding them together, in sequence, with the family in the room.
See how the three decisions connect →Short, general answers drawn from the playbook. None of them is advice for your situation.
More than base salary: bonus terms and payment dates, 401(k) eligibility and match, HSA eligibility, equity vesting, deferred-compensation deadlines, insurance elections, and withholding once salary joins retired pay.
Generally yes, but the IRS employee deferral limit is shared across 401(k), 403(b), and TSP contributions in the same year, so TSP deferrals count toward it. Whether the plan accepts a TSP rollover is a separate question.
Each payer generally withholds as if it were your only income, so a year mixing retired pay, salary, bonus, and equity income can end up under-withheld. Check withholding after the first paycheck and first pension payment.
Beyond salary and bonus: equity grant type and vesting, deferred-compensation deadlines and employer credit risk, non-compete and severance terms, and benefit eligibility dates. Several may need attorney or tax review.
RSUs, restricted stock, options, and ESPP shares differ in vesting, tax, liquidity, and concentration. Ask when shares vest, how taxes are withheld, when trading windows open, and how much net worth sits in one stock.
In three windows: before accepting or starting, for deadline-driven elections; during onboarding, for cash flow, withholding, health plan, and beneficiaries; and in the first quarter, once real payroll data exists.
Educational information only. Not individualized investment, tax, legal, military-benefits, or insurance advice. Limits and rules change; verify with the IRS, your plan documents, and the appropriate federal agency.
If your package raises questions specific to your pension, TSP, employer benefits, equity compensation, taxes, or family, the next step may be a structured planning conversation.
Educational disclaimer
This material is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal, benefits, or insurance advice.
Nothing on this page or in the playbook is a recommendation to accept an employment offer, elect a benefit, exercise an option, sell employer stock, change a retirement-plan election, or make any tax election.
Exponential Advisors LLC does not provide tax or legal advice. Consult your tax professional or attorney before making decisions about your compensation.
Advisory services offered through Exponential Advisors LLC, an investment adviser registered with the state of Texas. Advisory services are only offered where Exponential Advisors and its representatives are properly registered or exempt from registration.
Advisory services offered through Exponential Advisors LLC, an investment adviser registered with the state of Texas, and only where properly registered or exempt.
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