{"id":21390,"date":"2018-12-13T19:27:57","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T19:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:07:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:07:57","slug":"for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/","title":{"rendered":"For this sailor, the new blended retirement system is a safe bet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Ronald Rhea made his decision early on to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/pay-benefits\/2018\/07\/18\/brs-breakdown-this-service-leads-by-far-in-troops-switching-to-the-new-retirement-system\/\" target=\"_blank\">opt in<\/a> to the new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/pay-benefits\/2018\/10\/22\/not-many-troops-are-opting-into-the-new-retirement-system\/\" target=\"_blank\">Blended Retirement System<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He registered his choice on the first day he could sign up \u2014 Jan. 1 \u2014 and upped his contribution to the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/pay-benefits\/mil-money\/2018\/07\/10\/benefits-basics-whats-a-tsp\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Thrift Savings Plan<\/a> to 5 percent of his basic pay so that he could get the full <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/pay-benefits\/2018\/07\/18\/brs-breakdown-this-service-leads-by-far-in-troops-switching-to-the-new-retirement-system\/\" target=\"_blank\">Defense Department<\/a> match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI can\u2019t predict the future,\u201d said Rhea, who is stationed at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Florida. \u201cI can\u2019t necessarily say I\u2019m in a situation where I\u2019m guaranteed 20 years. I want to be able to leave, if forced to, with something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As an E5 with nine years of service, 5 percent of monthly basic pay is $156.29, so in 11 months that added up to $1,719 \u2014 and that amount is matched by DoD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Combined, his and DoD\u2019s contributions added up to $3,438 in the last 11 months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With his previous contributions to and earnings in his TSP, he now has accumulated about $11,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/management\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/this-air-force-captain-wants-to-retire-at-age-44-with-the-full-military-retirement\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Brad-Byington-with-dog-Rudy.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">This Air Force captain wants to retire at age 44 with the full military retirement.<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Here&#039;s why this Air Force officer chose to stay with the legacy retirement system.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the opt-in decision can\u2019t be changed now, he wanted to participate in the financial review to make sure he\u2019s making the right moves now for his family\u2019s future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI want to make sure the decisions I am making allow them the best opportunity for success,\u201d said Rhea, who is married with two children, ages 8 and 5. \u201cHowever, as a leader, I would also like to be a point of contact and be able to relay the information provided through me to those under me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI joined the military relatively late,\u201d said Rhea, 39. \u201cIt can be a little bit concerning for an older sailor to see how retirement looks for them and works for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rhea is also using his military benefits in other ways with an eye toward the future, including pursuing a master\u2019s degree. He also hopes to pursue a path of being commissioned as an officer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut in the event the military doesn\u2019t work out, I want that degree in health care administration,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other parts of the BRS also appeal to him, including the continuation pay when he reaches the 12-year-mark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if he does retire at the 20-year mark, taking a partial lump sum from his retirement could help tide the family over if he doesn\u2019t find a job immediately, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/management\/pay-benefits\/military-retirement\/2017\/12\/19\/retirement-guide-brs-or-legacy-well-help-you-find-the-right-path\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"179\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MIL_BRS_lede-photo.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Retirement Guide: BRS or legacy? We\u2019ll help you find the right path<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">More than 1.6 million service members are eligible to make a choice between the military&#039;s legacy retirement system and the new Blended Retirement System, which goes into effect Jan. 1<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He and his wife have been serious about paying down debt: They\u2019ve paid off about $45,000 in student loan and other debt in the last year, now that she\u2019s finished school and has been working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve been living like I\u2019m the only source of income,\u201d he said, using her salary to knock down the debt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After taxes, the Rheas\u2019 income is about $9,000 a month, and their monthly expenses are about $3,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Rhea\u2019s situation<\/th><th><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Blended Retirement System?<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Time in service<\/td><td>9 years<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Consumer debt<\/td><td>$23,000 two car loans<br\/>\n$19,400 credit cards<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mortgage payment<\/td><td>$1,318<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Emergency fund<\/td><td>$4,500<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Retirement assets<\/td><td>TSP, $11,000<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Reviewer<\/b>: Andy Barnes, financial adviser with Navy Federal Financial Group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Recommendations<\/b>: To shore up their financial future, the Rheas should consider building their emergency fund to at least three months of living expenses, while simultaneously paying down their debt, Barnes said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s about twice what their fund is now. These steps are a foundation for future finances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In paying down the debt, they should first target the debt with the highest interest rate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAfter that debt is paid down, funnel [the payment] towards their next highest interest rate,\u201d Barnes said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Rheas currently have three credit cards and two auto loans with interest rates higher than 6 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HM2 Rhea should consider switching his Thrift Savings Plan contributions to the Roth option in the TSP, Barnes said, based on the family\u2019s tax bracket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the Roth option, you pay taxes on the contributions as you make them, and the earnings are tax free at withdrawal, as long as you meet certain Internal Revenue Service requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barnes noted that the Rheas should explore the retirement plan offered by Cheri Rhea\u2019s employer and find out whether there is a company match. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If so, she should contribute at least enough to her retirement plan to get the company match. If there is no company match, she should still contribute at least 5 percent to start saving for her retirement, Barnes said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once they\u2019ve paid off their consumer debt, Barnes said, the Rheas should increase their retirement savings to 10 percent to 15 percent of their income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Right now, Rhea is contributing 5 percent of his basic pay to get the full match from DoD under the Blended Retirement System. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf he does leave [the Navy] in the near future, the BRS would have benefited him, as his TSP and matching contributions are fully vested and transportable by transferring them into an IRA, should that suit him,\u201d Barnes said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barnes said Rhea is aware of what he gave up in choosing the BRS over the legacy retirement plan, which could potentially provide a more comfortable retirement paycheck \u2014 20 percent more \u2014 if he stays until he qualifies. <\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/management\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/heres-how-two-service-members-made-their-decisions-about-the-new-retirement-system\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/BRS-screen.JPG.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Here\u2019s how two service members made their decisions about the new retirement system<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">We delved into how two service members made their choices of whether to jump to the new Blended Retirement System or stay with the legacy system.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>What\u2019s next:<\/b> Rhea zoomed in quickly on Barnes\u2019 advice about the debt with high interest rates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI wish we\u2019d paid off our high interest rate debt first,\u201d he said. \u201cI crunched the numbers, and we could have saved $2,000\u201d in interest by tackling that earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGetting rid of the debt with the highest interest rate first versus getting rid of the debt with the highest dollar amount makes a difference,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also appreciated Barnes\u2019 insight into the Roth option for his Thrift Savings Plan and is looking into that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Barnes advised, they\u2019re continuing to focus on getting rid of the debt. Later, they\u2019ll also look at increasing their retirement contributions and consider some investments outside the Thrift Savings Plan to add to their mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cheri Rhea also has started contributing 5 percent of her salary to her 401(k) plan at work. Her company matches contributions of up to 3 percent of her salary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat resonated with me is what the Blended Retirement System provides, in regards to security for sailors going into what we do or do not know is going to be a guaranteed retirement,\u201d Rhea said. \u201cIn speaking to junior sailors, I don\u2019t think we realize that only 19 percent \u2014 19 out of 100 military personnel \u2014 retire from the military.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For him, it\u2019s reassuring that they\u2019ll have \u201cthat nest egg, that the military provides through the DoD Blended Retirement System contributions, even if I decide to get out at year 19 or 18 \u2014 or retire, for that matter.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The BRS is just one military benefit this sailor is using to prepare for the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":46962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":15,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,82,85,25,15,18],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3302],"class_list":["post-21390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-mil-money","category-military-retirement","category-newsletters","category-pay-benefits","category-spouse"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"AP6UEAUMVBGJHGH7DZDCD43WTU","arc_canonical_url":"\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>For this sailor, the new blended retirement system is a safe bet - Marine Corps Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The BRS is just one military benefit this sailor is using to prepare for the future.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"For this sailor, the new blended retirement system is a safe bet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The BRS is just one military benefit this sailor is using to prepare for the future.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Marine Corps Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-12-13T19:27:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T06:07:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Karen Jowers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Karen Jowers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/2018\\\/12\\\/13\\\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/2018\\\/12\\\/13\\\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"For this sailor, the new blended retirement system is a safe bet\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-12-13T19:27:57+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T06:07:57+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/2018\\\/12\\\/13\\\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1093,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/2018\\\/12\\\/13\\\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Rhea-family.2018-financial-review.jpeg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Mil Money\",\n\t                \"Military Retirement\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Pay &amp; Benefits\",\n\t                \"Spouses\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/2018\\\/12\\\/13\\\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/2018\\\/12\\\/13\\\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/2018\\\/12\\\/13\\\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"For this sailor, the new blended retirement system is a safe bet - Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/2018\\\/12\\\/13\\\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/2018\\\/12\\\/13\\\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Rhea-family.2018-financial-review.jpeg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-12-13T19:27:57+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T06:07:57+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"The BRS is just one military benefit this sailor is using to prepare for the future.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/2018\\\/12\\\/13\\\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/2018\\\/12\\\/13\\\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/2018\\\/12\\\/13\\\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Rhea-family.2018-financial-review.jpeg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Rhea-family.2018-financial-review.jpeg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/2018\\\/12\\\/13\\\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Pay &amp; Benefits\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/pay-benefits\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"pay-benefits\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"For this sailor, the new blended retirement system is a safe bet\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Marine Corps - Independent News For Marines | Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/marine-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/marine-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Marine Corps Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"For this sailor, the new blended retirement system is a safe bet - Marine Corps Times","description":"The BRS is just one military benefit this sailor is using to prepare for the future.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"For this sailor, the new blended retirement system is a safe bet","og_description":"The BRS is just one military benefit this sailor is using to prepare for the future.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/","og_site_name":"Marine Corps Times","article_published_time":"2018-12-13T19:27:57+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T06:07:57+00:00","author":"Karen Jowers","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Karen Jowers","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"For this sailor, the new blended retirement system is a safe bet","datePublished":"2018-12-13T19:27:57+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T06:07:57+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/"},"wordCount":1093,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Rhea-family.2018-financial-review.jpeg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Mil Money","Military Retirement","Newsletters","Pay &amp; Benefits","Spouses"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/","name":"For this sailor, the new blended retirement system is a safe bet - Marine Corps Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Rhea-family.2018-financial-review.jpeg.jpg","datePublished":"2018-12-13T19:27:57+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T06:07:57+00:00","description":"The BRS is just one military benefit this sailor is using to prepare for the future.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Rhea-family.2018-financial-review.jpeg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Rhea-family.2018-financial-review.jpeg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2018\/12\/13\/for-this-sailor-the-new-blended-retirement-system-is-a-safe-bet\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Pay &amp; Benefits","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/","ad_zone":"pay-benefits"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"For this sailor, the new blended retirement system is a safe bet"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/","name":"Marine Corps Times","description":"Marine Corps - Independent News For Marines | Marine Corps Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#organization","name":"Marine Corps Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/marine-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/marine-logo-white.png","caption":"Marine Corps Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Marine Corps Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Rhea-family.2018-financial-review.jpeg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21390"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85278,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21390\/revisions\/85278"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21390"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=21390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}