"I'm stationed overseas and I was wondering if there are any on-line retirement calculators that can compute military pay along with my investments?"
- Nick Deojay, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany

Yes, there is just such a calculator, but it comes with one hitch; we don't have access to it. According to Bill Turner, editor of Afterburner, the US Air Force News for Retired Personnel, the calculator is for US government use only, and "should the address appear in print on the web, conceivably anyone, military retiree or not, could use it or just check it out to see how it works." He suggests you check with your finance office or military personnel flight. Both should have access to the calculator and should be able to calculate your retired pay within seconds.

If you're just looking for more information, access to forms and statements or contact addresses, the US Defense Finance and Accounting Service , is a goldmine of financial information, and much of it caters to military retirees and former military retirees. With FAQs for retirees and annuitants and links to both civilian and military retirement sites, you should find the answer you need about any pension or annuity question, or at least someone who can answer it for you.

Other great sites: The Air Force Personnel Center's retirement page , which links to Air Force Retiree Council addresses and phone numbers, news about new retiree benefits programs, updates on memorials, reunions and commemorations around the country. And check out the Social Security Administration's new retirement planner (as of May 2000), which features three separate (and free) levels of calculations for social security benefits estimates, from a quick and simple estimate to a sophisticated downloadable program. And all estimates are based strictly on your own input--not linked to records--so your privacy is protected.