(This article by Kimberly Lankford originally appeared in the January 2026 issue of Military Officer, a magazine available to all MOAA Premium and Life members who can log in to access our digital version and archive. Basic members can save on a membership upgrade and access the magazine.)

When you have military benefits, lifetime retirement pay, and access to low-cost investments in the Thrift Savings Plan, it can be easy to overlook the value of working with a financial advisor. But an expert can help you make the most of your benefits, create a plan to reach your financial goals, and avoid getting off track during times of economic uncertainty and transition.

“Financial planning is a lot like military planning — it’s about readiness, discipline, and building resiliency for a variety of contingencies,” said Col. Pam Bergeson, USAF (Ret), a certified financial planner (CFP) and the founder of Tailwind Financial Planning based in Madeira Beach, Fla.

“A financial planner can help military retirees navigate market uncertainty with confidence, knowing they have the financial resilience to weather the inevitable ups and downs of the market,” she added.

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Financial advisors also help their clients remain focused on long-term goals, especially during market volatility, said Lt. Col. Amy King, USA (Ret), a CFP, MOAA Premium member, and founder of Maryland-based Instar Financial Planning. “A good financial advisor will help you avoid making emotional decisions that can be costly to your long-term financial plan,” she told Military Officer.

Likewise, they can help you prepare for a possible downturn in a methodical way so you don’t panic if an investment loses value; this might look familiar to contingency planning in the military.

“When I flew fighters, we had a saying: ‘Make your decisions at 1g and zero airspeed’ — meaning know what you’re going to do when things go wrong when you’re flying, before you actually are flying,” said Col. Curt Sheldon, USAF (Ret), a CFP, the owner of Alexandria, Va.-based C.L. Sheldon and Co., and a MOAA Life member.

“In the context of investing, this prevents you from making rash or emotional decisions when markets misbehave.”

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Sheldon helps clients design portfolios with a target asset allocation to create the desired risk/return profile, and he sets guardrails for the percentage from which each asset class can deviate, compared to the original allocation, before making changes.

“When markets get turbulent, if it’s within the guardrails, do nothing,” he said. “If it’s outside tolerance, adjust to get back into tolerance by buying or selling assets to get back to the target percentage.”

By taking this approach, his clients avoid frequent trading for small changes, while still having a plan for large market swings.

An advisor can also provide guidance for tax planning, college planning, and retirement; an analysis of insurance needs; and strategies for Social Security claims, said Col. Mike Hunsberger, USAF (Ret), a CFP, the founder of Next Mission Financial Planning in St. Charles, Mo., and a MOAA Life member.

“Making smart decisions regarding these things can often have a bigger impact on the plan success than even the investments,” Hunsberger said.

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An advisor can help you understand financial decisions often unique to servicemembers and military retirees, such as assessing benefits when transitioning from a military to civilian career, adjusting tax withholdings from military retirement pay, coordinating GI Bill benefits and 529 education savings plans, and interpreting the nuances of disability ratings, Sheldon said.

One way to find advisors who understand these needs is through the Military Financial Advisors Association, a group of fee-only advisors who specialize in helping military families. “They understand the complexities of military compensation, benefits and transitions,” said Bergeson, who is an association member.

Kimberly Lankford is a Virginia-based financial expert and the spouse of a retired Army colonel.