While you were in the military, there’s a nonzero chance you learned to assess situations and calculate risk under pressure. Even Admin troops had to take Operational Risk Management CBTs. So why not apply those lessons learned to your own life? Specifically, your financial life. This is a calculation most veterans may never think of, one that could forever alter how aggressively they need to save for retirement, or at least how they think about saving for retirement.

A VA disability rating is not just a monthly check. Aside from the medical benefits, it offers a guaranteed, inflation-adjusted, tax-free, lifetime income stream backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. Translate that into some retirement planning, and the number could be staggering. Take a look at all this math—it might surprise you.