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Your Essential Annual Retired Pay Account
Check-Up


Summer is a perfect time to ensure your DFAS retired pay account is accurate and up to date. An annual check-up is a simple way to prevent payment delays and ensure we can reach you with important information. It also helps ensure your loved ones don't face difficulties down the road.
The easiest way to accomplish many of these check-ups is through your myPay account (https://mypay.dfas.mil/).

If you find that you need to submit a form or document to DFAS, please learn more about our convenient AskDFAS form upload tools. Please click on “Retirees and Annuitants” when you arrive at that page to learn more.

Use this 7-point checklist to review your account today, and you’ll be better prepared as we enter busier times at the end of the year and tax season to follow.

1. Confirm Your Contact Information
  • Mailing Address: DFAS receives a significant amount of returned mail each year due to outdated addresses. Log in to myPay and click “Mailing Address” to confirm your current mailing address is on file.
  • Email Address: Email is our fastest and most direct way to share news and send you certain status notifications for requests you submit. In myPay, go to “Personal Settings” and then “Email Address” to verify your primary email and remove any old addresses.
2. Review Your Allotments
In myPay, check your allotments under the "Pay Changes" menu. Verify that each payment is still needed and the amount is correct. Be aware that if your total allotments exceed your net pay, your entire retired pay could be suspended. Some allotments for federal benefits (like TRICARE or FEDVIP) cannot be managed in myPay; you must contact that organization directly.

3. Check Your Tax Withholding
If you moved to a new state or your income has changed, it’s wise to review your tax withholding. You can update your federal and state withholding easily in myPay. For specific tax questions, please consult a tax professional or use the resources available on the IRS website, including their tax withholding estimator.

4. Update for Major Life Changes
Marriage, divorce, birth of a child, or the loss of a spouse can significantly impact your account, especially your Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and Arrears of Pay (AOP) beneficiaries. Please notify DFAS as soon as possible after a major life event by providing official documentation (marriage certificate, divorce decree, etc.). To simplify your experience, you can use the DD Form 2656-6 Form Wizard on the DFAS Forms Library to assist with updating your SBP.

5. Verify Your Arrears of Pay (AOP) Beneficiary
Your AOP beneficiary is the person/people you designate to receive any final pay that may be due upon your passing. In myPay, click “Beneficiary for Arrears” to confirm your designation and check that their contact information is current. You can also use the DD Form 2894 Form Wizard to make updates – this Form Wizard is also available on our Forms Library.

6. Confirm Your SBP Coverage and Beneficiary
Your Retiree Account Statement (RAS), available in myPay, details your SBP coverage. The two most important items to verify are the "Coverage Type" (e.g., spouse, former spouse, child) and the date of birth of your spouse beneficiary.

Under the law, SBP coverage for a spouse automatically ends with a divorce. To continue coverage for a former spouse, either you must voluntarily request it, or the former spouse must request it with a qualifying court order. If these actions are not taken within specific time limits, the former spouse will not have SBP coverage. Please check your RAS carefully to ensure your coverage status is correct.

7. Special Note: Don’t Forget Other Government Agencies
Remember that any changes you make at DFAS do not flow to other agencies that you may have a relationship with. Therefore, it is important that any applicable changes – such as contact information and family composition – may need to be similarly updated with other agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Defense Enrollment and Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), and/or your Branch of Service.

Please visit the VA website to view details on how to update your VA contact information
Below are options to update your contact information with DEERS.
 
  • Make updates on milConnect
  • Call 1-800-538-9552
  • Fax updates to 1-800-336-4416
  • Mail updates to: DMDC/DEERS Support Office, 400 Gigling Rd, Seaside, CA 93955-6771​
 
Paged updated June 26, 2026