I am currently on a family plan, but I'm not the account owner. Our family is wanting to split our plan different ways (the account owner wants to switch vendors), while I am very happy with Verizon and want to stay. We're currently on a Verizon month-to-month. I just got back from a Verizon store where they answered my questions, but there was one that wasn't answered clearly.

I want my own individual plan through Verizon, but I already have a smartphone that I purchased from Verizon (subsidized) 2 years ago, that I am very happy with at the moment and have no desire on replacing yet. My understanding is that I will have to start a new individual contract because I'm no longer a part of the old Family Plan. My main concern is whether I will lose my upgrade eligibility if I do not also purchase a new subsidized phone at the start of my contract. Do I maintain my upgrade eligibility if I start a new contract with my current phone, and can use that upgrade when I am ready in the future? Or do I have to immediately upgrade my phone when I sign a new contract?