The Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) became effective January 1, 1987. All Federal civilian employees hired after this date are covered under FERS. FERS retirement eligibility is based on years of service and your attained age.
The FERS consists of three components for your retirement:
- FERS Retirement Annuity
- Thrift Savings Plan (Government 401K) Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) that is automatically set up for you when first hired. Agencies deposit 1% of the basic pay each payday into your account. Your agency will match up to 5% of your contributions and contributions are tax-deferred.
- Social Security – The earliest you can start receiving benefits is age 62 (A reduced benefit)
Three milestones for attaining an immediate unreduced retirement annuity:
- Minimum Retirement Age (MRA 55 and up) with at least 30 years of service
- At 60 years of age with at least 20 years of service
- At 62 with at least 5 years of service
Did You Know?
Early retirement might not be in your best interest and you might be leaving money on the table.
You could offset your FERS Special Supplement to zero if you earn too much in retirement.
You could be paying more for your retirement and receiving less with current proposed changes before congress, stay informed.
Popular Questions
The simple answer for an FERS employee is 30 years of federal service.
The simple answer is a combination of the “High-3” average, years of services, and age at retirement.
The amount is between .08% and 4.4%. This is based on hire date, and occupation.
The basic benefit is generally between 25% and 39%. In certain situations more or less may be possible.
Consultation Services
Our Benefit Coordinators can assist you with getting a thorough understanding of your federal benefits, such as federal short term disability, through our Consultation Services. We will cover all benefits of the program and always conclude our meeting by answering any questions you may have.
Most of our client’s report learning something new each time they have a consultation. Either one-on-one or group sessions. Below are just some of the many things we cover when doing a consultation:
Receive a complete review of your federal benefits and ensure that you understand your benefits and costs as well as your options. Early changes could save you thousands of dollars. What to do with prior 401K balances before you tie them up in TSP.
Understanding not only when you can retire but how to effectively create streams of income to maximize your retirement.
Explanation and calculations on trigger points of your retirement system. Such as, your Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) and Special Retirement Supplement (SRS) and how to take advantage of these benefits.
Reviewing your hire date and ensuring that your years of service are credited towards your retirement.
Creating a personal analysis for your federal pension by exploring retirement options to maximize your disposable income while reducing your benefits costs.
Assistance in completion of your Retirement Request Packet.
A complete explanation on the various types of retirement, Disability, Early Retirement, Voluntary Retirement, Deferred Retirement and how those options will affect your income.
Ensuring that you and your family understand what benefits you have in the event you predecease them during your working years or once retired. Review of benefits, costs and application of request for benefits.
Buying back your military service will help increase your retirement annuity. Ask about the
2-year interest free grace period.
If you leave before you are eligible you may be entitled to receive your FERS contributions and review your best options for your TSP account balance.