Q: I am 42 years old. I have 19 years of government service, with six of those being military. What effect would it have on me if I were to quit my job at 19 years, versus 20 years. I keep hearing 20 is a magic number. I can hold out until I hit 20 if it will significantly impact my retirement once I am eligible.
A: As a Federal Employees Retirement System employee, if you were to leave government before having 20 years of creditable service, you wouldn’t be able to apply for a deferred annuity until you reached age 62. If you left with at least 20 years, you would be able to do that at age 60.
