Q: I am 55 and have 29 years of government service (22 years in FERS and seven years in CSRS). I have been offered an early out by my agency and want to know what effect the early out would have compared to working one more year to reach MRA of 56 and 30 years. From what I’ve read under the VERA, there would be no penalty reduction in retirement benefits. Would I still be eligible to receive the FERS annuity supplement when I reach MRA in March 2012? Other than the delay in receiving the supplement and the reduced high-3 and number of years component from not working another year, are there any other considerations I should be aware of?
A: You’ve done a good job of assessing the difference between an immediate unreduced annuity and early retirement. I’m not aware of any other factors you’d need to consider.
