Q. I am CSRS, turned 61 years old in September, and have 40 years of unbroken service. I’ve tentatively selected June 2012, as my retirement month but would appreciate information on the most opportune day (or an alternate month if that’s more beneficial).
A. All I can suggest is that you pick a date that 1) falls at the end of a pay period and 2) is as close to the end of the month as possible. By retiring at the end of a pay period, you will get credit for any annual and sick leave you earned during that period. And the closer to the end of the month you retire, the smaller the gap will be between your last day of employment and when you are on the annuity roll.