Q. I have 1,400 hours of sick leave. If I retire, will I receive a check for this unused sick leave? Or will it be part of my annuity? I am under FERS. A. Sick leave has no cash value. Instead, when you meet the age and service requirements to retire, it will be added to your actual service and used in the computation of your annuity. Because you are a FERS employee, if you retire before Jan. 1, 2014, you’ll receive only half credit for your sick leave; if you retire on or after that date, you’ll get full…
Monthly Archives: November, 2012
Some groups of federal employees have special provisions that allow them to retire earlier than most other employees and receive a more generous annuity computation. Among these are law enforcement officers and firefighters. In this column I’ll lay out the rules governing law enforcement officer and firefighter retirement under the Civil Service Retirement System. Next time I’ll do the same for those covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System. A law enforcement officer, as defined by the Office of Personnel Management, is an employee whose duties are primarily the investigation, apprehension or detention of individuals suspected or convicted of criminal…
Q. I just sent you a question and realized I did not include that I am under CSRS. As of Oct. 13, I had 29 years with the Postal Service and presently have enough annual and sick leave to get me through until I have my required 30 years. What is the best way for me to retire early with the least amount of loss in my retirement? A. First, I need to correct a misunderstanding on your part. You can’t use your annual and sick leave to help you reach 30 years of service. Unlike the military, the federal…
Q. I am a federal employee and have had Federal Employees Health Benefits for myself and my husband for 20+ years. My husband is retired military with Tricare for Life. I plan to retire on FERS and keep our FEHB for myself and my husband. If I choose to not have survivor benefits and I die before my husband, will he be allowed to keep the FEHB coverage since he receives a military retirement pension and has always had Tricare for Life through the military? In other words, can he keep FEHB and have the premiums taken out of his…
Q. After serving 15 years of active duty with the Army I ETS’d to pursue a federal position (FERS) and continued my military career as a reservist. I’ve bought back the 15 years. I was involuntarily mobilized and attained enough active duty to retire under the sanctuary program. What happens to the 15 years that was already bought back as a reservist prior to retirement? A. If you retired from the Reserve, that will have no effect on your FERS retirement. You’ll get full credit for the time for which you already made a deposit. If you want to get…
Q. What are the advantages and disadvantages of retiring Dec. 29, at the end of the pay period versus staying until Jan. 3, 2013? A. If you are a CSRS employee, you’d gain four additional days of pay and lose three days in your January annuity payment. If you are a FERS employee, you’d gain the same four days of pay but you wouldn’t be on the annuity roll until February. Whether you were covered by CSRS or FERS, you wouldn’t earn any additional sick or annual leave by staying until Jan. 3.
Q. I will have 36 years of government service in December. My minimum retirement age is 56, which I’ll reach Dec. 18, 2013. If I get fired for cause before my MRA, do I still get a FERS retirement at 56 or any retirement at all? A. If you are separated for something other than misconduct, you already meet the age and service requirements for involuntary retirement. If you are separated for misconduct and don’t take a refund of your retirement contributions, you could apply for a deferred annuity at age 60.
Q. I am getting ready to retire in two to four years. I was divorced in 2000 and need to know what type of documentation I will need. In a Sept. 17 article, you indicated that some of the problem areas included failure to answer the court order question.” A. When you fill out your retirement application, you’ll need to check the box under Marital Information and attach a certified copy of the court order(s) and any amendments. You’ll find that box in Section E of the SF 2801 (CSRS) and Section C of the 3107 (FERS).
Q. I am a civil service retiree under CSRS. I have moved. How do I notify civil service/Office of Personnel Management of my change of address. I am concerned I will not receive my W-2 in January if I do not change my address. A. To notify OPM of a change of address, call OPM’s Retirement Information Office at (888) 767-6738 or (724) 794-2005.
Q. Regarding Medicare premiums: Is it taxable income or modified adjusted gross income that is used to determine Medicare premiums for those with higher income? Do you know what the premium amounts will be for 2013? A. The premiums are based on your taxable income, not your gross income. The 2013 premiums haven’t been announced yet.