Q. I was active-duty Navy (1980-84), then active Coast Guard (1991-2000). I received a tentative offer for employment with Army a few weeks ago (I’ve been a contractor since 2000). All required documents are submitted. Now I wait.
How do I buy my 13 years active duty into FERS? Can I use my existing 401(k) to pay this? How much would it cost me?
I also found out that, as of Jan. 1, the deduction for retirement went up to 3.1 percent. I guess a tentative offer before Dec. 31 doesn’t count for hired, so my pay is decreased. Adding on an increase in the cost of living (D.C. area), increase of health care coverage, retirement, Thrift Savings Plan, Social Security and decrease from my current salary, there’s not much of a paycheck left. What are the benefits of government employment? Any idea why Fort Belvoir does not have a cost-of-living adjustment?
A. Yes, you will be able to make a deposit to get credit for either or both your periods of active-duty service. When you are hired, your personnel office can explain how you do that and what it would cost. While you can use any source of money to make the deposit, I don’t know what the tax consequences of using your 401(k) would be.
The fact that you were made an offer of employment before the change in retirement deductions went into affect won’t change the fact that you’ll be required to pay the higher amount.
Your question about COLAs and Fort Belvoir makes no sense. Employees don’t receive COLAs, only retirees. And whatever COLAs one retiree gets are applied to the annuities of all eligible retirees. On the other hand, if you are referring to annual pay increases, these have been frozen for all employees for the past few years.
