Q. I will have 40 years and six months in December and really need to retire. Human Resources states I have to work 41 years and 11 months to receive full retirement. Is this true? I just don’t think I can make it that far.
A. Either your HR misspoke or you misheard. As a CSRS-covered employee, you can retire at any time after you reach age 55 and have 30 years of service. If you retired with exactly 30 years of service, your annuity would equal 56.25 percent of your high-3. If you worked for 41 years and 11 months, your earned annuity would reach the maximum amount permitted by law: 80 percent of your high-3. Note: Since unused sick leave is added to actual service, your annuity could be higher.
