Q. I have been employed with the Postal Service for 26 years. I am 64 years old and am eligible for retirement. I would like to work for another year. I have some health issues. If I should die while I am still working, would I lose all that I have paid in to my retirement, or would my wife get my retirement benefits? If so, how much? Or would she only get my life insurance benefit?
Yearly Archives: 2013
Q. Most of 2013, I made around $63,000 a year. However, the last three pay periods of 2013 I received a 1 percent raise bringing my salary to $63,630 per year. And it looks like everyone in the government will get another 1 percent raise in February, which will bring my salary to about $64,266 per year. Do those three salaries — $63,000, $63,630 and $64,266 — now become my “high-3 salaries” as I will retire at the end of 2014 and don’t anticipate any more raises before then?
Q. Could you please advise on the rate for 2014 voluntary contributions?
Q. My husband is a federal retiree, 69 and on Medicare and federal Blue Cross/Blue Shield. I begin Medicare on March 1. Will our BC/BS premium drop because it then only covers 20 percent? It’s like $500 monthly. Is it wise and cost effective to keep it, or should we look for a BC/BS supplement in Virginia?
Q. I am planning to retire in January. I recently reviewed my official personnel folder and discovered that a few SF-50s are missing from the file. Will this cause a problem with the Office of Personnel Management?
Q. I am a federal firefighter (GS-10-00) with 27 years of service plus four years active-duty military (bought back). I will be 52 years old this year (2014). If I retire, when will the earned income rule begin to apply to me? At age 57 to age 62? Also, 2014 marks the year that FERS employees can begin receiving credit for unused sick leave toward retirement. I have gotten preliminary estimate of retirement but they calculated over 1,000 hours less than what I have. Is the sick leave supposed to be creditable for full 100 percent, or is it less?
Q. When given the chance to convert from FERS to CSRS Offset due to the Federal Erroneous Retirement Coverage Corrections Act, I jumped at the chance since it is a better retirement. One issue I never got fully resolved was that I assume since I was in a 6(c) law enforcement covered position as a physical security specialist (0080 series) I must have been paying into the retirement at a higher rate to cover the early retirement option of FERS law enforcement. I now have more than 25 years with the USSS and six years of military time, which I…
Q. Please explain why my retirement check is issued one month late. In other words, my Jan. 1, 2014, payment is actually for December 2013. I do not believe it is like that with Social Security. Their January 2014 check is actually for the month of January. It is like the government hangs on to the money for an extra 30 days each month, as I understand it.
Q. I am a CSRS employee who started with the Postal Service in 1981. However, I worked in a supermarket before the USPS and worked for the union for the past six years. For both of those other jobs, I have paid and still am paying Social Security. I have heard the expression of “having enough quarters” for Social Security retirement. What does that mean, and how many quarters are needed?
Q. Federal worker was separated from service Nov. 30 pursuant to Office of Personnel Management disability determination. Worker is completely disabled. The worker’s pay for 2013 exceeds the Social Security limit. Agency fails to pay accrued leave promptly. Leave is paid in 2014. Would Social Security be deducted?