Q. I am a FERS retiree. My total retirement contribution that’s been taxed is $16,000. I understand this is averaged through my mortality and have a portion every month, tax free. Is there an option where I can take the total $16,000 and apply all in a given tax year as tax free even though that will eliminate the monthly, tax-free amount?
Author Reg Jones
Reg Jones
Reg Jones was head of retirement and insurance policy at the Office of Personnel Management. Email your retirement-related questions to fedexperts@federaltimes.com.
Q. My soon-to-be husband has retired from the U.S. Postal Service. Can I be added to his medical benefits when we get married?
Q. I have 20 years service and am 60 years old. I’m a U.S. Postal Service employee, who is retiring soon. I have contacted Social Security, and they told me my Social Security amount at age 62 would be $1,120. I also worked for a Santa Fe railroad organization from 1977-1990 and have contacted them; my retirement would be $1,657. I am confused as to what to use to calculate my FERS special benefit. Could you please shed some light on this?
Q. My husband and I have always been enrolled in the FEHB Program. I plan to retire at the age of 60. My husband will continue to work until he is 62. We are both 54 years old. Will we both be covered when I retire? Can he continue on my insurance? If so, how much does the insurance go up?
Q. My sister’s husband passed away in December last year, and she received his CSRS benefits at 55 percent. She was told she is not entitled to any pay raises sense he retired, which was in 1996. But if she is entitled, who would she contact?
Q. I have been working full time for the Department of Veterans Affairs (term employee in research) for nine years and four months. We may have to move out of state for my husband’s job. Is there any benefit to delaying the move to reach 10 years of service? I was also in the Army Reserve for six years, but never active duty.
Q. If a voluntary early retirement is something that must be offered, it shouldn’t be called “voluntary.” To me, the term is a misleading contradiction in and of itself. “You can voluntarily retire; but [only] if we (your organization) offer it.” What are your thoughts?
Q. I am a CSRS retiree. How much of my retirement for the first few months come from what I paid in and how much from the retirement fund?
Under the Trump administration, change is inevitable. Some agencies will prosper while others may find themselves diminished or eliminated. The same goes for their employees. If you suspect your agency will take a hit and you have the right combination of age and service, this may be a good time to retire. The end of the 2016 leave year would be the best time to do it. That’s especially true if you carried the maximum amount of annual leave into the current year and haven’t used much of the time you’ve accumulated since then. Here’s why.
Q. I will have been with the IRS for 20 years on September 30, 2019, and I plan to retire Feb. 23, 2020. I have taken leave without pay (LWOP) several times for medical reasons throughout my career. How does LWOP affect my retirement date?