Q. I am FERS-covered and will retire this year with 20 years at age 62. My annual FERS annuity is about $25,000. After retirement, I plan to work in a private company in a foreign country for an estimated annual $90,000 salary. I will roll over my Thrift Savings Plan savings to a traditional IRA. I will not withdraw my Social Security until I reach my full retirement age at 66 when I will no longer have any wages. 1. Am I allowed to draw FERS annuity while living in a foreign country? 2. How will my salary from the…
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Q. I would like to know if I can get back the money I returned (bought back) for my military time. I served three years (May 1974-May 1977), started federal civil service in November 1977 and retired in November 2009 with a total of 35 years — three military and 32 civil service. I bought back my military time because no one knew for sure at that time how it worked. I will not be eligible for Social Security at 62, or after, so it is my understanding that it will not affect my annuity. Is this correct? They will…
Q. I served on active duty in the Air Force from February 1983 to January 1992. I joined California state government in August 1993 and recently retired after 20 years and paid into Social Security the whole time. I am now considering working as a civilian for the federal government. Because military time, if purchased back, qualifies as CSRS time, does this mean that if I become a federal civilian employee now, that I will be under CSRS instead of FERS? Or because I have never been a federal civilian employee in the past, I must go under FERS and…
Q. I’m a letter carrier with 32 years of federal service under FERS. I have 2½ years to go before I meet my minimum retirement age. I’m considering disability retirement because my health has been keeping me from work. What will I lose or gain (pros and cons) between regular retirement and disability retirement. Which is stronger financially?
Q. I am CSRS Offset. I’ve been paying into Social Security for many years and I plan on retiring before I’m 62 years old. Once I retire, will I stop paying into Social Security? Also, will I be eligible for the special retirement supplement before I’m eligible to collect when I’m 62 years old?
Q. I have worked 39 continuous years as a CSRS employee and am in the process of getting divorced from my wife of 37 years. We will be dividing the CSRS pension. My wife has sufficient Social Security quarters in the private sector that she will receive a Social Security retirement benefit based on her own record. Her lawyer and the Social Security office in Alabama say that she will incur a government pension offset because she is receiving a pension from which she didn’t pay Social Security. I think they are actually calling this a Social Security Offset. I’ve explained that this shouldn’t apply as she didn’t earn this…
Q. My husband is 66 years old and retired last year with full Social Security benefits. My daughter is receiving Social Security benefits until she graduates from high school at age 18. I was told that had my salary not exceeded the maximum amount allowed, I would also receive some benefits until my daughter turns 18. I am 54 years old, a federal worker under FERS with 23 years of service. My office is going through a major reorganization. I understand that if I am offered an early retirement, I will have immediate annuities without the 5 percent reduction each…
Q. My wife is retired under CSRS and does not have the 40 credits to qualify for Social Security on her own. Can she qualify for Social Security benefits as my spouse? If she does, will the Social Security simply offset her CSRS annuity?
Q. At age 60, I will be eligible for FERS and Air Guard retirement. I bought back two years and four months of active Air Force time. Will I receive my full Air Guard retirement, which includes those active-duty points? Or, since I bought those points back, will they be deducted from my Air Guard retirement? Also, at 62, when I am eligible for Social Security, will I draw full FERS, full Air Guard and full Social Security?
Q. I am a 58-year-old Postal Service employee with 30 years of service. If I collect the special retirement supplement until age 62, does that reduce the amount of Social Security I receive at 62?