Q. I am a 52-year-old veteran who works as a civilian for the Postal Service. I began my military career with 10 years of active-duty Army service and then honorably separated and went to work for the Postal Service. I bought back those 10 years at that time and joined the Army Reserve. I served eight years with the Postal Service full time and USAR duty as required. In 2002, my Reserve unit was called up in support of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom, and I remained an active-duty reservist until February 2012, when I qualified for lock-in. As required,…
Browsing: Creditable service: FERS
Q. My wife left her government job a number of years ago and withdrew the money from her FERS account. She re-entered government service a few years ago. She then requested the redeposit amount required to bring her FERS account whole again. To make her FERS redeposit payment, she took a withdrawal from her IRA. We received a 1099-R from her IRA firm showing the withdrawal and we will need to report on our taxes as income. Since the money went back into FERS, can I deduct that amount as if it were being rolled over into an IRA?
Q. I am 57 with 22+ years of service with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. I’d like to find out what my FERS balance is and what would be the best time to start an annuity. I served from 1989 to 2010 + two years active military bought back.
Q. I worked for the Postal Service from 1988 to 1999 and took my retirement money with me. Someone told me that they only gave me what I put in and I am entitled to the money they matched. Is that true? Am I entitled to any pension from the post office when I am old enough to retire for good?
Q. I’m 52, and I’ve been on FERS disability retirement since I was 47. My minimum retirement age is 56. Is it true that they’ll stop withholding federal income taxes on my pension when I reach my MRA? Is it also true that I’ll be switched to regular retirement when I reach my MRA, and not when I reach 62?
Q. I am retired with an active-duty Air Force retirement and a Veterans Affairs Department disability rating of 90 percent. I am also subsequently going to retire from FERS civil service in a few years. Can I collect a VA disability check, active-duty Air Force retirement check and a FERS civil service retirement check? I am returning to my FERS civilian job after a five-year active-duty tour. It will cost $8,000 to buy back those five years to bring my civil service time up to 25 years. Should I buy back those five years, or is it a waste since…
Q. In 1988, while I was a federal employee at the Defense Mapping Agency, I was enrolled in CSRS. Then, when the FERS plan became available (about 1988), I switched from CSRS to FERS. Then, in November 2000, I separated from the federal government. I have since been told that the money that I paid into CSRS is sitting there and that I can collect it. How can I obtain the money?
Q. I am a federal employee under FERS. In 2011, I retired from federal service from the House of Representatives. I returned to federal service one month later. Because my retirement package was already computed, my income is split equally between my retirement annuity and my pay from the House of Representatives. The deposits are listed as US Treasury Civ Serv for my annuity and US House of R for my regular monthly salary. I turned 66 in November; thus I’m eligible for full Social Security retirement if I choose to draw it. I would like to continue working. Will…
Q. How does the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority work for cost-of-living adjustments and Social Security? Hypothetical situation: Person retires at age 52 years old with 30 years as a FERS civilian in 2014. S/he does not get any COLAs until age 62 in 2024. If this person’s annuity is $2,000 a month, then their annuity remains the same until age 62. Would his/her annuity be readjusted with COLAs to the year 2024? If the person’s minimum retirement age is 56 in 2018, would COLAs kick in and his annuity be readjusted?
Q. I started my career with the federal government in December 2010. If I am not mistaken, my retirement contribution is 1.2 percent. I left the federal government in June 2013. I will be reinstated hopefully in about a month. As a reinstated employee whose initial date of entering the federal workforce was in 2010, will I be abided by the new retirement contribution rate of 4.4 percent?