Q. I am a legacy U.S. Customs officer. When we switched over to law enforcement officer status, we were told we would be grandfathered in and therefore our retirement computation would go like this: high-3 x 10 years x 1 percent plus high-3 x 6 years x 1.7 percent. Is that true? Someone said I would have to work 20 years in a law enforcement position to get the enhanced 1.7 percent computation. I thought that was for those hired under the 1.7 percent enhanced retirement.
Browsing: High-3
Q. I’m a 46-year-old FERS employee. I’m accepting a temporary reassignment to an “acting” role at a higher grade (15). Will this count toward my high-3?
Q. I’m 52½ years old. I came into the civil service as an air reserve technician in April 2007. I bought back 10 years of active-duty service, which brings me to 16 years creditable service. In 2008, I had a botched surgery and have also developed a foot problem, both no fault of my own. My case is being reviewed by a medical evaluation board. If I lose my dual status, under these circumstances, can I remain in my job as civil servant, or will I be offered a civil service position to remain in the civil service until I…
Q. I am 58 years old with 22 years of service. If I elect to leave the service before I reach my 60th birthday, can I retire on my 60th birthday under a deferred retirement, or do I need to wait until my 62nd birthday? Will I have any penalties for leaving before my 60th birthday?
Q. What is the formula for calculating the FERS annuity percentage? I work for the Postal Service and have 28 years of service at age 53 (minimum retirement age 56). I heard the FERS annuity percentage was 1 percent x (high-3 average wages) x years of service. However, I also heard unused sick leave changes the percentage, and if you have over 2,080 hours saved and returned, it changes the percentage from 1 percent to 2 percent. I thought the unused sick leave only increased your years of service, but others tell me it increases the percentage.
Q. What are the benefits of buying military service time toward civil service? I have 14 years of military service and two years of civil service and am trying to figure out if it is beneficial to buy military time or not. What is the best way to figure this out?
Q. I am an FERS GS with four years until I get my 20 under 6(c) law enforcement officer and a year and half after that until mandatory retirement. I have been offered a 6(c) job overseas — how is the high-3 calculated? Is it on the base level GS schedule (plus LEAP) I actually earn, or is it based on a modified amount of what I would have earned in DC — which is how the overseas postings on Foreign Service retirement seems to work? I am pretty sure all the COLA, post allowances and danger pays don’t calculate…
Q. In calculating a retiree’s high-3, do personnel consider the pay rate I should be receiving or the pay rate I am actually receiving? Under this pay freeze, I am a FS-01 Step 5, but I am being paid at the FS-01 Step 3 level. If I retired this year, would my annuity be calculated using the pay I should be receiving (at the Step 5 level) or usingthe pay I’m actually receiving (at the Step 3 level)?
Q. I would like to retire at between 56 and 58 with deferment until I reach age 60 and can draw my reserve retirement. I am a gray area reservist with 20 creditable years of total service. This includes four years and two months of active duty that I bought back after I accepted a FERS position. I have been with FERS for 20 years, including buyback. Will I still be able to draw both retirements since my military retirement is a reserve retirement? In 2017, I will have 25 years, and I would like to retire no later than…
Q. I am a Defense Department employee with 39 years of service under CSRS. How will sequestration, specifically the potential for 20 percent reduction in pay, affect calculation of my high-3? Will it be based on my salary per the GS tables or actual pay? If it is on actual pay, it seems as though it would be better for me to retire now rather than later.