The Supreme Court recently issued a decision in a case, Hillman v. Maretta, that should serve as an eye-opener for all federal employees. When Warren Hillman was an employee, he designated his wife, Judy, as the beneficiary of his Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) policy. When they divorced, that policy was not mentioned in the court order ending their marriage. Later, Warren Hillman remarried but failed to change the designation of beneficiary to his new wife. When he died in 2008, his ex-wife, now Judy Maretta, received the proceeds of the life insurance, $124,558. Warren Hillman’s surviving spouse, Jacqueline…
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Q. I am a FERS employee who will retire in 2016 under the 20 years by age 60 rule. I went part time in 2010, with my official tour being 20 hours per week (40 per pay period); however, I usually work 24-30 hours per week due to clinic needs. I get paid for these unscheduled hours. I know my annuity will be prorated to account for my part-time work during my career; however, will the part-time portion be calculated using my official tour of 40 hours per pay period, or will the part-time calculations use the actual number of…
Q. I am under CSRS Offset. I am eligible for Social Security under my own record, but also under my husband’s. Can offset in CSRS be taken from my record if I take my husband’s record, or will it take the offset off my husband’s record? Social Security said I would get more under my husband’s record than my own. So I am wondering if I never apply for my record if my offset will increase each year I don’t take it.
Q. I am currently a GS-12 at U.S. Southern Command. I served 31 years in the Army National Guard, U.S. Army Reserve, and was called to active duty on and off for around 7½ years. I bought back most of this Army Reserve active-duty time, and the amount just showed up today in block 20 of my civilian leave and earnings statement (military deposit paid). This is the first time in my Army career where I see that a reservist has it over an active-duty soldier in that he doesn’t have to combine his retirement with a civilian retirement. However,…
Q. 1. I am a FERS employee with seven years service with the VA (and three years bought back from active duty 1973-1976) totaling 10 years of federal government time. I started at the VA in Tampa on Feb. 21, 2006, at age 54. I was born on Feb. 6, 1952. Is my calculated retirement date Feb. 21, 2003? I had worked six months with the VA until the Army activated me from Aug. 29, 2006, to Aug. 28, 2007. I returned to the VA for six to seven months until March 30, 2008, when I was activated again with…
Q. I was hired as federal civilian Feb. 21, 2006. I was called to active duty August 2006-2007. I went back to my civilian job from August 2007 until the end of March 2008 and was then called back to active duty through March 2011. I returned to civilian service and have been there since the end of June 2011. I want to retire under the optional five-year retirement. I was on military leave without pay during all my active duty and paid into FERS when I returned to federal service. Is my time on military LWOP creditable toward the…
Q. I worked and completed my 40 quarters for Social Security before I started working for the federal government (CSRS). Will I have to take a reduction too? Secondly, I am retired now from CSRS, and we have Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance. Thirdly, I start drawing my military retirement starting in July, and we are eligible for Tricare. My second question: Should we switch to Tricare Standard and suspend our BCBS? It would be about a $450-a-month raise (the $450 is what we pay per month for the BCBS).
Q. I have been a federal employee with the Department of Veterans Affairs covered by CSRS since October 1977 and have four years of military service (I paid the military deposit in full). I am 75 and have started receiving Social Security. I will be retiring in about one year and eight months, having reached 41 years and 10 months years of service, including military service, hoping to have earned or reached the 80 percent retirement annuity. I am at the top level of my GS-12 grade step 10. What will my civil service and Social Security benefits be? Or,…
Q. I am a 51-year-old Defense Department employee with 13 years of continuous service under FERS and am considering relocating out-of-state and working in the private sector. Since my MRA is 56, I am not eligible for the optional (voluntary) retirement or MRA+10. My plan is to apply for a deferred annuity and leave my FERS retirement untouched after separation to avoid benefit reductions. However, I plan on returning to federal service. Having recently attended the FERS midcareer retirement planning workshop, I am aware of the pros and cons of each retirement option. More specifically, under MRA+10, FEHB and FEGLI…
Q. I have 13 years of service as a Secret Service special agent under FERS. I am considering leaving the service at 20 years, but I will be only 43. If I understand correctly, I must maintain a government job until age 50 to receive a retirement package that would give me a 41 percent retirement benefit (34 percent from my Secret Service time and 7 percent from the other government work from age 43-50) plus the full FERS special retirement supplement, as well as being able to maintain my FEHB. Is that true? Am I giving anything up by…