Q. I will be eligible to retire in September. My agency is also offering a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority/Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay to qualified employees. In September 1995, I was part of a reduction in force. As a result, I eventually requested a refund of my retirement contributions. I was re-employed with the federal government in May 2001 under CSRS Offset and did not redeposit the refund. Will this affect the amount of my retirement annuity?
Q. I have just been notified that I am eligible for the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority being offered by my agency. I am 57 and have 23 years of service. I have “roughed” my special retirement supplement to $700 a month, and the FERS annuity would be $1,400 a month, for a total of approximately $2,100 a month. What amount would be taxable (federal and Social Security), and what would the taxes be, assuming that would be my only income?
Q. My age: 62 years, 10 months. I am under FERS. My years of service: 24 years, nine months My agency’s email of two days ago stated: You are receiving this notice because your position has been identified by your LOB as eligible to be considered for Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) and/or Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP). The Request for Consideration Form asks which retirement I am interested in, and I have no idea what to answer based on my age and years of service. 1. I am interested in: Regular Retirement with VSIP VERA (Early Retirement) with VSIP…
Q. I worked as a civilian employee for Alameda Naval Air Base, Calif., under CSRS for 20 years, eight months and four days. At the time the base was closed in 1995, I was not eligible for retirement due to my age. I will be 60 in a couple of weeks. Will I be eligible for my retirement from the federal government? How is that amount calculated and what do I need to do to start the process?
Q. I have 11 years as an 1811 and am considering moving into a noncovered position. I know I will ultimately have to do 30 years, but how will my 11 years as an 1811 (6c covered) be calculated at that 30-year mark? Will the first 11 years be counted at 1.7 percent and the remaining 19 years a 1 percent per year?
Q. I am a full-time employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Prior to becoming full time, I was a term employee for two years. After my term position was terminated, I was paid my final pay along with unused leave. I was hired approximately four months later in a full-time position but in a different area. Does my time as a term employee count toward my retirement, or is this time lost?
Q. As long as I’m employed, my Federal Employees Health Benefits premiums are taken from my pay pretax, which is more advantageous than deducting them as an itemized deduction subject to adjusted gross income limits. Does this pretax treatment continue upon retirement for a CSRS retiree, and therefore, my taxable income will be reduced by these premiums? Or will I need to start to claim them as an itemized deduction subject to income limits, which for some means we lose their deductibility after retirement?
Q. I retired FERS in 2002, electing survivor benefits. My wife died in 2009, and benefits were closed off. I have now remarried. How do I reinstate survivor benefits for my current wife?
Q. If a government employee receives a Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay and goes to work a month later for a personal service contractor, is that person subject to repaying the $25,000? If so, who can one contact about repaying it or reporting others who have accepted the VSIPs and went to work for government contractors without paying the $25,000 back?
Q. In 1999, I voluntarily switched from CSRS to FERS after 22 years of CSRS service. Since 1999, I have been covered under FERS and paying Social Security. I plan to retire this year at age 67 after 36 years of service. I’ll have accumulated 54 calendar quarters of substantial and maximum earnings. At the time I elected to transfer from CSRS to FERS coverage, I was told that I’ll be exempt from windfall elimination provision deduction from Social Security benefits and that my spousal Social Security benefits will not be affected by the government pension offset. Is this correct?