Q. I am 65 years old, have 30 years continuous military service and am retired, so I know I will get Social Security next year if I choose. However, I also now have 10 years continuous civilian federal service. My SF-50 indicates FERS-FICA. I am in a full-time indefinite status but have been a GS for three straight years and in NSPS status for two years following that. There have been no breaks in service. I also contribute 7 percent to TSP. If I retire from federal service next year, what, if any, are the retirements benefits under FERS-FICA excluding…
Browsing: military service
Q. I am 51 (I turn 52 in April) and have been a law enforcement officer for 23 years, plus four years of military time that I bought back. Because of torn retinas, I have lost all depth perception permanently and have been placed on light duty pending further medical review. I will likely be ruled unable to perform in a law enforcement position and unfit for duty. I wasn’t planning on retiring, but now it might be forced on me with a FERS disability retirement. If that is the case, what is better — to just retire voluntary, before…
Q. I am a FERS employee with 20 years’ service as of July 20. I plan to retire in 2013; however, I am not sure when I should go out. I will be 62 on June 20 and will reach my 21-year anniversary with the service July 20. I plan to use all of my annual leave and go out on what is considered terminal leave, so depending on my retirement date, I could stop work in May and be on annual leave until my official retirement date. Will it really make that much of a difference in retirement pay…
Q. I am retired Navy and have worked for the Department of the Navy for two years. I was told since I have a Southwest Asia Service Medal, I would qualify for the increased leave category. What determines how much leave I would be entitled to? A. Go to www.opm.gov/Staffinportal/vetguide.asp and scroll to Service Credit — Leave Accrual Rate.
Q. I recently interviewed for a government position and would like to know your opinion on what I should do should I get the position. I have more than 9 years’ active-duty Air Force time, which concluded in 1993. I have not had another government job since then. I assume it would be foolish on my part not to buy back those years for this new position should I be selected for employment, correct? I am 48. A. If you make a deposit for your period of active-duty service, now is the time to do it. You won’t be charged…
Q. I am trying to clarify Catch-62. I was hired in 1981 and I have 31 years in CSRS at age 55. I also have four years of military service that I have not bought back. If I have 24 quarters of Social Security, by age 62, will the four years of military automatically be added to my SSA quarters, thus reducing my CSRS pension? Or will I have to have the 40 quarters at age 62 beyond the 16 quarters paid while in the military? A. Since Jan. 1, 1957, every member of the military has had Social Security…
Q. I have 3¾ years military service and 2¼ years as a term employee. Recently I accepted a new position with the government. I am 65. Will I be eligible for retirement after completing three-quarter years in my current position? I was covered under FERS as a term employee and in my current position. A. No. You would need to have five years of actual FERS service to be eligible to retire. Even if you made a deposit for your active-duty military service, it wouldn’t count until you had those five years under your belt.
Q. I am a Border Patrol FERS employee (11 years) and Army National Guardsman (19 years) with prior active-duty military service. I have already purchased my active-duty time before federal employment (2½ years), as well as time from two deployments since my federal service (an additional two years). I am now approaching my military reserve retirement (20 reserve years) and have confirmed that I will begin receiving my reserve pension at age 60. I have also confirmed that I can receive this retirement along with my FERS retirement. I plan to retire from Border Patrol at age 55. Will I…
Q. I am buying back three years of active-duty military service for retirement and am wondering what the government does with the money and interest it gets from the buyback of service time. A. It goes into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund.
Q. I served 15 years active duty in the Navy, then was honorably discharged with VocRehab due to injury. I am rated at 70 percent disability and receive a check from the VA each month. I was recently offered a job with the VA hospital. Can I apply my years of active-duty service to a federal retirement with the VA? What are my best options for retirement planning? A. Yes you can get credit for your active-duty military service, but only if you make a deposit to the civilian retirement system. That deposit would be 3 percent of your basic…