Generally, an estimate from your Human Resources (HR) Department on your Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) benefits is a good source of information for you to begin to plan your retirement.
However, it is your responsibility to ensure that the estimate that you receive from your HR is accurate. Your HR will not know your service better than you. You are the best and most reliable source for knowing when, where and, what you did while employed with the Federal Government. I do not like relying on the words, “always correct” because it leads to a false sense of accuracy.
From working with a lot of Federal Employees, I have seen HR retirement estimates that have been spot on — down to the penny. I have also seen retirement benefit estimates that are wrong — really wrong.
There are a few common inconsistencies that I see when it comes to a Federal Employee Benefits Estimate, regardless of which agency employs you. That is why I run down a checklist with my clients on what I look for when reviewing their FERS Benefits Estimate.
This is the date in which your HR will certify as to your “start” date for benefits when you go to apply for retirement with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Your HR does not have malicious intent on trying to get your dates incorrect. They are, however, relying on information that is in your Official Personnel File (OPF). If you have made changes in your careers, like changed jobs or agencies, your OPF had to change with you.
Did you buy back military time that wasn’t applied?
This widens the opportunity for errors, such as mixing up dates. You know your Federal Service history better than anyone.
Your pension income is based on your creditable years of service and your high three salaries. Your High Three is the mean of the three highest salary years that you have as a FERS. These years generally occur towards the end of your career.
Review your Hi-Three salary and make sure that your numbers are accurate.
One of the most common mistakes FERS employees make when calculating their pension income is they base their retirement income off of the gross numbers and not the net.
Your FERS Pension income is subject to Federal Income Taxes but there are other deductions as well that have to be accounted for.
The tax estimate provided on the benefits estimate from HR makes an assumption that this singular pension source serves as your only income source. It does not account for other income sources that you may have as a single or married person. These include retirement accounts, social security, other pensions, etc.
HR retirement estimates for Federal Employees are wonderful resources, but they have to be scrutinized. You alone are the best source of knowing your Federal Service history, your salary, and your taxable income sources. Do not base your retirement decisions off of the wrong figures: your gross v. your net income.
“Hello, I am a retired 58 yr old federal employee that retired after 34 years of service. My wife and I are looking at buying a trailer and horse camping
“Mr. Shilanski, Social Security Survivors Benefit question. I am under the FERS program and I plan to retire late this calendar year. I am 65 yrs old. I will have
I worked for the federal govt for 11 years. I was born in 1960 January. I was 56 at the time of separation. Need to know if postponement to a
At age 59 1/2, I would like to use a TSP one time withdrawal to pay off a mortgage then eventually transfer the balance to a IRA when I retire
Get the most out of your federal retirement benefits by taking advantage of the FERS resources created by Micah Shilanski, CFP®, and the team of independent financial advisors at Shilanski & Associates, Inc. Join the thousands of federal employees who trust us to guide them in their retirement planning journey because of our unique perspective of how your FERS benefits contribute to your comprehensive financial plan.
Year after year I see Federal Employees missing the same critical concepts in their federal retirement planning. That’s why I’ve created an online workshop to help educate Federal Employees on these critical concepts.
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7 CLASSIC RETIREMENT MISTAKES Federal Employees Make
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