01
Retirement eligibility and timing
We review your creditable service, MRA, and any special provisions, then compare retirement dates side by side so you can see the real cost or benefit of a few more months.
Who we serve / Federal employees
Federal benefits, finally explained in plain language.
FERS, TSP, FEHB, and survivor decisions reviewed together, so your retirement date is a choice rather than a guess.
Federal benefits are generous and genuinely complicated. One election made without context can follow you for decades. We help federal employees understand each benefit, see how the pieces fit, and choose a retirement date with the numbers in front of them.
We help you answer
- When am I actually eligible to retire, and what does waiting buy me?
- How much will my FERS annuity be after survivor and insurance elections?
- How should my TSP be invested given my pension?
- Do I keep FEHB and FEGLI in retirement?
- When should I claim Social Security alongside the FERS supplement?
- How do I withdraw from TSP and other accounts without a tax surprise?
02
FERS annuity and survivor elections
Your high-3, service years, and survivor choice determine income for life. We model the options together with your spouse so the decision is made once, with full understanding.
03
TSP strategy and withdrawals
Allocation, contribution mix, Roth versus traditional, and withdrawal sequencing are set within your whole household plan — not chosen from a menu in isolation.
04
FEHB, FEGLI, and Medicare
We look at what coverage to carry into retirement, how FEHB coordinates with Medicare, and where rising FEGLI premiums no longer earn their cost.
05
Social Security and the FERS supplement
Claiming timing, the annuity supplement, and its earnings test are coordinated so post-retirement work does not quietly reduce your income.
06
Workshops and one-on-one reviews
Our Federal Benefits Workshops and Lunch & Learns give agencies and employee groups a clear overview, followed by individual reviews for personal decisions.
Questions we hear
Frequently asked
questions.
- What is FERS and what are its three parts?
- The Federal Employees Retirement System has three parts: the FERS basic annuity (your pension), Social Security, and the Thrift Savings Plan. A strong retirement plan uses all three together rather than treating them separately.
- When can I retire as a federal employee?
- Eligibility depends on your age and years of creditable service, including MRA rules and special provisions for law enforcement, firefighters, and air traffic controllers. We review your service history and show what retiring at different dates would mean for your income.
- How is my FERS annuity calculated?
- It is based on your high-3 average salary, your years of creditable service, and a multiplier that increases if you retire at 62 or later with at least 20 years of service. Survivor elections and unpaid deposits also affect the final amount.
- Should I leave my money in the TSP or roll it over?
- Both can be reasonable. The TSP offers very low costs and unique withdrawal features, while a rollover can offer more flexibility and coordinated tax planning. We compare them against your actual income plan instead of applying a rule of thumb.
- How do the TSP funds and Lifecycle funds fit my plan?
- We look at your full household picture — pension, spouse's accounts, and outside investments — then set a TSP allocation that matches the role those dollars need to play, rather than choosing a fund in isolation.
- What happens to FEHB and FEGLI when I retire?
- FEHB can usually continue in retirement if you meet the enrollment requirements, and it coordinates with Medicare later. FEGLI costs rise sharply with age, so we review whether keeping, reducing, or replacing that coverage makes sense.
- What is the FERS supplement and will I get it?
- The FERS annuity supplement bridges the gap to age 62 for eligible retirees who retire with an immediate, unreduced annuity before that age. It is subject to an earnings test, which we factor into any post-retirement work plans.
- Do you host federal benefits workshops?
- Yes. We regularly hold Federal Benefits Workshops and Lunch & Learns for agencies and employee groups, covering FERS, TSP, FEHB, survivor benefits, and retirement timing.
Federal benefits education
Ask about our comprehensive Federal Benefits Workshops and Lunch & Learns.
A conversation is a good place to start