Fee-only advisors who specialize in FERS, CSRS, TSP, and federal retirement benefits.
Federal benefits are unique and complex: the FERS 3-legged stool (basic annuity + TSP + Social Security), the FERS supplement, survivor annuity elections, FEHB in retirement (Medicare coordination), sick-leave conversion, and CSRS Offset for the few remaining. Generalist advisors often miss the FERS supplement, FEHB implications, or survivor-electi
What our matched specialists handle
- FERS basic annuity — am I maximizing my high-3?
- Should I take the FERS supplement or delay Social Security?
- Survivor annuity election — 50% or 25%, and what about life insurance as alternative?
- FEHB in retirement + Medicare — do I need Part B?
- TSP withdrawal strategy in retirement
- Sick leave conversion — when and how much does it add?
Tools & guides
OWCP for Federal Employees: FECA Workers' Compensation Complete Guide (2026)
A work-related injury activates a separate federal benefit system — FECA/OWCP — that pays 66⅔%–75% of your basic pay, tax-free, with 100% medical coverage and no time limit. Learn how CA-1 and CA-2 claims work, the 45-day Continuation of Pay period, schedule awards for permanent impairment, and the critical OWCP vs. FERS disability retirement election that can mean tens of thousands of dollars difference over your lifetime.
Service Computation Date (SCD): Complete Guide for Federal Employees (2026)
Your SCD is not your hire date — it's a computed date that determines your annual leave accrual tier, FERS retirement eligibility, RIF retention standing, and TSP vesting. Learn the four types of SCD (Leave, Retirement, RIF, TSP), what counts toward each, and how breaks in service, LWOP, military service, and part-time work affect each one. Includes a worked example with prior military service and a break.
GS Promotion Pay Setting: How Much of a Raise Will You Get? (2026)
When you're promoted to a higher GS grade, federal law — not your supervisor — determines your new pay. Learn the two-step rule under 5 U.S.C. §5334(b), the maximum payable rate (step retention), highest previous rate for returning employees, and how promotion timing can permanently raise your FERS pension annuity by thousands of dollars per year.
GS Pay Scale 2026: Base Pay Tables, Locality Pay & FERS Pension Impact
Complete 2026 GS pay table for all 15 grades and 10 steps, all 58 locality pay area percentages, and an interactive calculator showing your locality-adjusted salary, biweekly pay, and what your current GS pay means for your FERS retirement annuity. The 2026 raise: 1% base pay increase; locality pay frozen at 2025 levels.
FERS Retirement Calculator
Model FERS basic annuity, FERS supplement, TSP withdrawal, and Social Security as an integrated retirement income plan.
Federal Pension Present Value Calculator — FERS & CSRS (2026)
What is your FERS or CSRS pension actually worth in today's dollars? Enter your annual annuity, COLA assumption, and discount rate to see the present value, the TSP balance you'd need at 4% SWR to match that income, and a year-by-year projection with accurate FERS pre-62 COLA freeze modeling. Includes FERS vs. CSRS COLA comparison and longevity analysis.
Federal Employee Retirement Savings Target Calculator (2026)
How much TSP do you need to retire? Generic calculators ignore your FERS pension floor — this one doesn't. Enter your income goal, your estimated FERS annuity, and your Social Security to see exactly how much TSP must cover the gap, whether your projected balance hits the target, and what monthly contribution closes the shortfall.
Survivor Annuity vs Life Insurance Calculator
Compare the true cost of your FERS survivor annuity election against private term life insurance. Annual cost, survivor benefit, equivalent coverage, and break-even analysis.
TSP Balance Projection Calculator — Will You Reach $1 Million?
Project your TSP balance year by year to retirement. Accounts for FERS agency matching, the 2026 IRS contribution limits (including super catch-up at ages 60–63), and compound growth. Shows your $1 million milestone age, monthly retirement income at 4%, and how raising your contribution by 1–3% changes the outcome.
TSP RMD Calculator
See your required minimum distribution schedule year-by-year. Enter your traditional TSP balance and birth year to project RMD amounts, remaining balance through retirement, and potential IRMAA exposure.
FERS Supplement Calculator (2026)
How much will your FERS Special Retirement Supplement be? Enter your estimated Social Security benefit at 62 and service years. Shows monthly amount, earnings test reduction from post-retirement work, and total value from retirement to age 62.
FERS Sick Leave Retirement Credit Calculator
Unused sick leave converts to additional service credit — but only in full months (174 hours each). See how many months your projected balance earns, how many hours will be dropped, and the exact dollar value to your annual pension. Includes an optimization callout so you know precisely how close you are to the next full month of credit.
FERS High-3 Salary Calculator
Your FERS annuity is permanently locked to your high-3 average — and OPM weights each salary rate by the exact days you earned it. Enter your current salary, months until retirement, and any upcoming step increase or promotion. The calculator shows your projected high-3 and compares four retirement timing scenarios so you can see whether waiting to capture a raise pays off.
Annual Leave Payout Calculator (2026)
Every hour of unused annual leave pays out as a lump sum at retirement — at your full hourly rate of basic pay. This calculator projects your balance at retirement, computes your gross payout, and estimates federal income tax (22% supplemental rate), Social Security withholding (2026 wage base: $184,500), and Medicare withholding — so you can plan your retirement date and leave strategy around a real net number.
Federal Retirement Income Tax Estimator (2026)
How much will you actually owe in federal income tax on your FERS annuity, TSP withdrawals, and Social Security? This estimator applies the IRS Simplified Method for your FERS exclusion ratio, the combined-income test for Social Security taxation (up to 85%), the 2026 standard deduction with age-65 additions, and the new OBBBA enhanced senior deduction. Shows a full income breakdown, deductions, effective rate, and flags IRMAA exposure.
Federal Employee Benefits Package: What Your Total Compensation Is Worth (2026)
Your GS salary understates what you earn by $34,000–$66,000. A component-by-component breakdown of FERS pension accrual, TSP agency match, FEHB premium subsidy, FEGLI Basic life insurance, and leave value — with full worked examples for GS-12 and GS-14 and a private-sector comparison.
TSP Contribution & Agency Match Calculator (2026)
Enter your salary, contribution percentage, and age to see your exact agency match, how much of the 5% match you're capturing (or leaving behind), and whether you're on track for the 2026 IRS limit — including the $11,250 super catch-up at ages 60–63.
TSP Catch-Up Contributions 2026: Super Catch-Up (Ages 60–63) + New Roth Requirement
Two major SECURE 2.0 changes hit TSP in 2026. If you're 60–63, you can contribute $11,250 extra (total $35,750). If you earned over $150,000 in 2025, your catch-up contributions must go to Roth — not Traditional. What this means for GS-14, GS-15, and SES employees, and how to adjust your myPay elections before year-end.
IRA Strategy for Federal Employees
Should you use a traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or backdoor Roth alongside your TSP? 2026 income phase-outs, the TSP pro-rata trick that clears the way for a backdoor Roth, and how IRA strategy changes as you approach the FERS Roth conversion window.
FERS Survivor Annuity Election Guide
The full 50% election reduces your annuity by 10% — but provides $0.55 for every dollar you give up. Break-even analysis, FEGLI Option B as an alternative, the post-retirement marriage window, and how to think through the decision with a working spouse.
FERS Retirement Planning Guide
Detailed framework — rules, tradeoffs, and common mistakes.
TSP vs. 401(k): How Federal Retirement Savings Stacks Up (2026)
The TSP and a private-sector 401(k) share the same IRS contribution limits — but differ significantly on employer match structure, expense ratios, the G Fund (no private-sector equivalent), and how they interact with the FERS pension. A must-read for federal employees evaluating private-sector offers or comparing their benefits to colleagues in the private sector.
TSP Strategy for Federal Employees
Fund allocation, contribution limits, withdrawal sequencing, Roth vs. traditional, and the rollover vs. stay-in-TSP decision.
TSP Fund Allocation Guide (G, F, C, S, I Funds)
How to allocate your TSP at every career stage — the G Fund trap explained, model portfolios by age, the 2024 I Fund benchmark change, and when an L Fund makes sense vs. when it hurts you.
TSP Mutual Fund Window: Is It Worth It? (2026 Guide)
The TSP Mutual Fund Window unlocks ~5,000 mutual funds — including REITs, ESG options, and emerging-market funds — for a $132/year fixed fee plus $28.75 per trade. Here's who should use it, who should skip it, and a full fee breakdown so you can run the math for your balance.
TSP Interfund Transfers: The 2-Per-Month Limit Explained (2026)
When you move money between TSP funds, the first two moves each month are unrestricted. After that, only the G Fund can receive transfers until the month resets. Here's how the limit works, how it interacts with the noon ET cutoff, when the G Fund exception applies, and how to manage rebalancing without burning your quota on emotional market reactions.
FEHB 5-Year Rule: How to Keep Your Health Insurance Into Federal Retirement
Losing FEHB in retirement means losing the government's $18,490–$20,229/year subsidy — permanently. The 5-year rule under 5 U.S.C. §8905(b) determines whether you qualify. Learn exactly what counts as continuous coverage (including time as a dependent on a spouse's FEHB), what creates a gap, the MRA+10 postponed-annuity trap, the disability retirement exception, OPM's waiver authority, and how to audit your enrollment history before it's too late.
FEHB + Medicare in Retirement
Should you take Medicare Part B? How FEHB and Medicare coordinate, IRMAA surcharges on your pension and TSP, and which FEHB plans work best with Part B.
Medicare Part B Decision Calculator for Federal Employees (2026)
Does Medicare Part B pay off when you already have FEHB? Enter your income for IRMAA, your FEHB out-of-pocket costs, and your utilization level to see your annual Part B cost, estimated out-of-pocket savings from Medicare coordination, and whether Part B breaks even over 10 and 20 years. Includes IRMAA cliff warning and late enrollment penalty calculator.
FERS Supplement Guide
How the Special Retirement Supplement is calculated, who qualifies, the 2026 earnings test ($24,480), and how to time Social Security alongside it.
Sick Leave & Annual Leave at Retirement
How unused sick leave converts to FERS service credit (174 hours = 1 month), why the annual leave lump sum is calculated, and timing your retirement date to maximize both.
VERA/VSIP Decision Calculator (2026)
Should you take the federal buyout? Enter your age, service years, and salary to see your FERS annuity now versus waiting 1–3 years, your VSIP net after federal taxes, the break-even timeline, and whether FEHB, the FERS supplement, and TSP penalty-free access follow you into retirement.
VERA/VSIP: Federal Early Retirement Guide
How to evaluate a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority or VSIP offer. Eligibility (50+20 or any+25), annuity math, FERS supplement deferral, and break-even framework.
When to Retire from the Federal Government
Retirement date timing checklist: maximize annual leave payout, get the earliest annuity start date, time your high-3, hit the TSP Rule of 55, and protect FEHB coverage.
Social Security for Federal Employees (2026)
WEP and GPO are repealed — what it means for CSRS retirees. FERS supplement earnings test ($24,480), the age-62 cliff, SS timing break-even, and the gap between supplement end and delayed SS filing.
Government Shutdown Financial Planning for Federal Employees (2026)
What happens to your FEHB, FEGLI, TSP, and FERS service credit during a lapse in appropriations — and what it actually costs you. Includes the back pay law and the current political uncertainty around it, a GS-14 cash flow breakdown, TSP loan rules during shutdown, FERS service credit protection, and the 6–8 week emergency fund framework specific to federal employees.
New Federal Employee Benefits: First 60 Days Enrollment Checklist (2026)
When you start a federal job, a single 60-day window covers FEHB, FEGLI Optional life insurance, FSAFEDS, and FEDVIP — miss it and most elections lock until November Open Season. This guide covers what enrolls automatically (FEGLI Basic, TSP at 5%), what you must actively elect, the agency TSP match math, Roth vs. Traditional TSP for new hires, beneficiary designation forms, and the 10 most expensive new-employee benefits mistakes.
Federal Employee RIF Guide 2026
Reduction in Force: immediate vs. deferred retirement, severance pay formula, FEHB continuation (TCC), TSP options, and what to do if you're not yet retirement-eligible.
Federal Employee Severance Pay Calculator (2026)
Facing a RIF or involuntary separation? Enter your salary, years of service, and age to see your exact severance pay: basic allowance (1–2 weeks per year of service), age adjustment (2.5% per quarter over 40), 52-week lifetime cap, biweekly payment schedule, and whether your situation suggests retirement is a better option than severance.
Social Security Claiming Age Calculator for Federal Employees (2026)
When should a FERS employee claim Social Security? The FERS supplement ends at 62 no matter what — so delaying SS past 62 creates an income gap. This calculator compares your monthly SS benefit at every claiming age from 62 to 70, shows break-even ages for each delay strategy, and models the income gap between when your supplement ends and when your SS checks begin.
OPM Retirement Application Guide
Step-by-step walkthrough of SF-3107, documents required, best retirement dates in 2026, how interim pay works (60–80% of estimated annuity), and how to avoid the common mistakes that delay OPM processing.
Federal Retirement Checklist
Timeline from 5 years out to day one — FEHB 5-year rule, high-3 optimization, survivor annuity decision, OPM application prep, Medicare enrollment, and links to all key guides in one place.
FERS Roth Conversion Strategy
Federal employees who retire at 57–62 have a rare Roth conversion window — lower income before Social Security, a FERS supplement that disappears at 62, and 8+ years before RMDs. How to use it.
FERS Phased Retirement Guide
Work half-time and receive half your annuity — OPM's phased retirement program explained: eligibility (MRA+30 or 60+20), the mentoring requirement, FEHB/FEGLI continuation, and composite annuity formula.
HSA Strategy for Federal Employees
Can federal employees use an HSA? Yes — if you're in an FEHB HDHP plan. Here's how the triple tax benefit works, 2026 contribution limits ($4,400 self/$8,750 family), and the Medicare enrollment trap to avoid.
FSAFEDS 2026: Federal Flexible Spending Accounts (HCFSA, DCFSA, LEX HCFSA)
The Federal FSA program offers three accounts — HCFSA ($3,400), DCFSA ($7,500 under OBBBA, up from $5,000), and LEX HCFSA for HDHP enrollees. Which accounts can you open, which are compatible with an HSA, and how much in pre-tax savings does the right combination deliver?
TSP Withdrawal Options in Retirement
The four ways to take money out of TSP: installment payments (fixed dollar or life expectancy), lump sum, life annuity, and combination approaches. Includes the Rule of 55 penalty exception, Roth TSP rules, and IRMAA income planning.
TSP Loan Rules 2026
How TSP general purpose and residential loans work: maximum loan amounts, the 4.5% G Fund interest rate, the hidden opportunity cost and double-taxation of interest, and what happens to an outstanding loan when you retire or separate from service.
FERS Special Category Retirement: LEO, Firefighters & ATC
Law enforcement officers, firefighters, and air traffic controllers retire under completely different rules: enhanced 1.7% annuity multiplier for the first 20 years, immediate eligibility at age 50+20, mandatory separation at 57, FERS supplement starting at retirement date, and TSP Rule of 55 extended to age 50.
FERS Deferred Retirement: Left Federal Service Early? You Still Have a Pension
If you left federal service with 5+ years and didn't take a contribution refund, a FERS annuity is waiting at age 62. What you keep (the pension, TSP access at 59½), what you permanently lose (FEHB, FEGLI, FERS supplement), the frozen high-3 math, and how to file Form RI 92-19.
FERS Pension COLA: What Federal Retirees Actually Get
FERS retirees receive zero COLA before age 62, then a capped "diet COLA" after — not full CPI like CSRS. 2026 rates: CSRS 2.8%, FERS 2.0%. The formula, the age-62 rule, and how to plan for the inflation gap.
How to Choose a Financial Advisor for Federal Employees
Not every CFP knows what the FERS supplement is. Here's how to evaluate advisors: fee-only vs commission, specialist credentials (ChFEBC, CFP), 10 diagnostic questions that reveal true federal benefits depth, red flags, and why flat-fee often beats AUM for federal employees.
FLTCIP 2026: Federal Long-Term Care Insurance
New FLTCIP enrollment is suspended until at least December 2026. Existing enrollees absorbed up to 86% premium increases in 2024–2026. What currently enrolled federal employees should do now — and what uninsured employees can do instead (private LTC, hybrid policies, deliberate self-insurance).
FERS Civilian Service Deposit & Redeposit (2026 Guide)
Two OPM programs many federal employees overlook: the 1.3% deposit for pre-1989 non-deduction service, and the redeposit for withdrawn FERS contributions. Both can boost your annuity for less than two years of retirement income — but the 4.25% interest clock runs until your retirement date.
FERS Retirement with Part-Time Service
OPM applies a proration factor to any career that includes part-time service — but your high-3 salary is based on your full-time rate of pay, not your actual earnings. How the proration factor is calculated, what it costs per year, and what happens to your FERS supplement if you've ever worked a reduced schedule.
How to Choose Your FEHB Plan 2026
FFS vs. HMO vs. HDHP — how government contributions work, the 5-year FEHB retirement rule, premium conversion tax savings, and a decision framework by situation (healthy single, family, near retirement, chronic condition). Includes GEHA, BCBS, Aetna, and HMO comparison guidance.
Federal Employee Divorce Guide
Divorce is different when one spouse is a fed. FERS annuity division via COAP (5 CFR 838), court-ordered survivor annuity, the TSP RBCO vs. QDRO distinction (a critical trap), FEHB TCC for the ex-spouse, and what WEP/GPO repeal means for CSRS ex-spouses.
Federal Employee Estate Planning
Four benefit streams — TSP, FEGLI, survivor annuity, and FEHB — that pass outside your will and require separate beneficiary designations. Form TSP-3 rules, the 90-day spousal window, SF-2823 FEGLI designations, the FERS BEDB lump sum, and what your will actually controls.
FERS High-3 Salary Optimization
Your high-3 is the single largest lever in your FERS pension — but most employees don't actively manage it. Five optimization strategies: step increase timing, the part-time penalty, promotion timing, locality pay impact, and the 1.1% multiplier threshold at age 62 with 20 years. GS-14 DC worked example showing a $7K/year pension difference.
Federal Retirement Tax Guide
How your FERS annuity, TSP distributions, and Social Security are taxed — including the annuity exclusion ratio (Simplified Method), the SS 85% combined-income rule, IRMAA cliffs, state pension exemptions, and the OBBBA $6,000 senior deduction through 2028. GS-14 worked example.
FERS Disability Retirement Guide
FERS disability retirement if you can no longer perform your job: eligibility (18-month service minimum, accommodation requirement), the 60%/40% annuity formula with SSDI offset, the age-62 recalculation cliff, 80% earned income rule, FEHB/FEGLI continuation, and how OWCP compares to FERS disability.
Disability Insurance for Federal Employees: Do You Need It? (2026)
FERS disability retirement replaces only 32–46% of your pre-disability income — far below the 60–70% most planners target. This guide breaks down every layer of disability protection you already have (sick leave, OWCP, FERS disability, SSDI), calculates the income gap, and explains when private disability insurance makes sense for federal employees and when it doesn't.
FEGLI Premium & Coverage Calculator (2026)
Enter your salary, age, and current FEGLI elections to see your exact biweekly and annual premiums for Basic, Option A, Option B, and Option C. The calculator's killer feature: an Option B age-band projection showing exactly how your premiums will escalate through retirement — so you can see the cost trap before it closes.
FEGLI Life Insurance in Retirement
Basic FEGLI coverage formula, the 5-year continuation rule, and the critical decision most retirees get wrong: Option B's age-band premium trap. Full vs. no-reduction comparison, FEGLI vs. private insurance framework, and the survivor annuity intersection.
MRA+10 Early Retirement: Retire Before 30 Years
If you have 10+ years of service but aren't eligible for a full immediate retirement, MRA+10 is your option — but it comes with a 5% per year annuity penalty. Immediate vs. postponed annuity (unreduced at 60/20 or 62+), FEHB suspension under postponement, and what TSP Rule of 55 means for your bridge strategy.
MRA+10 Penalty & Postponement Calculator (2026)
Should you take the immediate reduced MRA+10 annuity, or postpone to 60 or 62 to avoid the penalty? This calculator shows your exact 5%-per-year reduction, the health insurance gap cost during any postponement (TCC is expensive), and the break-even age at which the higher deferred annuity actually overtakes the immediate option — net of FEHB costs. Most employees are surprised how long postponing takes to pay off.
CSRS Retirement Guide
The tiered CSRS formula (1.5%/1.75%/2%), survivor annuity cost, CSRS Offset mechanics at 62, the Voluntary Contributions Program (10% of career earnings), and how WEP/GPO repeal restores full Social Security for CSRS retirees and their spouses. Worked example: 35 years, $145K high-3 = $96,063/year.
FERS Military Buyback Guide
Buy back your active-duty military service for a FERS pension credit — 3% of military basic pay, 4.25% annual interest in 2026. For most veterans without a military pension, payback is under 12 months. Break-even analysis, the military retired pay trap, and the SF-3108 process.
FERS Military Buyback Calculator (2026)
Enter your years of military service, average military basic pay, and FERS hire year — and see your exact deposit amount with accrued interest, annual pension increase, and break-even timeline. The calculator also shows whether the buyback unlocks the 1.1% annuity multiplier for your situation.
Federal Employee Retirement Eligibility Calculator
When can you actually retire? Enter your birth year, hire date, and employment category to see every retirement option — MRA+30, age 60+20, age 62+5, MRA+10 (reduced or postponed), and LEO/firefighter/ATC special category — with the exact calendar date each becomes available, whether the FERS supplement applies, and any annuity penalty.
Your First Year of Federal Retirement: Month-by-Month Cash Flow
What actually happens to your income after you leave government service: OPM interim pay (60–80% of estimated annuity for 2–3 months), the annual leave lump sum and its FICA tax treatment, the FEHB premium conversion loss, when the FERS supplement actually starts, TSP withdrawal setup, and W-4P withholding for your OPM annuity. GS-14 worked example.
Reemployed Annuitant: Returning to Federal Service After Retirement
Retired from federal service but considering going back? Here's how the salary offset works (position rate minus your annuity), when agencies grant dual compensation waivers (full salary + full annuity), how new service builds a supplemental or redetermined annuity, and the FERS supplement earnings trap that surprises most returning retirees.
TSP In-Service Withdrawal at Age 59½
Once you reach age 59½, you can withdraw from your TSP while still working — up to 4 times per year, no 10% penalty. Take cash, roll to a traditional IRA, or convert directly to a Roth IRA. Here's how the mechanics work and how federal employees use the in-service withdrawal as a Roth conversion tool before retirement.
TSP Rollover to IRA: Should You Keep Your TSP?
The TSP has something no IRA can match: the G Fund — a government-backed asset paying ~4.4% with zero principal risk. Before rolling over, understand the Rule of 55 trap (rolling before 59½ eliminates penalty-free access), expense ratio math, Roth TSP 5-year clock mechanics, and the partial rollover strategy that keeps the G Fund while gaining IRA flexibility.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for Federal Employees (2026 Guide)
Federal employees are the most natural PSLF candidates — your employer qualifies by definition. After 10 years of qualifying payments, your entire remaining federal student loan balance is forgiven tax-free. 2026 guide: which repayment plans qualify (IBR, RAP), what SAVE plan borrowers must do now, and the TSP strategy that simultaneously lowers your loan payment and grows your retirement balance.
Federal Employee Net Pay Calculator (2026) — Biweekly Take-Home
How much of your GS salary actually hits your bank account? Enter your annual pay, FERS tier, TSP contribution percentage, FEHB premium, and filing status to see a full biweekly deduction breakdown: FERS retirement contribution (post-tax), TSP, FEHB (pre-tax via premium conversion), federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare. Includes SS wage-base cap detection and TSP match alerts.
FEDVIP 2026: Federal Dental and Vision Insurance Guide
FEHB covers your medical care — FEDVIP covers dental and vision separately. Here's what federal employees and retirees need to know: 11 dental carriers and 5 vision carriers for 2026, how the mandatory pre-tax premium deduction works for active employees, why retirees pay post-tax, the key difference from FEHB (no 5-year rule — you can enroll at retirement even if you never had FEDVIP before), and the HSA/HCFSA combination strategy that minimizes your total dental and vision cost.
Which States Don't Tax Your Federal Pension? 50-State Guide (2026)
The same FERS annuity and TSP balance produces dramatically different after-tax income depending on where you retire. Complete breakdown of all 50 states: 9 no-income-tax states, 7 states that fully exempt pension and retirement income (Alabama, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan 2026, and others), states with significant partial exemptions (Georgia $65K exclusion, Virginia, Maryland), and which states still tax Social Security. Includes a GS-14 worked example comparing Florida, Virginia, and Maryland.
FERS Retirement Income Strategy: A Phase-by-Phase Guide
FERS retirement income doesn't stay constant — it changes in four distinct phases. This guide maps each one: the full three-legged stool from MRA to 62, the supplement cliff and Social Security decision at 62, Medicare enrollment and IRMAA at 65, and Required Minimum Distributions at 73 or 75. Includes a complete GS-14 worked example showing income, break-even analysis, and IRMAA exposure across all four phases.
Federal Employee Investment Priority Order: How to Stack Your Savings Beyond TSP (2026)
Generic "max your 401k" advice doesn't account for the FERS pension floor, the TSP's 0.034% expense ratios, the FSAFEDS payroll-tax advantage, or the early-retirement 0% capital gains window. This guide gives you the right order — TSP match, FSAFEDS, HSA, max TSP, Roth IRA, taxable brokerage, I Bonds, and 529 — with the federal-specific reasoning behind each step and a complete GS-14 worked example.
GS Step Increases: Schedule, Waiting Periods & FERS Pension Impact (2026)
Every GS employee advances from Step 1 to Step 10 over 18 years — 1-year waits for steps 1–4, 2-year waits for steps 4–7, 3-year waits for steps 7–10. Here's the complete schedule, the performance requirement (acceptable level of competence), how Quality Step Increases (QSIs) reset your clock, and the retirement timing math that shows whether waiting a few extra months for a step increase pays off in lifetime FERS pension income.
Federal Employee FIRE: Financial Independence and Early Retirement with FERS
Federal employees can reach financial independence with far less portfolio savings than private-sector peers. FERS annuity, the FERS supplement bridge, and FEHB in retirement together reduce the TSP balance you need by $1 million or more — because the income-gap method only requires you to fund the difference your guaranteed benefits don't cover. Includes the federal FIRE number calculation, retirement-path comparison by service milestone, TSP Rule of 55 strategy, worked GS-14 example, and five mistakes that derail federal FIRE plans.
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