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Frequently Asked Questions Retirement

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New Retirees

  • How much of my retirement benefit is taxable? View more

    Use our calculator to figure the tax-free portion of your annuity payment.

    Use our calculator to figure the amount of your monthly federal income tax withholding. Then, use Services Online to change the federal tax withheld from your annuity payment.

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  • Has my retirement form/application been received and processed? What’s the status of my application? View more

    When we receive your retirement application, we will notify you and will provide a civil service claim identification number (a seven-digit number preceded by "CSA"). You must use that identification number whenever you contact OPM about your annuity. To check the status of your form or application, you may contact the Retirement Office at (888) 767-6738 or retire@opm.gov.  The phone lines are open from 7:30 am to 7:45 pm (Eastern Standard Time). It is a busy phone number so we encourage you to call early in the morning or after 5:00 pm when the phone lines are less busy.

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  • How can I get access to Services Online? View more

    If you are receiving regular payments and you have not received your temporary numeric password, you need to contact us for help. If you need to reset your complex password, select the "Forgot Password" link on the main Services Online page.

    This password reset tool requires that you have an email address on file and have already established your security questions.

    Do not request a new Password if:

    • You have already requested a password by mail within the last 7 days or, for requests by email, if you have requested a password by mail within the last 4 days;
    • You have called the Retirement Operations Center and requested a new password;
    • You have already requested a password by email within the last 24 hours.

    By requesting a new password in any of the above instances, you will further delay your access to SOL.

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  • What is withheld from my interim pay? View more
    We only withhold Federal income tax. You may find that the Federal income taxes withheld from your first interim payment will be higher than the Federal tax withholdings from your subsequent interim payments and regular annuity. We will make any necessary tax withholding adjustment when we finish processing your application. Your health and life insurance coverage will continue while you are receiving interim pay. We will begin withholding health and life insurance premiums retroactive to the commencing date of your annuity, when we finish processing your application.
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  • Can I change my health insurance coverage? View more
    Yes. After you retire, you will still have the opportunity to change your enrollment from one plan to another during an annual open season. You cannot change to another plan simply because you retired.
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  • What information will I get about my benefits when the Office of Personnel Management finishes processing my application? View more
    We will send you a personalized statement titled "Your Federal Retirement Benefits". It details, among other things, how much your monthly payment will be. It also confirms such things as health and life insurance coverage, and provides information you will need to prepare your tax returns.
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  • I retired in the last year. Will I get a cost of living increase? View more
    Yes, but you will receive only a portion of the first increase payable. We will prorate the first increase based on how long you were retired before it is given. At that time, we will send you a notice explaining the increase. Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) cost of living increases are not provided until age 62, except for disability and survivor benefits. Read about this year's cost-of-living adjustment for those who receive benefits under the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees Retirement System.
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  • I’m in interim pay. What can I do on Services Online? View more

    Services Online is our online tool for annuitants.  You will need your CSA or CSF number and a password.  If this is your first time using Services Online, you will need to setup your personal security questions. 

    Using Services Online, you can:

    • View and print your annuity statement
    • Start or change direct deposit and/or change financial institutions
    • Start or change Federal Income Tax withholding
    • Update your mailing address
    • Update your email address
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  • Can I change my life insurance coverage? View more
    You can cancel or decrease your coverage at any time. You cannot increase your coverage.
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  • Will I be able to pay to get credit for Federal civilian service if I made no contributions? View more
    Under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), you will be given the opportunity to pay for temporary service prior to January 1, 1989. Under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), if you had service on/after October 1, 1982, for which no contributions were made, we will give you the opportunity to pay the contributions, and will tell you what difference it makes to your monthly benefit. If you had unpaid service prior to October 1, 1982, we do not notify you before we finish processing your application because it generally is not to your advantage to make the payment.
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