Retirement planning is a journey, and the earlier you start, the more prepared you’ll be. Whether you’re several years away from retirement or ready to submit your application, you will find information here to help guide you every step of the way.

• Retire in five years - Start planning several years before the date you have set for retirement so that you will know what is required to continue certain benefits into retirement.
• Retire in one year – Learn what you need to do during your final year of federal service.
• Less than one year to retirement – Review final preparations, and get everything in place for a smooth transition.
• Applying for retirement – Learn how to submit your retirement application and what happens after you apply. 
• Guidance for retiring federal employees – Review this retirement quick guide that walks you through the process and highlights key information.
• Service credit – Understand how civilian or military service may impact your retirement eligibility and benefits.
• Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) – Discover how your TSP can play an important role in building financial security for retirement.

Beginning to plan for retirement

Retirement may still be several years away but now is a great time to begin planning. Starting early gives you time to understand your options and ensure important benefits continue into retirement. One of the first things to review is your health and life insurance coverage. To carry these benefits into retirement, you must have been continuously enrolled for the five years immediately before you retire.

There are many factors related to retirement planning, and the best place to start is with your agency’s human resources office.

How your agency can help

Your agency’s human resources office will guide you through the retirement process and explain eligibility, benefits, and the information you need about retirement and insurance. While your agency’s HR professionals can provide this, decisions about when to retire and which benefits to choose remain personal choices. Since they have your employment records, they can also help you understand how your individual work history may affect your retirement benefits.

Why the five-year mark matters

The five-year period before retirement is critical since you must have Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) and Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) coverage continuously for the five years immediately before you retire to keep it after retirement. This is also a good time to check in with your agency’s human resources office to review your retirement eligibility and determine whether making service credit deposits for military service or other prior federal service could be beneficial.

Keeping your health insurance after you retire

You may continue your health insurance coverage into retirement if you meet the following conditions:

• You retire on an immediate annuity, which means your annuity begins within 30 days of separation. Note: this includes an MRA+10 postponed retirement, however, your coverage will terminate upon separation, and you will have an opportunity to reenroll when you apply.
• You must be enrolled (or covered as a family member) in a Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) or Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) plan when you separate for retirement.
• You must have been continuously covered by the FEHB, PSHB, TRICARE, or the Civilian Health and Medical Program for Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS):
• for five years immediately before retiring; or
• for all the time you worked for the federal government if you worked for the federal government for less than 5 years).

Note: if you are covered under TRICARE or CHAMPUS, you must be enrolled in (or covered as a family member) in a FEHB or PSHB plan on your date of separation to be eligible to continue FEHB or PSHB coverage into retirement. After you retire, you may choose to suspend your FEHB or PSHB coverage due to your TRICARE or CHAMPUS coverage.

If you cancel your FEHB or PSHB coverage after you retire:

• You cannot reenroll in the FEHB or PSHB program;
• You and your covered family members will not be eligible to enroll in temporary continuation of coverage (TCC) or convert to a nongroup contract;
• The 31-day extension of coverage does not apply to cancelled enrollments; and
• If you die, your survivor will not be able to continue coverage since they are not covered under a Self and Family or Self Plus One enrollment, even if they are eligible for a survivor annuity.

Waiver of the requirement for continuing health insurance coverage

OPM may waive the five-year requirement for continuing health insurance coverage into retirement if denying coverage would be “against equity and good conscience." To qualify for a waiver, exceptional circumstances must have prevented you from meeting the requirement.

If you retire voluntarily, OPM is unlikely to grant a waiver because you generally have the option to continue working until you meet the five-year requirement.

Keeping your life insurance after you retire

You can keep your Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) in retirement if all of the following conditions are met:

• You retire on an immediate annuity, which means your annuity begins within 30 days of separation. Note: this includes an MRA+10 postponed retirement, however, your coverage will terminate upon separation, and you will have an opportunity to reenroll when you apply.
• You were insured in basic life insurance (and any optional life insurance coverages) for the five years immediately preceding retirement or the full periods of service when you were eligible for coverage (if less than 5 years).
• You are enrolled in FEGLI on the date of separation.
• You have not converted your life insurance coverage to an individual policy.

Waiver of the requirement for continuing life insurance coverage into retirement

OPM has no authority to waive the requirements for continuing life insurance coverage. If you are not eligible to continue your life insurance coverage, you will be given the chance to convert it to an individual policy.

Additional life insurance information is available in the Guide for Retiring Employees - FEGLI in Retirement.

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Review your service history

You should review your electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) to make sure that there is verification of all your military and civilian service. If any records are missing, your agency should help you document the service and obtain any missing records. 

If you have civilian service for which you must pay a service credit deposit or repay a refund of retirement deductions, your agency should tell you about what impact payment or non-payment has on your eligibility and retirement benefit amount.

Military service deposit

You may be able to receive service credit for honorable active duty military service if you pay a deposit for that service. You must pay the military service deposit in full to your agency before you separate from federal service.

Contact your agency’s human resources office for help determining if paying this deposit would be beneficial for you and to understand the military service deposit application process. It is recommended to start this process early since it can take time to receive all the necessary documentation and set up the deposit payments with your agency’s payroll office.

If you are receiving military retired pay, you should reach out to your agency’s human resources office to determine if you must waive your military retired pay to receive credit in your civilian retirement.

Check your eligibility for Social Security benefits

The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides you with easy access to your my Social Security account which is available to help you review your eligibility and manage your benefits. Through your my Social Security account, you can plan ahead for your retirement and receive your Social Security Statement, use SSA’s personalized planning tools, and see an estimate of benefits you could receive at different ages.

For more information about Social Security benefits, visit www.ssa.gov.

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Steps to take when you are within one year of retiring

When you are within one year of retirement, it’s time to confirm your plans and make sure your records and benefits are in order. Taking a few important steps now can help your application process go more smoothly and give you confidence that you’re ready for the transition.

Recommended steps:

• Attend a pre-retirement counseling seminar, if you haven’t already.
• Confirm that you meet the age and service requirements for retirement.
• Choose the date you want to retire. Note: in general, annuities commence on the first day of the month following your separation date. This means if you retire on March 12 or March 31, your annuity will start on April 1 for either retirement date.
• Obtain information about other benefits you may be eligible to receive. Before you retire, you should have a comprehensive picture of all sources of your retirement income and when each is payable. Other benefits include, but are not limited to:
• Thrift Savings Plan (TSP),
• Social Security benefits, and
• Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).
• Tell your supervisor about your proposed retirement date. You should give sufficient notice to allow for succession planning.
• Review your electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) or its equivalent to make sure your records are complete and accurate, all service is verified, and your insurance coverage is fully documented for the last five years.

Check documentation in eOPF

Take time to review your eOPF carefully and make sure it includes the following information:

• The beginning and ending date for each period of federal service which will be used in your annuity computation.
• The effective dates for each promotion and pay increase received during the three-year period which will be used to compute your high-3 average salary.
• The dates and pay rates during periods of federal service when retirement deductions were not withheld from your salary if you want to pay the applicable civilian service deposit. Note: in general, only nondeduction service before 1989 is potentially creditable under FERS.
• The tour-of-duty during any creditable part-time employment (if you worked more hours than the official tour-of-duty, documentation showing the hours actually worked).
• A record of time actually worked during creditable intermittent or "when-actually-employed" service.
• Documentation showing that your military deposit is paid in full and the dates of honorable active duty military service, if applicable. If any service is not verified or any of the required documentation is missing, you should obtain assistance from your agency’s human resources office.

Check your beneficiary designations

Make sure your designation of beneficiary forms show the person or people you want designated. If a copy is not available to review, you may wish to file new designation forms. If there is no valid designation of beneficiary form on file, then benefits will be paid following the order of precedence.

Retirement Deductions

This designation of beneficiary determines who will receive any lump sum payments of retirement benefits that may be payable upon your death.

SF 3102, Designation of Beneficiary, Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)

Life Insurance

This designation of beneficiary determines who will receive any life insurance benefits that may be payable upon your death.

SF 2823, Designation of Beneficiary, Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program

Order of Precedence

Benefits will be paid to the first person eligible under the following order of precedence:

1. To your designated beneficiary or beneficiaries.
2. To your spouse.
3. Your child or children in equal shares (and descendants of deceased children).
4. Your parents in equal shares.
5. Your appointed executor or administrator of your estate.
6. Your next of kin under the laws of the state you reside in when you die.

Check Your health benefits records

Your eOPF should contain a record of all your health benefits enrollment changes throughout your federal career. Be sure that when you retire, your records will show a complete history of your health insurance enrollment and continuous coverage for the last five years.

If your annuity will not cover your health benefits premium

Direct payments can be made if your monthly annuity is not enough to cover the monthly health insurance premiums. In this case, after OPM receives your retirement application and confirms that your annuity will not cover the premium cost, OPM will provide you with options and instructions for making direct premium payments.

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Check Your life insurance records

Your eOPF should contain a record of all your life insurance coverage elections or automatic Basic Life Insurance coverage enrollments throughout your federal career. Be sure when you retire that your life insurance records show continuous coverage for the last five years.

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Military service deposit

If you owe a deposit for honorable active duty military service, you must complete the payment of your deposit to your agency before you separate from federal service or retire.

To make sure the deposit is paid before you separate, consider paying the remaining balance in a single payment several months beforehand.

Civilian service deposit

If you had service where retirement deductions were not withheld from your pay

You may be able to pay a deposit to make nondeduction service creditable toward your retirement. In general, FERS employees can pay a civilian service deposit for nondeduction service performed before 1989. Ask your agency’s human resources office for assistance confirming your eligibility since they have your employment records.

If you took a refund of your retirement deductions

You may be able to repay the refund (make a redeposit) so the service counts toward your annuity computation. Ask your agency’s human resources office for help since they have your employment records.

Making a civilian service deposit

To complete a civilian service deposit before retirement, apply through your agency’s human resources office more than six months before your retirement date.

If you are within six months of retirement, you should include your deposit or redeposit application with your retirement application. We will notify you of any amounts due so you can make an election about completing the deposit payment. We cannot authorize regular annuity payments until we have your decision about the deposit payment. If you decide to pay your deposit at retirement, you must pay the full deposit amount in a single payment.

If you apply or have applied to make a deposit or redeposit, you will need to use Pay.gov to submit your payment to OPM. More information is available on the How to Make a Payment page.

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Choosing a retirement date

Check with your agency’s human resources office to verify that you meet the age and service requirements for retirement eligibility. They can provide personalized assistance because they have your employment records. 

Your agency’s human resources office will also talk with you about the date your annuity payments can start based on the date you pick. Generally, annuities commence on the first day of the month following your separation date. For example, if you retire on September 4 your annuity will start on October 1. Similarly, if you retire on September 30, your annuity will start on October 1.

Electing survivor benefit options

Your agency’s human resources office can review the survivor benefit election options available to provide annuity benefits to your spouse, former spouse, or another person you designate after your death. If you do not provide for a monthly survivor benefit after your death, your survivor will not be able to continue health insurance coverage.

Your agency can explain the requirements survivors must meet to qualify. If you choose a survivor benefit that is less than the maximum, you must obtain your spouse’s written consent. To choose an insurable interest survivor benefit, you must have a physical examination at your own expense. Start with your agency’s human resources office for personalized assistance.

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Minimum retirement age (MRA) plus 10 annuity under FERS

This provision allows you to retire with benefits beginning immediately if you have at least 10 years, but less than 30 years, of creditable service and have reached your minimum retirement age (MRA), which is age 57 for those born in 1970 or later. This is called an MRA+10 retirement.

With an MRA+10 retirement, the annuity is permanently reduced by 5/12 of one percent for each month (or 5 percent for each year) you are under age 62. To avoid or decrease this permanent age reduction, you can postpone receiving your annuity. This is called a postponed retirement. 

You can later apply for a postponed retirement through the Online Retirement Application (ORA) platform approximately two months before you want the benefit to begin. For more information on postponed retirements and the application process, visit the Voluntary Retirement page.

Postponing an MRA+10 annuity

• An MRA+10 annuity is not reduced if it begins after you reach age 60 and you have at least 20 years of service or you reach your MRA and have 30 years of service. 
• Delaying receipt of an MRA+10 annuity can be used to avoid all or part of the permanent age reduction for retirement before age 62 that would otherwise have been applied.
• Your life insurance enrollment will stop when you separate from federal service. Once your postponed annuity begins, the life insurance coverage you had when you stopped working will be reinstated if you are eligible.
• Your health benefits can be temporarily continued for up to 18 months after your separation from federal service under the temporary continuation of coverage (TCC) provision. Under TCC, you must pay the full premium, which includes both the employee and government shares, plus a two percent administrative charge. Your TCC enrollment is processed by your former agency.
• When your postponed annuity starts, you can reenroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program, if you’re eligible, and OPM will pay the government share of the premiums.
• If you do not file a postponed retirement application before your death, the rights of your surviving family members would be protected because you would be considered a retiree.

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Obtaining annuity estimates

Upon request, your agency should provide you with an estimate of your retirement benefit. Ask your agency’s human resources office for an annuity estimate and tell them which situations apply to you from the list below.

• If you are considering a military service deposit, an estimate of your benefit with and without credit for your honorable active duty military service.
• If you receive military retired pay, an estimate of your benefit with and without credit for your military service.
• If you are considering a civilian service deposit, an estimate of the deposit amount and the amount of your benefit with and without the reduction for the deposit. 
• If you are considering a deposit for refunded service, an estimate of the redeposit amount and your benefit with and without credit for the employment period covered by the refund.
• If you are considering providing less than the maximum survivor annuity benefit payable after your death to your current spouse or former spouse, estimates of the amount of the survivor's annuity and the amount of your annuity with and without the reduction for full survivor's benefit. 
• If you are considering providing a survivor annuity benefit to someone who has a financial interest in your continued life (this is called an insurable interest annuity), an estimate of your benefit with and without the reduction for this election.
• For FERS employees applying for voluntary or early retirement, an estimate of the monthly FERS annuity supplement amount payable until age 62.
• If you can elect to receive the alternative form of annuity, an estimate of your benefit with and without the lump sum payment of retirement contributions.

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Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA)

Your agency’s human resources office can provide a personalized explanation about how the COLAs apply to your retirement since they have your employment records. The current COLA rates and proration rates are published annually.

Computation of your benefit

Your annuity benefit computation is based on your length of service and high-3 average salary. Your agency’s human resources office can provide personalized information about the formula that will be used for your annuity since they have your employment records.

Unused annual leave

When you separate from federal service, your agency pays you a one-time lump-sum payment for your unused annual leave. The payment comes from your agency, not OPM, and it is separate from your annuity.

Effect of workers' compensation on your annuity

When you apply for retirement, you should list your workers’ compensation on your application. Generally, you cannot receive workers' compensation and annuity payments at the same time. You must decide which benefit is most advantageous and elect to receive that one. If you decide to receive workers' compensation benefits, payments from OPM will be suspended. If your workers’ compensation benefit stops, you can ask us to start your annuity payments.

You can continue to receive your annuity payments when your workers' compensation is for a Schedule Award. If you missed work before retirement for an on-the-job injury or illness and received workers' compensation, generally, you can receive credit for that time in the computation of your annuity.

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Six months before retirement

As retirement approaches, now is the time to wrap up any remaining administrative tasks and make sure everything is in place for a smooth transition.

Take care of any debts to your employer

Check whether you have any outstanding debts to your agency and arrange to resolve them, if needed. Examples of agency debts include:

• outstanding travel advances,
• salary overpayments,
• unreturned or damaged government property, or
• advanced annual or sick leave.

Submit military retired pay waiver

If you paid the applicable military service deposit and want to waive your military retired pay to receive credit for military service in the computation of your annuity, you should write the Retired Pay Operations Center approximately 60 days before your planned retirement. DFAS offers multiple ways to submit your request, but the online submission is the preferred method.

Mailing address:

U.S. Military Retired and Annuitant Pay
8899 E 56^th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46249-1200

Fax number: 800-469-6559

Online: The most convenient way to submit your documents is uploading them to DFAS online 24/7 via the askDFAS online upload tools. More information is available and options are available on askDFAS.

Suggested wording for your military pay waiver request is as follows:

"I (full name and DoD identification number) hereby waive my military retired pay for (Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)) purposes effective (the day before your annuity is set to begin).

I hereby authorize the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to withhold from my (FERS or CSRS) annuity any amount of military retired pay granted beyond the effective date of this waiver due to any delay in receiving or processing this request."

Confirm your eligibility for Social Security and Medicare Coverage

If you haven’t already created your my Social Security account, now is a good time to do so.  Your my Social Security account provides you with access to multiple benefit calculators and a personalized statement that details your eligibility for Social Security and Medicare benefits. As you approach eligibility, you can use the SSA website to apply for these benefits.

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Two months before retirement

Choose your exact retirement date

If you have not already done so, you should choose your exact retirement date. Your agency’s human resources office can estimate your annuity benefit based on the chosen date. They will provide you with information on when your benefit payments can begin based on your chosen retirement date. They will also tell you how this date affects your annuity commencement date and factors used to calculate the amount of your annuity, such as your length of service and high-3 average salary.

Complete your retirement application

Carefully review and complete your retirement application and provide all required supplemental documents such as a marriage certificate or a DD 214. To ensure your application is processed on time, you should submit and certify your retirement application in the Online Retirement Application (ORA) platform before you separate from the agency.

Read more about applying for retirement or visit the ORA Help page for an overview of the online application process.

Final check on military service deposit

Your agency’s human resources office will verify with your payroll office that your military service deposit has been paid in full, or that arrangements have been made to complete payment before you leave the agency's rolls.

A military service deposit must be paid in full to your agency before you separate to receive service credit for your honorable active duty military service in your annuity computation.

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

Before retiring, make sure you log into your TSP account online and understand your withdrawal options. From your online account, you can manage your account and begin a withdrawal or distribution request after you retire.

The TSP cannot process a withdrawal until they receive an electronic record from your payroll office indicating that you have separated. An unpaid TSP loan may delay disbursement of the TSP account balance. For more information about your TSP options upon separation, visit the TSP withdrawals in retirement page.

In the event of your death, the TSP Office would pay the funds remaining in your account based on your designation of beneficiary on file with the TSP or following the order of precedence. Your designated beneficiary information is available to review through your TSP account online.

More information is available on the Thrift Savings Program website.

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To qualify for payments from the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), you must complete a retirement application using the Online Retirement Application (ORA) platform.

How to submit the retirement application

If you are still working, you will need to contact your agency’s human resources office to start the retirement application process through ORA.

If you have been separated from federal service, submit your application directly to the OPM through the ORA platform.

Application processing

The application process involves your employing agency’s human resources and payroll office. OPM is the final stop for your retirement application and is responsible for processing your annuity claim.

Reducing delays in processing

You can help reduce delays in processing by submitting your application in advance and by making sure your electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) is complete. You should also review our Application Tips page to help you identify any supplemental documents you may need to submit with your retirement application.

If you submit your retirement application early, your human resources office will be able to review and complete their actions before your retirement date.

How your application is processed

Your human resources office

Your human resources office must take the following actions to process your retirement application:

• Verify any service not fully documented in your eOPF. If documentation is missing, verification may be obtained by contacting federal record centers. If the human resources office is unable to obtain verification, OPM will complete verification upon receipt of your retirement application and records.  However, this process will cause a delay in processing.
• Transfer your enrollment under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program to OPM.
• Transfer your coverage under the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program to OPM.
• Prepare your separation Notification of Personnel Action (SF 50).
• Complete the human resources checklist and send your retirement application package to the payroll office.

Your payroll office

After your human resources office finishes reviewing your package, your agency payroll office will:

• Authorize your final paycheck and lump sum payment for unused annual leave.
• Prepare your Individual Retirement Record (IRR). This record shows your service, salary history, and annual retirement deductions.
• Complete the payroll checklist and submit the final retirement application package to OPM.

OPM claim processing

Once OPM receives your application, they will:

• Send you a welcome notice with your Civil Service Active (CSA) claim number.
• Obtain any missing information or documents from your retirement application package.
• Determine whether you qualify for an annuity and can continue health and life insurance coverage.
• Calculate your annuity amount.
• Send you information about your ability to pay an unpaid deposit or redeposit.
• Authorize your annuity payments which are paid by the Department of the Treasury.
• Provide your retirement benefits booklet through Retirement Services Online.

Your CSA claim number

When OPM receives your retirement application, it will send you a welcome notice with your Civil Service Active (CSA) claim number. The number contains letters and numbers, for example, A8DXXXXX0. Its final character is a zero. Provide your CSA number whenever you contact OPM about your annuity.

Once you receive your CSA number, you can access your Retirement Services Online (RSO) account. Through RSO, you can track your application and update your tax withholding, mailing address, and direct deposit information. RSO will be your self-service portal throughout your retirement so you can easily manage your annuity benefits.

If you have questions before you receive your claim number

If you need to contact OPM before you receive your claim number, first check your application status through the Online Retirement Application (ORA) platform. If your application has not been submitted to OPM, then you will need to contact your former human resources office.

If your application was not submitted through ORA, then you will need to contact your former human resources office to confirm the date your retirement application package was sent to OPM.

Application processing time frame

For current processing times, please visit our Retirement Processing Times page.

If your retirement records are complete upon receipt and we do not need additional information from you or your former agency, your application might be processed sooner than the average processing time. However, additional time may be needed to process your application if we need to contact you or your former agency for missing information or documentation.

Annuity payments

When you retire, OPM will most likely place you into an “interim pay” status. While receiving interim payments, only federal tax is withheld.

Once your annuity is finalized, deductions will begin for health and life insurance premiums. If you are enrolled in the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), they will establish your premium withholding with OPM after your annuity is finalized.

Annuity payment schedule

Regular monthly payments are deposited on the first business day of the month. Each payment covers annuity due for the prior month. For example, your June 1 payment would be for the month of May.

Managing your annuity

You can manage your annuity at any time of day through Retirement Services Online (RSO). Through RSO you can:

• Make changes to your direct deposit
• Start, change, or stop state tax withholdings
• Start, change, or stop federal tax withholding
• Update your contact information
• View and download annuity documents

Additional annuity and benefit information for retirees is available on my annuity and benefits.

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