Built by a federal employee, for federal employees

Retiring at 57 or 62? Model the lifetime difference before you commit.

FedHorizon is the decision-modeling platform for federal employees — retirement timing, FERS Supplement, VERA offers, private sector comparisons, FEHB eligibility, and more. Every major financial decision in your federal career, quantified.

Example · GS-13, 28 yrs service, High-3 $112,000

Retire at MRA (57)

EST. $3,136/mo

pension + $1,040 supplement
until age 62

Retire at 62

EST. $4,588/mo

1.1% multiplier + 5 more
years of service credit

Break-even age: 77 — your numbers will differ. Calculate yours below →

Get My Free Estimate →See what's in the full report →

✓Math tested against OPM published examples

✓LEO, FF, and ATC special category fully supported

✓FERS Supplement modeled — the pre-62 income bridge most calculators miss

✓No account required — results appear on this page instantly

Free instant estimate·Results appear on this page instantly

Your free estimate includes

✓Monthly FERS pension — at your planned age and at your MRA
✓FERS Supplement eligibility and estimated amount
✓TSP balance projected to your retirement date
✓Earliest date you qualify for unreduced retirement
+Full report: Break-even by age · survivor election cost · 12-section PDF

Free Instant EstimateNo account required · results appear on this page instantly

Built for FERS employees (hired after 1983). CSRS is not currently supported.

What FedHorizon does

Your federal retirement — modeled, not guessed.

FedHorizon models your federal benefits system based on OPM formulas — pension, Supplement, TSP, and FEHB — so you can see the financial outcome of every major decision before you commit to it.

Not rules of thumb. Not generic calculators. Detailed, OPM-sourced scenario outputs built around your grade, your years, your timeline.

✓

Your full results are delivered as a professional, downloadable PDF — built to bring to your advisor or share with a loved one to support your decision conversation.

Example scenarios below. Your figures will differ based on your grade, salary, and years of service.

Retirement timing

Example scenario

$1,452/mo difference

Example: GS-13, 28 yrs service, retiring at 57 vs. 62. Break-even age: 79.

FERS Supplement

Example scenario

$1,040/mo

Example: estimated supplement added at MRA — then stops completely at age 62. Most employees don't plan for it.

Survivor protection

Example scenario

$287/mo cost

Example: the full (50%) election costs $287/mo and provides $1,893/mo to a spouse for life.

Lifetime value

Example scenario

$218K more

Example: waiting 3 years to retire at 60 adds $218,000 in estimated cumulative pension income by age 85.

FERS Supplement cliff· interactive · adjust your numbers

The supplement stops at 62 — permanently. This is the income cliff most employees don't see until they're close to it.

Income before 62

$3,758/mo

Income at 62+

$2,250/mo

The cliff at 62

−$1,508/mo

Birth year1970 · MRA: 57

High-3 salary$90,000

Years of service30 yrs· Eligible ✓

FERS supplement (bridge to 62)

Pension (lifetime)

What's inside your report

Sample Report · Illustrative

FedHorizon · Federal Retirement Decision ReportGS-13 · Standard · 30 yrs · High-3 $112,000

Scenario Decision Snapshot

If you read one sectionRetiring at 57 puts $240,000 in your pocket before the age-62 pension surpasses it. After age 87, the higher pension wins — permanently.

Age 57 (MRA)BEST BY 80

Maximum freedom — 5 fewer years of work

$4,000/mo

year 1 (includes supplement)

$2,800/moafter 62 (permanent)

Tradeoff: $793/mo less pension than age 62 — for life

Pension$2,800/mo

FERS Supplement$1,200/mo

Years of service30 years

Multiplier1.0%

Age 60

Best balance — earlier exit with strong pension growth

$4,400/mo

year 1 (includes supplement)

$3,080/moafter 62 (permanent)

Tradeoff: 3 more years than age 57 for $280 more pension

Pension$3,080/mo

FERS Supplement$1,320/mo

Years of service33 years

Multiplier1.0%

Age 62

Maximum guaranteed income — no TSP dependency

$3,593/mo

permanent monthly pension

Tradeoff: 5 more working years; no supplement; break-even age 87

Pension$3,593/mo

Years of service35 years

Multiplier1.1%

Pension difference

$793/mo

Age 57 vs 62

Break-even age

When age-62 pension surpasses age-57

Best by age 80

Age 57

By cumulative lifetime income

Decision Scorecard

How each retirement age scores across the factors that matter most. Use this to identify which scenario best matches your priorities.

Factor	Age 57 ★ BEST BY 80	Age 60	Age 62
Lifetime Income Cumulative pension + supplement through age 80	High	Medium	Low
Years of Freedom Fewer years of work before retirement	High	Medium	Low
Pension Certainty Size of guaranteed monthly annuity	Low	Medium	High
TSP Dependency How much TSP is needed to bridge income gaps	High	Medium	Low
Flexibility Years remaining to change course	High	Medium	Low
FERS Supplement Supplement income available until age 62	Yes	Yes	No

Run the free estimate to get this report built from your actual numbers.

Get My Free Estimate →

Why FedHorizon

What every other option gets wrong.

OPM calculators model one scenario. HR offices cannot legally give retirement recommendations. Fee-only advisors who understand FERS charge $200–$500/hr — FedHorizon makes the Supplement cliff and lifetime trade-off explicit so your advisor conversation starts further along.

FedHorizon fills the gap — free estimate, no account required.

Feature	FedHorizon	OPM calculator	Agency HR office	Fee-only advisor
Lifetime income modeled at 3 retirement ages	✓ 57, 60, and 62 side-by-side	✗ Single scenario only	✗ Not their job	~ Only if you ask (and pay)
FERS Supplement — the pre-62 income cliff	✓ Modeled in every report	✗ Not included	✗ HR can't advise on this	~ Varies by advisor
Survivor election: cost, spouse income, break-even	✓ All three elections	✗ Not included	✗ HR cannot give recommendations	✓ At $200–$500/hr
FEHB eligibility check — the 5-year rule	✓ Checked in every report	✗ Not checked	~ Only if you think to ask	~ Varies by advisor
Special Category (LEO / FF / ATC / CBPO)	✓ Full support	~ Partial	~ Rarely understood	~ Rare expertise

Lifetime income modeled at 3 retirement ages

FedHorizon✓ 57, 60, and 62 side-by-side

OPM✗ Single scenario only

HR office✗ Not their job

Fee-only advisor~ Only if you ask (and pay)

FERS Supplement — the pre-62 income cliff

FedHorizon✓ Modeled in every report

OPM✗ Not included

HR office✗ HR can't advise on this

Fee-only advisor~ Varies by advisor

Survivor election: cost, spouse income, break-even

FedHorizon✓ All three elections

OPM✗ Not included

HR office✗ HR cannot give recommendations

Fee-only advisor✓ At $200–$500/hr

FEHB eligibility check — the 5-year rule

FedHorizon✓ Checked in every report

OPM✗ Not checked

HR office~ Only if you think to ask

Fee-only advisor~ Varies by advisor

Special Category (LEO / FF / ATC / CBPO)

FedHorizon✓ Full support

OPM~ Partial

HR office~ Rarely understood

Fee-only advisor~ Rare expertise

A note on OPM: OPM's retirement tools are free, government-official, and the authoritative source. FedHorizon is the analytical layer on top — we model the multi-scenario tradeoffs and income cliffs that OPM's single-scenario tool wasn't designed for. Use both.

A fee-only financial advisor is the right next step for complex decisions — FedHorizon gives you the numbers to walk in prepared, not a replacement for professional advice. Find a NAPFA fee-only advisor →

See the full breakdown of what the OPM calculator doesn't cover →

The problem

The questions HR can't answer. The clarity OPM's calculator doesn't give you.

Federal employees receive a defined pension, a Social Security bridge, lifetime health coverage, and TSP matching — a package most private-sector workers cannot access. Most have never seen the full dollar value. These are the questions they ask most.

Retire at 57 or 62?

Can I afford to retire at 57 instead of waiting until 62 — and what does that actually cost me per month?

FERS Supplement?

Do I qualify for the FERS Supplement (the bridge payment that fills the income gap before Social Security at 62) — and when does it stop, and what happens to my income when it does?

Survivor benefit?

Should I elect the full survivor benefit for my spouse — what is the monthly cost and what is the break-even age?

Military buyback?

I have prior military service — should I buy it back, and what does that actually add to my monthly pension?

FEHB in retirement?

Do I meet the FEHB 5-year coverage rule to keep my health insurance in retirement — and if not, what do I do?

Special Category (LEO / FF / ATC)?

As a federal firefighter / LEO / ATC, what is my actual retirement eligibility and what does the 1.7% multiplier mean for my pension?

Common questions. Real decisions.

The questions we built this to answer

Federal employees ask these on r/govfire and FedSmith every day. FedHorizon runs the numbers.

“

I keep hearing about a FERS Supplement that pays extra until age 62. Is that real, and how much do I actually lose when it stops?

GS-11 · 14 years service · 6 years from MRA

FedHorizon shows: For a GS-11 profile with 28 yrs service, the estimated supplement adds $1,040/mo at MRA — then stops completely at 62. FedHorizon models this Supplement cliff for your specific numbers.

“

My spouse thinks I should elect full survivor benefit. It costs me $300/month. At what age does that break even — and what happens if I die before then?

GS-13 · 26 years service · Retiring next year

FedHorizon shows: For a GS-13 profile with 26 yrs service, the estimated full election costs $287/mo and breaks even at age 81. The 25% option breaks even at 79 and leaves your spouse $1,900/mo. Your numbers will differ.

“

I'm 52 with 22 years. VERA just came up. What do I actually give up compared to staying 5 more years? Nobody can give me a straight number.

GS-12 · 22 years service · Weighing VERA offer

FedHorizon shows: For a GS-12 profile with 22 yrs service, the estimated pension difference is $847/mo less by leaving now vs. staying five more years. The VERA report models every tradeoff for your actual inputs.

Common questions

Questions federal employees ask before they trust a new tool.

Built directly from OPM's published formulas — estimates align with what OPM's calculator produces for basic annuity. The difference is scope: FedHorizon adds the FERS Supplement cliff, survivor break-even, FEHB eligibility check, and side-by-side retirement ages. Every assumption is disclosed in Section 10.

Yes. LEO, FF, and ATC are fully supported — the 1.7% multiplier for the first 20 years, mandatory separation ages, and Supplement eligibility differences are all modeled correctly.

Yes — the earlier you model, the more decisions you can still change. The report shows exactly how much each additional year of service adds to your pension, which is often the most motivating number for employees in their 40s.

No. Inputs are used only to generate your estimate and purged within 30 days. FedHorizon does not sell or share your data.

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