FedHorizon
Plain-English guides on FERS, TSP, military buyback, VERA/VSIP, and every major decision in your federal career.
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How GS step increases actually work: the 52/104/156-week waiting periods, what a step is worth in dollars, the 18-year climb to Step 10, and why a late-career WGI quietly raises your pension for life.
Retirement Timing
Deferred and postponed FERS retirement are completely different paths. Eligibility, the 5%-per-year penalty, the frozen High-3, and why health insurance — not the annuity math — usually decides it.
TSP Strategy
Roth vs. Traditional TSP comes down to your tax rate now vs. in retirement. The equal-cost math, the 2026 $150,000 Roth catch-up mandate, and why FERS retirees underestimate their future bracket.
Federal Compensation
The 2026 GS pay scale: the 1.0% federal raise, how locality pay is calculated (17.06% to 46.34%), step increases, the $197,200 pay cap, and what it all means for your pension.
TSP Strategy
Your TSP has five withdrawal options — and the one you pick affects your taxes for the rest of your life. Here's how installment payments, the age rules, RMDs under SECURE 2.0, and the Roth question actually work.
FERS Retirement
What is High-3 salary? It's the average of your highest 36 consecutive months of basic pay — the foundation of your FERS pension. See what counts, how it's calculated, and the mistakes that cost retirees thousands.
FERS Retirement
Federal employees with military service can buy back that time and add it permanently to their FERS creditable service. The deposit is typically 3% of military base pay — and the break-even is often under a year.
Survivor Benefits
The full FERS survivor benefit costs 10% of your annuity and pays your spouse 50% after you die. Here's the exact cost, the break-even analysis, and when declining is the right call.
FEHB / Health Benefits
Keep FEHB after retirement with the government still paying 70–75% of your premium — but only if you meet the five-year rule. Here's what changes, how Medicare coordinates at 65, and the most expensive mistakes federal retirees make.
Federal Compensation
A GS-12 Step 5 in Washington, DC earning $116,070 in salary carries roughly $165,000–$170,000 in estimated total compensation. Here's every component, priced out with 2026 figures.
VERA / Early Retirement
VERA gives you early retirement without the 5% penalty — but it locks in a smaller pension permanently. Here's the complete framework: what VERA costs, what it's worth, and how to evaluate your numbers before the window closes.
FERS Retirement
Use the exact OPM formula to calculate your FERS pension. Enter your High-3, years of service, and retirement age to see your gross monthly annuity.
FERS Supplement
The FERS Supplement pays $800–$1,500/month to eligible retirees — then ends permanently at 62. Who qualifies, the formula, and how to plan for the cliff.
Retirement Timing
Should FERS employees retire at 57 or wait until 62? The pension multiplier, service credit, and break-even analysis reveal what waiting is actually worth.
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