FERS Guides
Benefits and protection
The elections that protect someone other than you, and the coverage that follows you into retirement or stops at the door. Mostly one-time decisions.
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Federal death benefits differ if you die in service or after retiring. The Basic Employee Death Benefit, survivor annuity, FEGLI, and TSP, side by side.
FEGLI Option B premiums climb steeply with age: $500,000 costs $780/year at 45 and over $37,000/year at 80. Age bands, the 5-year rule, and your elections.
The full FERS survivor benefit costs 10% of your annuity and pays your spouse 50%. The exact cost, how lifespans decide the payoff, and when to decline it.
Keep FEHB in retirement with the government paying 70–75% of the premium, if you meet the five-year rule. What changes, Medicare at 65, and costly mistakes.