When to retire

Social Security and CSRS rise 3.6% in 2027; FERS retirees get 2.6%, and regular FERS retirees under 62 get nothing. The formula and worked examples.

Every FERS retirement path in one table (MRA+30, 60/20, 62/5, MRA+10, deferred, special category, early-out), plus when the pension stops being reduced.

An air traffic controller can retire at 50 with 25 years. Staying to 52 adds $263/month for life but gives up two years of pension and Supplement.

FERS annuities start the month after you separate, so the best day is mostly arithmetic: month-end, pay-period-end, leave-year-end, and your milestones.

FERS COLAs are capped or trimmed when CPI tops 2%, and regular retirees get none before 62. The rules, the 2026 numbers, and the 20-year cost.

The FERS MRA is 55 to 57 depending on birth year. The full table, what MRA unlocks (and doesn't), and how MRA+10, MRA+30, 60/20, and 62/5 fit together.

Deferred vs. postponed FERS retirement: eligibility, the 5%-per-year penalty, the frozen High-3, and why FEHB, not the annuity math, usually decides it.

High-3 is the average of your highest 36 consecutive months of basic pay, the base of your FERS pension. What counts, how it's calculated, and costly mistakes.

Buy back military service and add it to your FERS creditable service. The deposit is typically 3% of military base pay, and break-even is often under a year.

VERA means early retirement without the 5% penalty, but a smaller pension for life. How to weigh what VERA costs and what it's worth before the window closes.

The FERS pension formula step by step: High-3, creditable service, the 1.0% vs. 1.1% multiplier, MRA rules, special categories, COLAs, and worked examples.

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.

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.