FERS planning guides
Plain-English guides for federal employees checking retirement estimates, early-out choices, CSRS/FERS differences, and TSP withdrawal order.
FERS vs CSRS: Which Federal Retirement System Are You Under (and Why It Changes Everything)
FERS vs CSRS explained in plain English: pension formulas, Social Security, TSP matching, COLAs, and survivor benefits — plus how to estimate your own annuity.
MRA+10 Explained: Retiring From FERS Early Without Wrecking Your Annuity
MRA+10 lets FERS employees retire at their minimum retirement age with just 10 years of service — but the 5%-per-year reduction is brutal. Here's how postponing fixes it.
TSP Withdrawal Order: Which Money to Spend First in a FERS Retirement
Traditional TSP, Roth TSP, taxable savings, pension, Social Security — the order you tap them changes your lifetime taxes. A plain-English framework for FERS retirees.
Is My FERS Estimate Right? The 7 Errors That Skew Federal Retirement Numbers
Most FERS retirement estimates are off — wrong high-3, missed sick leave credit, ignored survivor reduction, bad supplement math. Here are the 7 usual suspects.