Retirement planning for federal law enforcement officers, firefighters, air traffic controllers and military retirees, built around the rules that apply only to you.
Law enforcement officers, firefighters and air traffic controllers retire under their own rules within FERS. Here's how they compare with the standard rules most federal employees follow.
Retire at age 50 with 20 years of covered service, or at any age with 25 years.
1.7% of your high-3 for each of your first 20 years of covered service, then 1% for years beyond that. Twenty years replaces about 34% of your high-3; twenty-five years about 39%.
Generally age 57 for law enforcement officers and firefighters, and 56 for air traffic controllers.
Any regular federal service counts at the standard 1% rate and is added separately.
Once you meet the age and service requirements, you can retire under special provisions without leaving the position first.
Military retirement has its own system, and when you also have a federal civilian career, the two connect in ways that are worth understanding before you sign anything.
Under the legacy High-36 system, each year of service is worth 2.5% of your highest 36 months of basic pay, so 20 years equals 50%. Under the Blended Retirement System it's 2.0% per year (40% at 20 years), plus TSP matching. BRS applies to those who entered on or after January 1, 2018, or who opted in.
Military service after 1956 can count toward your FERS pension once you pay a military deposit, which needs to be paid to your agency before you leave federal service. Military Buyback Calculator
To count that service in FERS, you generally waive your military retired pay. The exceptions are retired pay based on a combat-related disability (or one caused by an instrumentality of war), and reserve retirement under Chapter 1223, generally paid at age 60. Both paths are worth modeling, since a waiver is a one-way trade.
OPM asks that a waiver request go to the military finance center at least 60 days before your planned retirement. If you receive Combat-Related Special Compensation or concurrent receipt with VA compensation, OPM recommends counseling from the military first.
Coordinating the military Survivor Benefit Plan with your FERS survivor election, so your spouse is protected without paying twice. Learn more
How VA compensation, burial benefits and Aid and Attendance fit into the rest of your plan. Veterans planning
How your date lines up with your mandatory retirement age.
How it works, and the earnings test if you keep working after retiring.
Accessing your savings early without the 10% early-withdrawal penalty.
Keeping FEHB into retirement and coordinating it with Medicare and TRICARE where it applies.
Your survivor benefit election, which is difficult to change after retirement. Learn more
How income from new work affects your supplement.
Includes special group formulas. Open the calculator
See how military time could change your pension. Open the calculator
See your balance at retirement. Open the calculator
Pension, Social Security and TSP together. Open the planner
A free conversation about your service, your timeline and the retirement you're planning.
General education only. Eligibility, service credit and benefit amounts are determined by your agency, the Office of Personnel Management and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service based on your own record. Octus Financial is not affiliated with OPM, the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs.