Claiming age, FERS coordination, spousal benefits, and tax timing — federal employees have more to optimize than most. We build a strategy around all of it.
The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law in January 2025. WEP and GPO have been repealed — spousal and survivor benefits previously reduced or eliminated are now fully restored for federal employees and retirees.
With WEP and GPO repealed, many federal employees and their spouses are now entitled to benefits they were previously denied. But simply claiming those benefits isn't a strategy. When to claim, how your FERS pension affects your tax bracket, and how to sequence income across your household can mean the difference of six figures in lifetime income.
We build a Social Security strategy that accounts for your specific situation — your pension amount, your TSP withdrawal plan, your spouse's own benefits, and your health and longevity expectations — so you claim at exactly the right time and in exactly the right way.
Claiming age is the single highest-impact Social Security decision you'll make — and it's permanent. The difference between claiming at 62 versus 70 can exceed $100,000 in lifetime benefits, depending on your earnings history and longevity.
Benefits reduced permanently by up to 30%. May make sense if you have health concerns, a lower-earning spouse, or need income before the FERS supplement ends. Rarely optimal for federal employees with a full pension.
Full unreduced benefit. For most FERS employees, this aligns well with pension income and TSP distributions. A reasonable default — but not always the best choice for your household.
Benefits grow 8% per year beyond FRA. For federal employees with a FERS pension covering living expenses, delaying to 70 and using TSP as a bridge often produces the highest lifetime income — especially for the higher-earning spouse in a couple.
The right claiming age depends on your health, your spouse's benefit, your pension amount, and your tax situation. There is no universal answer — we model your specific numbers and show you exactly what each option is worth over your projected lifetime.
The Social Security Fairness Act fundamentally changed the picture for federal couples. If your household lost spousal or survivor income under WEP or GPO, those benefits are now available — and retroactive payments may apply going back to January 2024.
Federal employees whose spousal Social Security benefits were reduced or eliminated under GPO are now entitled to the full spousal benefit — up to 50% of their spouse's primary insurance amount.
Widows and widowers of federal employees who were previously denied survivor benefits due to GPO are now eligible. If your spouse passed away and you were affected, you may be entitled to significant retroactive and ongoing payments.
The SSA began processing retroactive payments in early 2025 for those affected by the repeal going back to January 2024. If you haven't filed or updated your claim, you may be leaving money on the table right now.
With both spouses potentially drawing full Social Security alongside a federal pension, coordinating claiming ages, survivor elections, and TSP withdrawals for tax efficiency has never mattered more.
If you retire before age 62 under FERS, you may receive a special supplement designed to approximate what your Social Security benefit would be — paid by OPM, not the SSA. It bridges the gap between your retirement date and when you can first claim Social Security.
The supplement is not automatic for all FERS retirees. It applies to those who retire at their MRA with at least 30 years of service, or at age 60 with 20 years — and it stops at age 62 regardless of when you claim Social Security.
Model claiming at 62, FRA, and 70 — and every point in between — based on your health, income needs, and longevity expectations.
Determine the optimal claiming sequence for both spouses to maximize the combined household benefit over your joint lifetime.
Model how your pension income stacks with Social Security and TSP to identify your effective tax rate in retirement and minimize unnecessary taxes.
Coordinate when and how much to withdraw from TSP alongside Social Security to stay in the lowest possible tax bracket throughout retirement.
Map the income timeline from your retirement date through age 70, accounting for the supplement's end at 62 and your Social Security start date.
Determine the claiming strategy that maximizes the surviving spouse's income — because the higher earner's delay to 70 often protects the survivor most.
Income spikes in retirement can trigger higher Medicare premiums. We build your income plan to avoid crossing IRMAA thresholds wherever possible.
Determine whether you or your spouse are entitled to retroactive payments under the Social Security Fairness Act and how to update your SSA claim.
Schedule a free analysis. We'll model your claiming options, run the numbers on your household, and show you exactly what each decision is worth.