Reg Jones
Reg Jones, a charter member of the senior executive service, is our resident expert on retirement and the federal government. From 1979 until 1995, he served as an assistant director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management handling recruiting and examining, white and blue collar pay, retirement, insurance and other issues. Opinions expressed are his own.
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Ask Reg: How long does it take to be vested for federal pension?
A reader asks if their military service counts toward their retirement eligibility.
Can I use accrued sick leave to increase my FERS annuity?
FERS is a retirement plan that provides benefits from three different sources: a Basic Benefit Plan, Social Security and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).
Can federal employees semi-retire?
In phased retirement, an employee works half time and receives half of their full-time pay, while also getting about half of their annuity.
What is the best time to ‘pull the trigger’ on my retirement?
Now is the time to push dollars and cents aside and accept the fact that many people retire at other times during the year.
Have I worked long enough to qualify for a federal retirement?
The Federal Employees' Retirement System, or FERS, is the retirement system for employees within the U.S. civil service.
How do I get FERS retirement credit for active-duty military service?
The most important factor for former military members to know is that each year of military service credits you buy back adds a year of service credit.
Does a special salary rate count toward my ‘High-3′ FERS calculation?
Your “high-3” average pay is the highest average basic pay you earned during any 3 consecutive years of service.
Can I use sick leave to qualify for FERS bonus?
If you retire with at age 62 (or older) and with at least 20 years of creditable service – your pension gets a 10% bonus.
Do I earn too much for the FERS special retirement supplement?
The SRS represents the income an employee who retired early would be earning from Social Security if they were old enough to start claiming it.
How is a FERS disability retirement special provision rate calculated?
FERS applicants are eligible as long as they have at least 18 months of credible service with the federal government.
