The following is a question submitted by a Federal Times readers about retirement and other issues facing the federal workforce. It is answered by Reg Jones, a charter member of the senior executive service and a Federal Times columnist since 1995.

Question: I still didn’t get my numbers corrected with OPM. They did send me their calculations but it doesn’t add up to what I calculated before retirement. Also, both the annuity and FERS supplement are less than what was on my final eRetire. I sent my calculations again and my Social Security page and earnings at age 62. Their figures are much less than what is shown on the SS website for my earning at 62. Any ideas what I can do? Now, my SS page is showing an even higher number for my age 62 earnings. Will my FERS supplement be re-adjusted with that new, higher number?

Reg’s Response: The final calculation provided by OPM will often differ from the estimate provided by your agency, though it’s less common for the difference to be substantial. It’s possible that some period of service your agency thought was creditable isn’t or that something that was creditable didn’t show up in the file received by OPM. You can ask OPM to provide you with the data and methodology they used.

Note: To see how OPM calculates an annuity, go to https://www.opm.gov/retirement-center/publications-forms/csrsfers-handbook/c050.pdf.

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Reg Jones is the resident expert on retirement and the federal government at Federal Times. 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.

Reg Jones, a charter member of the senior executive service, is our resident expert on retirement and the federal government. From 1979 to '95, he served as an assistant director of the 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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