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

Q: Since I retired 23 Sep 2022, and the 7.7% COLA increase for FERS retirees didn’t show up in my Jan 1 Annuity deposit, when will I be eligible for a COLA increase and when would it show up in my Federal Annuity / Pension deposit thereafter?

A: Reg’s Response:

To have received the full 2023 cost-of-living adjustment, you would have had to be on the annuity roll no later than December 2021. Although you retired in September 2022, you were first on the annuity roll in October and would have been entitled to receive only 2/12ths of the 2022 COLA in your January 2023 annuity payment. If it didn’t happen, you’ll have to contact OPM and ask to have the error corrected.

Got a question for the Federal Times expert? Send inquiries to: fedexperts@federaltimes.com.

Reg Jones, a charter member of the senior executive service, 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.

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