retirement.federaltimes.comAsk The Experts: Retirement — By Reg Jones

Management Acquisition IT & Networks Cyber Federal Oversight GovCon Your Career Thought Leadership Trending Retirement and health benefits Service credit Who gets my survivor annuity? Enrollment in health benefits Special Retirement Supplement FEHB re-enrollment Medicare entitlement and sign up MRA+10 Social Security Survivor annuity Navigate Home RETIREMENT HEALTH INSURANCE SOCIAL SECURITY PAY EMPLOYMENT Frequently asked questions Retirement and health benefits 35 By Reg Jones on March 13, 2020 annuity , FEHBP , HEALTH INSURANCE , LIFE INSURANCE , RETIREMENT Q. I started with the U.S. Postal Service in May 1994 as an rural carrier associate. I became a regular employee in 2001. If I quit my job, would I lose my health benefits? What about any of my other benefits? A. If you quit your job before being eligible for an immediate annuity, your health and life insurance coverage would continue for 31 days at no expense to you. You would be able to continue your health benefits at your own expense under the temporary continuation of coverage provision. You would have the option of converting your life insurance… Read More Service credit 36 By Reg Jones on March 12, 2020 annuity , EMPLOYMENT , FERS , Service credit , Temporary assignments Q. I’m a FERS employee. Before I got a career position, I was in a temporary appointment for a year. I’ve been told that I could buy back my temp time by making a deposit to the retirement system. Is that true? A. Unfortunately, no. Under FERS, periods of non-deduction service performed on or after Jan. 1, 1989, aren’t creditable for either length of service or annuity computation purposes. Read More Who gets my survivor annuity? 30 By Reg Jones on March 11, 2020 annuity , FERS , SURVIVOR BENEFITS Q. I’m a FERS retiree. If I die and don’t have anyone who would be entitled to a survivor annuity, what happens to the money that I had deducted from my pay while I was working? A. Any money that had not already been returned to you in annuity payments would be paid out according to the standard order of precedence found in law: First, to the beneficiary or beneficiaries designated; If none, to the widow or widower; If none, to a child or children, with the share of any deceased child distributed among the descendants of that child; If… Read More Enrollment in health benefits 6 By Reg Jones on March 9, 2020 Deferred annuity , FEHBP , FERS , RETIREMENT Q. I’m a FERS employee who was hired in 2011. If I decide to retire with 10 years of service when I’m 58 and delay the receipt of my annuity until I reach age 62, how will that affect my enrollment in the health benefits program? A. If you were enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program for the five consecutive years before you retired, your coverage would end after 31 days. While you’d be able to keep that coverage under the temporary continuation of coverage provision for up to 18 months, you’d be responsible for paying the entire… Read More Special Retirement Supplement 21 By Reg Jones on March 6, 2020 FERS , RETIREMENT , SOCIAL SECURITY , Special retirement supplement Q. I’m a FERS retiree who is receiving the special retirement supplement. I’ll turn 62 in November. When will my SRS end? A. Your special retirement supplement will end on the earlier of 1.) the last day of the month in which you turn age 62 or 2.) the last day of the month before the first month on which you would be eligible for a Social Security benefit, whether you apply for it or not. Read More FEHB re-enrollment 2 By Reg Jones on March 5, 2020 Buyout , Deferred annuity , FEHBP Q. When I accepted a buyout, I wasn’t eligible to retire because I was age 48 and only had 20 years of service. I’ll soon be age 60 and will apply for a deferred annuity. When I do that, will I be able to re-enroll in the FEHB program? A. Unfortunately, no. Under current law, deferred annuitants aren’t eligible to re-enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. Read More Medicare entitlement and sign up 14 By Reg Jones on March 4, 2020 CSRS , FEHBP , Medicare , RETIREMENT Q. I retired in 2011 with 35 years under CSRS. Am I automatically enrolled in Medicare? Which parts should I enroll in? Does my Blue Cross Blue Shield FEHB coverage continue on? A. Since you aren’t already receiving benefit from Social Security, three months before you turn age 65 you’ll need to go to https://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/get-started-with-medicare and sign up. You’ll automatically be entitled to Medicare Part A at no cost because you paid for that benefit through payroll deductions. If you decide to enroll in Part B, you’ll have to pay the premiums for that benefit. Regardless, your FEHB coverage will… Read More MRA+10 15 By Reg Jones on March 3, 2020 annuity , FERS , MRA , MRA + 10 , RETIREMENT Q. I am 40 years old and have seven years of federal service under FERS. Is it worth my time to keep on working three more years so I’ll qualify for the MRA+10 benefit? A. Even if you had 10 years of service, you couldn’t retire under the MRA+10 provision because you wouldn’t have reached your minimum retirement age, which is 57. However, because you have at least five years of creditable service, you could leave government at any time. If you didn’t ask for a refund of your retirement contributions, you could apply for a deferred annuity. If you… Read More Social Security 4 By Reg Jones on March 2, 2020 CSRS , RETIREMENT , Service credit , SOCIAL SECURITY Q. I retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture after 30 years of service under CSRS. Before going to work for the government, I worked on odd jobs in the private sector and earned 25 credits under Social Security. I need 15 more to qualify for a Social Security benefit. My wife has more than enough Social Security credits to qualify for a benefit. Could I borrow any of those excess credits from her? A. No, you can’t. You’ll have to earn them yourself. Read More Survivor annuity 4 By Reg Jones on February 28, 2020 annuity , FERS , Military service deposits , RETIREMENT , spouse benefits , SURVIVOR BENEFITS Q. In November I will have five years of service and I bought back my Army time of three years, which gives me eight years of service. If I pass away, will my spouse be eligible for a monthly annuity check? I’m 58 and would have 10 years at 60, which should be my minimum retirement age. A. When you have five years of actual FERS service, you’ll be vested in the retirement system. If you die after you are vested, your widow would be entitled to a survivor annuity. If you were to die before that, she wouldn’t. Then… Read More 1 2 3 … 878 Next About the Author Reg Jones was head of retirement and insurance policy at the Office of Personnel Management. Email your retirement-related questions to fedexperts@federaltimes.com . Search Retirement Search for: SUBMIT A QUESTION First, please review previous Q&As to see if your question already has been answered. If you cannot find the answer, submit your question at fedexperts@federaltimes.com PLEASE NOTE! Do not submit ANY questions via the Comments form. Questions submitted via the Comments form will NOT be answered! IF YOUR QUESTION IS NOT ANSWERED Federal Times’ experts cannot answer every question submitted. You’ll have the best chance of getting an answer to your question if you follow these steps: • Ask questions that have not previously been answered. 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