Add on to this: If you leave before retirement, you will not get medical benefits into retirement. If you leave after retirement age and years, you get the same medical benefits as an active employee. This is now worth about $10000 per year present dollars for a family plan.
Converting Life Insurance
ASI FAA Wed Oct 8, 2008 9:08 AM
This is an interesting feature. Converting life insurance to a private policy. Maybe you can expand on this in another article.
CSR
EEO Mgr. Army Wed Oct 8, 2008 9:39 AM
I initally resigned from the federal government after 20 years of service. I was in the CSRS and when I left and I withdrew my $25K retirement. After 6 years of private sector work, I returned to the federal government (Army) and was told that I would be in FERS. I've had 15 years under FERS and am ready to retire. Is it too late to pay the 25K back to CSRS and retire under CSRS?
Re: CSR
HR Specialist Forest Service Wed Oct 8, 2008 10:49 AM
If you were covered by CSRS and was gone for more than a year; you should have been placed in Offset with an opportunity to switch to FERS; not automatically placed in FERS. You may want to have your HR office review your retirement coverage as you may have rights under the Federal Retirement Coverage Corrections Act (FERCCA). You can make a redeposit for the CSRS time.
Sick Leave Re-Credited
Wildland Fire Dispatcher US Forest Service Wed Oct 8, 2008 9:48 AM
Does anyone know if there is a time limit on re crediting sick leave after leaving gvt svc and coming back??????
Re: Sick Leave Re-Credited
Human Resources Specialist NASA Wed Oct 8, 2008 10:24 AM
It use to be up to 3 years. After 3 years it is wiped off the books.
Re: Sick Leave Re-Credited
HR Specialist Forest Service Wed Oct 8, 2008 10:43 AM
Sick leave can now be recredited indefinitely. If you leave federal service and return later, it picks up with the balance you left with.
Re: Sick Leave Re-Credited
Auditor DoD Fri Jun 5, 2009 9:17 AM
They found my sick leave 24 years after I'd left the government.
comp time
hr dhs Wed Oct 8, 2008 11:07 AM
In response to the statement in this article "Your annual leave, credit hour and comp time balance will be paid to you in a lump sum shortly after you leave." FYI - comp time cannot be paid out upon separation unless the person leaves and comes back to same agency within 26 pay periods per CFR 550.1407. I think the same forfeiture may be true for credit hours, but I cannot locate the reference in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Re: comp time
Sr. Tax Consultant IRS Wed Oct 8, 2008 1:13 PM
Your statement doesn't seem to be logical. Comp time/credit hours and annual leave are hours that have been earned by the employee and to not duly compensate said employee would seem to amount to fraud on the part of the agency.
Re: comp time
HR Generalist/Advisor Navy Wed Oct 8, 2008 2:17 PM
Actually, the forfeiture clause you cite (5 CFR 550.1407 only applies to comp time for travel (Subpart N). Regular comp time is paid at , "... the amount of overtime pay the employee otherwise would have received for the hours of the pay period during which compensatory time off was earned by performing overtime work." 5 CFR 550.114(e). So if you leave the Federal service with comp time on the books, you cash out according to 550.114(e).
TSP withdrawal under Discontinued Service Rtmt
Special Project Coordinator USFS Wed Oct 8, 2008 12:59 PM
The article states that any withdrawals from TSP prior to 59 1/2 will be subject to a 10% penalty and taxes - does that still apply under a Discontinued Service Retirement scenario?
Can Sick Leave Really Be Re-credited?
Office Automation DoD Wed Oct 8, 2008 1:39 PM
Due to downsizing, I left federal service (Air Force) in 1997, under FERS. I had a sick leave balance of 407 hours. I returned to federal service (Army) in 2004, still under FERS. I spoke with a benefits counselor at the Army Benefits Center who told me that I could not get the sick leave re-credited because I was under FERS and not CSRS in 1997 when I left. Is this true?
Thanks!
PSA VA Wed Oct 8, 2008 2:18 PM
Very useful!
Return rights
Engineer DOT Wed Oct 8, 2008 3:43 PM
If an employee wish to take a contract work for let say 2 years with a private company for experience and grrowth. Does he/she need to quit federal service? Are there any Federal options or benefits available to utilize for his/her return rights ? In other words, can employee with 10 years of federal service has any return rights to the agency? Thanks in advance.
TSP loan
QA A.F. Wed Oct 8, 2008 11:21 PM
What about a current TSP loan? If I leave the government on a deferred retirement, can I do so while still owing on a TSP loan? If so, how would payments be made?
thanks,
Rome
Deferred Pensions
Fed Worker & Union Guy Mega Fed Thu Oct 9, 2008 9:46 AM
More emphasis should be given on the deferred pensions, only touched upon by the article. If you work 5 years, then you are entitled to a deferred pension at age 60 or 62. Sometimes as early as age 56 with penalties. This is the same for CSRS & FERS employees. Check out the OPM web site for guidance. There are thousands of former federal workers walking the street & know nothing about this. Odds are they were told nothing about deferred pensions, as they outprocessed. That alone, should be against the law!! It saves the federal government money if they don't know & never apply!!!
TSP contributions
Program Assistant U.S. Dept of ED Thu Oct 9, 2008 11:13 AM
Good Morning.
My questiion to you is, if I die before I withdraw my TSP contributions will my beneficary have to pay the 10% early withdrawal penalty and taxes?
Thank you!!!
Re-entry into Federal service after a break
Procurement Analyst DoD Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:45 PM
How difficult is it to re-enter the federal workforce after taking a break and working in the private sector? I understand that there is currently a shortage of procurement (GS-1102) workers accross the federal government, so am I safe to assume that re-entry into government service would be relatively easy for someone with over 15 years of government procurement experience?
5 years of service
Accounts Payable VA Fri Oct 17, 2008 12:16 PM
If you leave your retirement funds on deposit, you will be entitled to a CSRS or FERS pension at a later date as long as you have at least five years of federal service.
Isn't that 5 years of CIVILIAN service?
Health benefits continuation if 58 with 26 years
Biologist US Fish and Wildlife Service Sat Oct 25, 2008 8:04 PM
Will my current health benefit plan and rate be available if I am 58, have 26 years of service, and want to leave early next year? Not sure I can handle the stress for longer than that. Thanks so much.
59 1/2
General Manager DeCA Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:24 AM
If you have reached 59 1/2 will you have a withdrawal penalty
Reinstatement of Time Served
Electronic Tech USMC Wed Nov 12, 2008 9:04 AM
My wife has just returned to civil service after 15 years. She had 8 years of time when she resigned. She also withdrew her retirement funds (FERS). In your article you state the 8 years she had when she resigned cannot now be used toward retirement. Our HRO told her it could be used. Can you please steer me to the directive, paragraph, etc that explains this issue? Thank You.
Withdrawing TSP
Budget Analyst Bureau of Prisons Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:35 AM
I am eligible to retire with 25 years under special retirement (Federal Law Enforcement) at the age of 49.
Is there a penalty if I draw my TSP funds out before
59 1/2 after I retire?
Retirement
HA DHS Fri Nov 14, 2008 5:55 PM
If you leave your retirement funds on deposit, you will be entitled to a CSRS or FERS pension at a later date as long as you have at least five years of federal service.
Can you clarify, ( AT A LATER DATE).
Retirement Planning
NASA Drug Test Program Coordinator NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC)/MEI Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:16 AM
I am currently a contractor with NSSC, but have 17 years of Federal Service under CSRS and have just turned 62. The NSSC HR office cannot help me, and I know I need to go somewhere within the labyrinth OPM.
Would appreciate any advice you can provide re applying for retirement for "exes" like me?
Thanks,
Five Years consecutive or total
Program Analyst FEMA Thu Dec 4, 2008 2:24 PM
I had a break in Federal Service, is the five years total to equal five or more or can there be a break in service?
Benefits
Vet w/questions VA Wed Feb 4, 2009 8:35 AM
I left the military after 13 years of service and later was determined to be 50pct disabled service connected. Why did I have to 'work off' the separation money I was given when I left the service before I could get my disability pay? Further, I then later went to work for the government and the money I 'worked off' was not credited towards my retirement. So it appears I lost my disability pay, separation pay AND retirement pay that I had earned in 13 years of military service? That doesnt quite make sense to me.
rETIREMENT
Transportation Spec U S A F Wed Feb 4, 2009 9:15 AM
I have worked for the Government , come July 25, 15yrs. When do I qualify for retirement?
Deferred retirement/Divorce
Accountant COE Fri Mar 13, 2009 9:38 AM
My husband is eligible for a deferred CSRS retirement.
He was divorced in 2002 and the divorce decree stated his former spouse will receive a percentage of his retirement benefits. Title 5 USC defines 'retirement benefits' and says it excludes former spouse suvivor annunity benefits. Recently the court order was prepared and included former spouse survivor annunity
benefits. We asked it to be set aside, but the Judge ruled that 'retirement benefits' was an umbrella term and included former spouse survivor annunity benefits. The court order was approved and he was told he had to sign it. Do we have any recourse to stop this?
Convert to individual health insurance policy
analyst USDA Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:24 AM
Would you clarify if you can convert a GEHA health insurance policy to an individual policy? I think that you can do this for other health insurance policies but not GEHA.
Also if you stay in the union, can you keep the mail handlers health insurance policy?
This information should be mentioned in the article
Thank you,
Mary Ann Bjornsen
Clarification please...
Recreation Planner USDA Tue Sep 29, 2009 2:15 PM
Must a person who is considering leaving their position in the federal government in fact need to have five consecutive years of employment with the federal government to be eligible for the benefits you listed in the article or just five years of service?
THE ABOVE STORY
SEC-Boston
Wed Oct 8, 2008 8:40 AM
good to know--thanks
Lost benefits
irs
Wed Oct 8, 2008 8:51 AM
Add on to this: If you leave before retirement, you will not get medical benefits into retirement. If you leave after retirement age and years, you get the same medical benefits as an active employee. This is now worth about $10000 per year present dollars for a family plan.
Converting Life Insurance
FAA
Wed Oct 8, 2008 9:08 AM
This is an interesting feature. Converting life insurance to a private policy. Maybe you can expand on this in another article.
CSR
Army
Wed Oct 8, 2008 9:39 AM
I initally resigned from the federal government after 20 years of service. I was in the CSRS and when I left and I withdrew my $25K retirement. After 6 years of private sector work, I returned to the federal government (Army) and was told that I would be in FERS. I've had 15 years under FERS and am ready to retire. Is it too late to pay the 25K back to CSRS and retire under CSRS?
Re: CSR
Forest Service
Wed Oct 8, 2008 10:49 AM
Sick Leave Re-Credited
US Forest Service
Wed Oct 8, 2008 9:48 AM
Does anyone know if there is a time limit on re crediting sick leave after leaving gvt svc and coming back??????
Re: Sick Leave Re-Credited
NASA
Wed Oct 8, 2008 10:24 AM
Re: Sick Leave Re-Credited
Forest Service
Wed Oct 8, 2008 10:43 AM
Re: Sick Leave Re-Credited
DoD
Fri Jun 5, 2009 9:17 AM
comp time
dhs
Wed Oct 8, 2008 11:07 AM
In response to the statement in this article "Your annual leave, credit hour and comp time balance will be paid to you in a lump sum shortly after you leave." FYI - comp time cannot be paid out upon separation unless the person leaves and comes back to same agency within 26 pay periods per CFR 550.1407. I think the same forfeiture may be true for credit hours, but I cannot locate the reference in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Re: comp time
IRS
Wed Oct 8, 2008 1:13 PM
Re: comp time
Navy
Wed Oct 8, 2008 2:17 PM
TSP withdrawal under Discontinued Service Rtmt
USFS
Wed Oct 8, 2008 12:59 PM
The article states that any withdrawals from TSP prior to 59 1/2 will be subject to a 10% penalty and taxes - does that still apply under a Discontinued Service Retirement scenario?
Can Sick Leave Really Be Re-credited?
DoD
Wed Oct 8, 2008 1:39 PM
Due to downsizing, I left federal service (Air Force) in 1997, under FERS. I had a sick leave balance of 407 hours. I returned to federal service (Army) in 2004, still under FERS. I spoke with a benefits counselor at the Army Benefits Center who told me that I could not get the sick leave re-credited because I was under FERS and not CSRS in 1997 when I left. Is this true?
Thanks!
VA
Wed Oct 8, 2008 2:18 PM
Very useful!
Return rights
DOT
Wed Oct 8, 2008 3:43 PM
If an employee wish to take a contract work for let say 2 years with a private company for experience and grrowth. Does he/she need to quit federal service? Are there any Federal options or benefits available to utilize for his/her return rights ? In other words, can employee with 10 years of federal service has any return rights to the agency? Thanks in advance.
TSP loan
A.F.
Wed Oct 8, 2008 11:21 PM
What about a current TSP loan? If I leave the government on a deferred retirement, can I do so while still owing on a TSP loan? If so, how would payments be made?
thanks,
Rome
Deferred Pensions
Mega Fed
Thu Oct 9, 2008 9:46 AM
More emphasis should be given on the deferred pensions, only touched upon by the article. If you work 5 years, then you are entitled to a deferred pension at age 60 or 62. Sometimes as early as age 56 with penalties. This is the same for CSRS & FERS employees. Check out the OPM web site for guidance. There are thousands of former federal workers walking the street & know nothing about this. Odds are they were told nothing about deferred pensions, as they outprocessed. That alone, should be against the law!! It saves the federal government money if they don't know & never apply!!!
TSP contributions
U.S. Dept of ED
Thu Oct 9, 2008 11:13 AM
Good Morning.
My questiion to you is, if I die before I withdraw my TSP contributions will my beneficary have to pay the 10% early withdrawal penalty and taxes?
Thank you!!!
Re-entry into Federal service after a break
DoD
Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:45 PM
How difficult is it to re-enter the federal workforce after taking a break and working in the private sector? I understand that there is currently a shortage of procurement (GS-1102) workers accross the federal government, so am I safe to assume that re-entry into government service would be relatively easy for someone with over 15 years of government procurement experience?
5 years of service
VA
Fri Oct 17, 2008 12:16 PM
If you leave your retirement funds on deposit, you will be entitled to a CSRS or FERS pension at a later date as long as you have at least five years of federal service.
Isn't that 5 years of CIVILIAN service?
Health benefits continuation if 58 with 26 years
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Sat Oct 25, 2008 8:04 PM
Will my current health benefit plan and rate be available if I am 58, have 26 years of service, and want to leave early next year? Not sure I can handle the stress for longer than that. Thanks so much.
59 1/2
DeCA
Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:24 AM
If you have reached 59 1/2 will you have a withdrawal penalty
Reinstatement of Time Served
USMC
Wed Nov 12, 2008 9:04 AM
My wife has just returned to civil service after 15 years. She had 8 years of time when she resigned. She also withdrew her retirement funds (FERS). In your article you state the 8 years she had when she resigned cannot now be used toward retirement. Our HRO told her it could be used. Can you please steer me to the directive, paragraph, etc that explains this issue? Thank You.
Withdrawing TSP
Bureau of Prisons
Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:35 AM
I am eligible to retire with 25 years under special retirement (Federal Law Enforcement) at the age of 49.
Is there a penalty if I draw my TSP funds out before
59 1/2 after I retire?
Retirement
DHS
Fri Nov 14, 2008 5:55 PM
If you leave your retirement funds on deposit, you will be entitled to a CSRS or FERS pension at a later date as long as you have at least five years of federal service.
Can you clarify, ( AT A LATER DATE).
Retirement Planning
NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC)/MEI
Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:16 AM
I am currently a contractor with NSSC, but have 17 years of Federal Service under CSRS and have just turned 62. The NSSC HR office cannot help me, and I know I need to go somewhere within the labyrinth OPM.
Would appreciate any advice you can provide re applying for retirement for "exes" like me?
Thanks,
Five Years consecutive or total
FEMA
Thu Dec 4, 2008 2:24 PM
I had a break in Federal Service, is the five years total to equal five or more or can there be a break in service?
Benefits
VA
Wed Feb 4, 2009 8:35 AM
I left the military after 13 years of service and later was determined to be 50pct disabled service connected. Why did I have to 'work off' the separation money I was given when I left the service before I could get my disability pay? Further, I then later went to work for the government and the money I 'worked off' was not credited towards my retirement. So it appears I lost my disability pay, separation pay AND retirement pay that I had earned in 13 years of military service? That doesnt quite make sense to me.
rETIREMENT
U S A F
Wed Feb 4, 2009 9:15 AM
I have worked for the Government , come July 25, 15yrs. When do I qualify for retirement?
Deferred retirement/Divorce
COE
Fri Mar 13, 2009 9:38 AM
My husband is eligible for a deferred CSRS retirement.
He was divorced in 2002 and the divorce decree stated his former spouse will receive a percentage of his retirement benefits. Title 5 USC defines 'retirement benefits' and says it excludes former spouse suvivor annunity benefits. Recently the court order was prepared and included former spouse survivor annunity
benefits. We asked it to be set aside, but the Judge ruled that 'retirement benefits' was an umbrella term and included former spouse survivor annunity benefits. The court order was approved and he was told he had to sign it. Do we have any recourse to stop this?
Convert to individual health insurance policy
USDA
Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:24 AM
Would you clarify if you can convert a GEHA health insurance policy to an individual policy? I think that you can do this for other health insurance policies but not GEHA.
Also if you stay in the union, can you keep the mail handlers health insurance policy?
This information should be mentioned in the article
Thank you,
Mary Ann Bjornsen
Clarification please...
USDA
Tue Sep 29, 2009 2:15 PM
Must a person who is considering leaving their position in the federal government in fact need to have five consecutive years of employment with the federal government to be eligible for the benefits you listed in the article or just five years of service?