Social Security and CSRS Earnings

In calculating the 35 highest earnings years for WEP and Social Security, indexed for inflation, does that include the earnings that a CSRS retiree earned while employed in their federal positions?

FedSmith.com author John GrobeBy Categories Federal Employee Retirement, Q&A Leave a comment

Q: In calculating the 35 highest earnings years for WEP and Social Security, indexed for inflation, does that include the earnings that a CSRS retiree earned while employed in their federal positions? I am assuming it does since the “penalty” is being exacted in cutting the first multiplying factor in half.

A: Sorry, but it does not.  It only includes money earned in Social Security covered employment.  Our earnings for those years come up as “0” in our Social Security earnings record.

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John Grobe is President of Federal Career Experts, a firm that provides pre-retirement training and seminars to a wide variety of federal agencies. FCE’s instructors are all retired federal retirement specialists who educate class participants on the ins and outs of federal retirement and benefits; there is never an attempt to influence participants to invest a certain way, or to purchase any financial products. John and FCE specialize in retirement for special category employees, such as law enforcement officers.

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