fallow.garden

Episode 03

Federal Retirement & Working Day Horizon

Zero Telemetry • Runs 100% In-Browser
The Three Pillars of Federal Retirement

Understanding the foundation that makes federal service uniquely restorative in retirement.

Pillar 1 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) for Life
▼

The Most Valuable Benefit in Public Service: Unlike private-sector retirees who must purchase costly individual marketplace plans or wait until Medicare at age 65, eligible federal retirees carry their FEHB health coverage directly into retirement.

The federal government continues to pay the exact same ~70% to 75% of your health insurance premium for the rest of your life. It also covers your spouse and family, protecting against catastrophic medical costs and bridging the pre-Medicare gap completely.

Pillar 2 The FERS Basic Annuity (Guaranteed Pension)
▼

A Guaranteed, Inflation-Protected Foundation: The FERS defined-benefit pension is paid monthly for life, backed fully by the U.S. Government.

Receiving a guaranteed $30,000 to $50,000 annual pension is mathematically equivalent to holding a $750,000 to $1.25M+ fixed bond portfolio. Your multiplier is 1% per year of service, jumping to 1.1% if you retire at age 62 or older with 20+ years.

Pension Estimator
Your highest 36 consecutive months of base pay.
Est. Gross Annual Pension: $0
Based on parameters below
Pillar 3 The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP & 5% Match)
▼

Your Personal Wealth Engine: The TSP is a low-fee defined-contribution plan featuring an automatic 1% government contribution and a dollar-for-dollar 4% agency match (5% total).

In retirement, your TSP account provides flexible liquidity. You can set up scheduled monthly installment distributions, execute strategic Roth conversions, make ad-hoc withdrawals for major life goals, or purchase an additional annuity—giving you full control over your discretionary lifestyle spending.

Your Service Parameters
Used to determine your MRA (57) and age thresholds
Found on your SF-50 (Block 31)
Select a benchmark or set a custom day
Available hours to use prior to retirement
Net Working Days Remaining
---
Calculating remaining work shifts until target retirement...
Calendar Days
---
Total elapsed days to target
Working Weeks
---
5-day business cycles
Federal Holidays
---
Paid non-working weekdays
Leave Accrual
---
Projected off-days
FERS Milestone Thresholds
Minimum Retirement Age (MRA + 10)
Age 57 with 10+ yrs creditable service • Eligible for Postponed Annuity
---
Age 60 + 20 Years Service
Full unreduced immediate annuity + full FEHB coverage retention
---
Age 62 Milestone (FERS Boost)
Full unreduced annuity; multiplier increases to 1.1% per year with 20+ yrs
---
The "Emergency Brake": MRA+10 Postponed Retirement

You do not have to endure severe burnout until age 62. Under FERS MRA+10 rules, if you reach your Minimum Retirement Age (57) and have at least 10 years of service, you can separate immediately and postpone your pension until age 60 (with 20+ years) or age 62 (with 10–19 years).

Health Benefits (FEHB) Preservation: By choosing a Postponed Annuity (rather than a deferred pension), you preserve the right to reinstate your FEHB coverage for life when your pension begins—provided you were covered under FEHB for the 5 continuous years immediately before separating.

⚠️
Disclaimer & Verification Notice: This application is an independent exploratory tool and does not constitute official legal, financial, tax, or retirement advice. Calculations are estimates based on standard OPM guidelines and do not account for non-deduction service, uncredited military time, part-time schedules, sick leave conversion, or administrative adjustments. Always confirm official eligibility, Service Computation Dates (SCD), and benefit estimates directly with your agency Human Resources office or the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).