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• 66274
  

  I am filling out the RI 20-97 right now and I need help with Block 5, it ask you for 'All military service numbes' ...what exactly does it want in that block? Thanks!

  Celeste Larouche Posted January 12, 2009 9:06 AM
• 43637
  

  I'll have 13 years of FERS federal service in June of 2008. I also have 20 years and 8 month of military service. If I pay the deposit for my service time and decide to retire in December of 2010 I'll be 57 years old with over thirty-five years of federal service. Would I also be eligible for the Social Security supplemental? Would my retirement be considered a full retirement with no deductions?

  Darl J.Daniels Posted February 15, 2008 6:12 AM
• 42915
  

  When I requested my first estimate, I found out that there had been a typo in one SF50 which gave the wrong date when I switched from FT to PT in 1986. The only way I could prove the correct date was with my pay stubs which I have saved for 30 yrs. They issued a corrected SF50 but when I asked for another estimate 2 yrs. later, they didn't have the correct SF50 in my file! It took weeks of aggravation to get this straightened out, with the help of my local personnel office. Wonder if they'll get this right when I retire.

  Helen Comstock Posted February 4, 2008 10:21 AM
• 42896
  

  I am one of the people with military time, temporary civil service, intermittent civil service, and full time civil service. I had figured my retirement date as 24 Jun 2010. My personnel office figured my dates as 13 Dec 08. They convinced me I was wrong and I was making plans for this retirement date. I was told to just accept it and they would recompute the final date when I applied for retirement. I was not comfortable with this. I later found out the person had indeed figured my dates wrong. It was in reality 2010. If I had retired on her date estimate, I would not have had my 30 years in for a full retirement. BE VERY CAREFUL and question everything.

  Bonnie Moore Posted February 4, 2008 8:14 AM
• 42894
  

  If you work compensation and credit hours should they include this as well. Due to budget constrains our agency does not provide for overtime and therefore we do not get the time and half that most individuals gets when they work after hours or on weekends. So my question is should they not consider this in our retirement calculation?

  J Mears Posted February 4, 2008 7:52 AM
• 42880
  

  I received civil service retirement in 2006 for 21 years at age 62: six years civil service from 1978 - 1984, 15 military service: four years as a cadet at USMA and 11 years active duty, for which I had to pay in 7% of my base pay. When I left civil service in 1984 I was at a SES, Level 3. Since my high three salary for civil service retirement was about $60,000, I was wondering if I could go back into civil service at an SES Level and get a new high three and three additional years of longevity.

  Daniel P. Schrage Posted February 2, 2008 8:05 PM
• 42858
  

  Bruce - I'd try again in about 4-6 months. I did what you're trying to do and got 3 years worth of estimates w/o any issues.

  Donna - Good job. A friend of mine didn't request an estimate before he retired and, it turns out, OPM didn't have 10 years of his work history from an earlier civil service job (an agengy that had been BRAC'd). That took several months to resolve.

  Cliff Posted February 1, 2008 7:33 PM
• 42846
  

  For Donald Giglio, section 1115 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, now P.L. 110-181, clarifies that time spent as a cadet/midshipman at the military academies is creditable service for retirement under FERS and CSRS. Hope this helps.

  Naval Academy Grad '85 Posted February 1, 2008 4:12 PM
• 42841
  

  My agency's headquarters is located in D.C. I work in California. My agency conducts its retirement seminars in D.C. and D.C., only. HR in Washington said that if I wished to attend a retirement seminar in Washington it would be at my own expense.

  Gordon Kaplan Posted February 1, 2008 3:37 PM
• 42840
  

  Donald, your service academy time is creditable under FERS and CSRS. Have your benefits specialist refer to chapter 22 of the CSRS and FERS Handbook for guidance. Section 22A2.1-2 Definition of Military Service You will need to pay the military service credit deposit, but since it is based on your pay as a cadet... it won't be much!

  Tammy Flanagan Posted February 1, 2008 3:33 PM
• 42839
  

  Hi Bruce, If your agency does not want to provide a retirement estimate when you are within 5 years of retirement, then I would ask them for a summary of your federal service and information about any unpaid deposits you might have. This is the most important part at this point anyway.

  I do think an estimate at this point would also be helpful to you... but this might be the policy at your agency. The biggest variable that will change in the next 4 years will be your high-three... that just means that the estimate will be "conservative."

  Tammy Flanagan Posted February 1, 2008 3:24 PM
• 42833
  

  I began working for the Fed'l Govt late in life - at age 52 - I'm now 58 and have almost 6 years of full-time service in. Should I assume that calculating my retirement benefits should be a straightforward process, since I do not seem to have any complicating factors in my Federal work history? I'd like to retire when I have about 10 years in, about 4.5 years from now. Thank yu.

  D. Albrektson Posted February 1, 2008 3:02 PM
• 42824
  

  Donald--I bought my USAFA time back as well. Here's what you have to do. 1)Contact USAFA and get them to send you a letter of certification indicating the dates you attended. Check the USAFA website on the Office of the Registrar, they have a form you fill out and FAX to them. 2) Fill out form RI 20-97 "Estimate of Earnings during military Service" and send it, with a copy of youre letter from USAFA to DFAS Denver, where they will calculate your total earning as a cadet. 3) Fill out form SF 3108 "Application to make Deposit" and submit it with the returned RI 20-97 and copy of USAFA letter to DFAS Pensacola, where they will figure out how much you owe them to "buy" your Zoomie time for FERS retirement. The basic rate is 3% of what you earned as a cadet. If you pay it back within 3 years of becoming a civil servant, its interest free, afetr that they will charge some interest.

  USAFA '85 Posted February 1, 2008 1:12 PM
• 42823
  

  You are right to ask when the lump sum payment for annual leave will be received. This is especially true if you are counting on the money to help get you through the waiting period. Some agencies get them out in two to three weeks after retiring. However, the payroll office for my agency - the Dept. of Homeland Security, specifically TSA, told me it will take approximately 4 to 5 pay periods or two months!! That is a long waiting period if a person is counting on that money to help tide them over.

  Brenda Samuels Posted February 1, 2008 1:09 PM
• 42817
  

  I read your columns all the time and find them very informative. I have received some conflicting information relating to getting credit for the four years I was at the Air Force Academy in a dual status. From 1961 to 1965, I was in a dual status as Reserve enlisted (after attending completing USAF BMT and attending the Naval Academy Preparatory School) and a cadet. The time as a cadet is not applicable towards military retirement but I believe it can be included for FERS retirement. What is the correct process? Thank you for your assistance.

  Donald F Giglio Posted February 1, 2008 12:30 PM
• 42789
  

  I'm planning to retire in 4 yrs.I requested an estimate and was told its to far out to get one too many varibles could change.But isn't an estimate just that an estimate?Thank you for your articles i'm an avid reader.

  Bruce Triplett Posted February 1, 2008 10:33 AM
• 42788
  

  I am planning to retire on 2/29/08. In February of 2007, I requested an estimate and when I got it, I knew it was wrong. I had about 5 years of PT service from 1993-1998 but worked 70% and 80%. When I got the estimate, they had pro-rated it at 72%. I knew that could not be correct since I only worked PT 5 years out of 35 years and then worked 70% - 80% even then. I had figured a proration factor of about 93%. When I brought this to their attention they re-calculated the proration factor and came up with 56% which was even more obviously wrong. I finally e-mailed them my calculations and they figured out what they were doing wrong in the computer input and corrected it and came out with 93%. So, don't assume that your estimate is correct. If I had, I may have delayed my retirement. When I turned in my papers early in January, they sent me another estimate and it was correct this time.

  Donna Tobey Posted February 1, 2008 10:31 AM