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Return to Article: Make Retirement Easy

• 48516
  

  79 years old and retiring, and I bet under CSRS. Good for you!

  HOWEVER, I would say the government won that one big time!! Hope you have a surving spouse.

  rooster Posted April 14, 2008 3:04 PM
• 48447
  

  I'm retiring at the emd of this year. I work for the Army, so I an able to use retirement estimation tools provided by ABC-C. I ran several scenarios, prior to receiving my retirement estimate last week, and found that my estimates were pretty good. That is the good news.

  Bad news: When I called the ABC-C to ask one or two follow-up questions about my retirement, I was cautioned to be sure that certain documents were sent to be included in my OPF. I asked how to do this. I was told to take the documents to my local CPAC (HR). I recently learned that my local CPAC (HR) does not know how to do this. Then I asked where exactly my OPF was located. I was told that they were located where the "old" CPOC was located, but there was no longer a CPOC. And that it is now a processing center.

  The problem: My OPF will need to be sent to OPM to process "after" my retirement date. I'm not sure that "anyone" really knows where my OPF is located. That is scary. The ABC-C has told me that it can take up to four months after my retirement date for my first interim check to arrive. And that is if I turn in my papers 3-4 months prior to my retirement date.

  With over 32 years of government service, I'm more than ready to leave, but I feel like I'm stepping out into a dark abyss with nothing. After over 32 years of knowing the pay check was in the bank every two weeks, I'm getting a little concerned.

  For those who will have to rely on RSM in the future, you have my sympathy. As we become more "automated" we seem to lose accountability. Is anyone minding the store?

  Tammy, you are great to provide the information and advice you do every week. It has helped me dot all the i's and cross all the t's. I'm just wondering if anything is enough.

  Susan D Posted April 11, 2008 11:05 PM
• 48436
  

  Come on! An online program, complete with prompts and tutorials for Government employees to compute their retirement options shouldn't be that difficult to develop. After all, the IRS and the commercial tax software industry have some pretty capable and accurate online systems for preparing income taxes. What could be more complicated then filing one's taxes? I guess the degree of difficulty is directly influenced by whether the Government is collecting money or paying money out!

  ....KP Posted April 11, 2008 2:08 PM
• 48420
  

  I am 79 years old and am planning on retiring this year if I find it financially possible. One of the people I talked to on the phone told me my retirment would be pro-rated over a twenty year period. At my age this seems a bit ludicrous. Is there anyway I can get that down to over a ten year period instead? What other suggestions might you have for me. I am rather an enigma in our forest and no one seems to be able to answer my questions. Thanks for any information you might be able to give me.

  Barbara Suits Posted April 11, 2008 10:35 AM
• 48417
  

  Tammy, both you and your husband will be retired before RetireEZ lives up to expectation, if ever. OPM is scrambling to put a positive spin on a program that is fatally flawed. Is this working as planned? Hardly! Linda Springer is being told what she wants to hear. It reminds me of a song from the musical "The Wiz"; "Ain't gonna bring me no bad news." If RetireEZ can't process basic retirement claims, how will it ever produce reliable estimates?

  Captain VISIO Posted April 11, 2008 9:48 AM
• 48409
  

  Under CSRS, I was always told you must be 56 years old and have 30 years plus 2 months of service after my Service Comp Date (August 13) before you could retire. Why does my payroll office state that we could retire on my birth date (July) when I am 55 with 32 years of service? Would I have to take a reduction on my annuity, if I retired before my SCD which is in August?

  Teresa J. House Posted April 11, 2008 9:07 AM
• 48408
  

  Good example. Similar to my own situation. DOB 6/27/53. MRA age 56. Prior government service of approximately seven years but not creditable (CSRS deposits withdrew when I left government).... 13 years current creditable service (FERS system). Per personnel office can repay deposit of $7500 for prior 7 years non-credited...Do you advise paying the deposit??.... Assume I plan to retire at age 60 or approximately 8/2013. Why, why not?

  thanks.

  karen callahan Posted April 11, 2008 9:01 AM
• 48406
  

  As one of the 26,000 employees serviced by the GSA SSC (termed "Wave 1" by OPM) now covered supposedly by the RSM process, we have yet to be given any information - despite repeated inquiries - when the features mentioned in the article, e.g., being able to run different retirement scenarios ourselves, etc. will be made available to us. It all sounds great, but as the old advertising tagline went: "Where's the [RSM] beef?"

  jeremiah Posted April 11, 2008 8:46 AM
• 48401
  

  This system may be helpful to many, but I'd be shocked if OPM thought about making it accessible to the growing number of retirees with visual impairments who use screen reading software to access computerized information. OPM's website USAJOBS is not screenreader friendly despite the requirements of section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Without accessibility we must either continue to rely on agency HR to answer our retirement questions, or sacrifice our privacy and use the new system with a sighted individual. Progress? Electronic accessibility issues will only increase as age-related visual impairments effect baby-boomer retirees.

  William Meeker Posted April 11, 2008 8:29 AM