Best Dates to Retire 2012

How long will the pay freeze last? Will your retirement be computed on your highest three years of salary, or five? Will we see a cost-of-living adjustment for retirees in the near future? Will the formula change for computing the government's contribution to the Federal Employees Health Benefits program? So many things are up in the air as Congress looks at ways to cut federal spending and reduce the deficit. And it's possible that some of the savings may come at the expense of federal retirement benefits.

Under these circumstances, now might be a good time to start considering your retirement date, even if your departure is more than a year away. So I've prepared a special downloadable, printable calendar showing the best dates to retire for each month next year:

Download Best Dates to Retire 2012

Tammy Flanagan is the senior benefits director for the National Institute of Transition Planning Inc., which conducts federal retirement planning workshops and seminars. She has spent 25 years helping federal employees take charge of their retirement by understanding their benefits.

For more retirement planning help, tune in to "For Your Benefit," presented by the National Institute of Transition Planning Inc. live on Monday mornings at 10 a.m. ET on federalnewsradio.com or on WFED AM 1500 in the Washington metro area.