Federal Employee's CSRS & FERS Federal Civil Service Retirement
& Financial Planning Resources
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CSRS Annuity Menu
Your basic annuity is computed based on your length of service (which
includes unused sick leave if you retire on an immediate annuity) and "high-3"
average pay. The high-3 average pay includes locality pay and annual premiums
for standby duty and availability if applicable. Other pay such as
differentials, overtime, allowances and others are not included.
To determine your length of service for computation, add all your periods of
creditable service, and the period represented by your
unused sick leave, then eliminate from the total any fractional part of a
month. Your "high-3" average pay is the highest average basic pay you earned
during any 3 consecutive years of service. Generally, your basic annuity cannot
be more than 80 percent of your "high-3" average pay, unless the amount over 80
percent is due to crediting your unused sick leave.
Your yearly basic annuity is computed by adding:
- 1 1/2 percent of your "high-3" average pay times service up to 5
years;
- 1 3/4 percent of your "high-3" pay times years of service over 5
and up to 10; and
- 2 percent of your "high-3" pay times years of service over 10.
Your basic annuity will be reduced if:
- you retire before age 55 (unless you retire for disability or
under the special provisions for law enforcement officers, air traffic
controllers, and firefighters);
- you didn't make a deposit for service performed prior to October
1, 1982, during which no deductions were taken from your pay (non-deduction
service after that date is not used in the computation of benefits if the
deposit is not paid);
- you didn't make a redeposit of a refund for a period of service
that ended before October 1, 1990; or (d) you provide for a survivor
annuitant.
If you are married, your annuity will be reduced automatically to provide the
maximum survivor annuity for your spouse, unless you and your spouse jointly
agree to provide a lesser amount or none at all. Your spouse's survivor annuity
would be 55 percent of your basic annuity or any lesser amount you and your
spouse agree to. Your annuity would be reduced by 2 1/2 percent of the first
$3,600 in basic annuity and 10 percent of the remainder of your basic annuity.
Review the information on electing a survivor's
annuity and issues that you should consider before electing a reduced
spousal annuity.
Your annuity is increased periodically by cost-of-living increases that occur
after you retire. Your initial cost-of-living increase will be prorated based on
how long you have been retired when that cost-of-living increase is granted.
Redeposit of CSRS contributions
For those who left federal service earlier in their career, cashed out their
retirement account, and then returned your time still count towards years in
service but your annuity will be reduced if you don't redeposit what you
withdrew earlier in your career.
To estimate the interest charges for deposits covering employment on or after
10/1/1982 and redeposit of refunds applied for on or after that date, are
subject to an interest rate of 3 percent per year through December 31, 1984.
After that date, annual interest is based on market rates.
To redeposit your contributions with interest you will need to complete a
SF 2803 form. Download this form and
complete Part A. Your agency must complete Part B using your official personnel
(OPF) data. Print out the form and the instructions will explain what the
interest charges are and how they are calculated.
You can explore all of your retirement options and benefits on my this site and
I suggest signing up for my free monthly retirement planning email newsletter.
In additional to redepositing this amount visit our FAQ
page for a list of what you need to do starting one year before you leave and a
summary of what to expect from OPM the first three months after you leave. You
will also find helpful articles on how to
emotionally,
physically, and
financially
prepare for retirement.
Under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 there is
now a limited expansion of the class of individuals eligible to receive an
actuarially reduced annuity.
Under existing law applicable only to CSRS, individuals who received refunds of
retirement deductions for a period of service ending prior to October 1, 1990,
may make a redeposit of the refund by actuarial annuity reduction in lieu of
cash redeposit. Section 1902 now permits actuarial reductions in lieu of cash
redeposit for refunds covering periods of service ending prior to March 1, 1991.
The amendment applies only to non-disability annuities based on a separation
from service occurring on or after October 28, 2009. Use the
new actuarial calculator located at
www.fedbens.us to calculate wheather or not it is more beneficial for you to
make the redeposit or to take the actuarial reduction.
Previously, individuals retiring under CSRS who were employed on a part-time
basis during their final three years of service have had their annuities
computed using two different high-three average salaries. The annuity
calculation for service performed on or after April 7, 1986, utilizes what is
referred to as a “deemed high-three” average salary which is computed using the
full-time equivalent rates of pay for the high-three period. The
annuity calculation for service performed before April 7, 1986, utilizes a
high-three average salary based upon the highest rates of pay actually received
by the individual, which may be for a period prior to the final three years of
service. In other words, under law prior to this amendment, one high-three
average salary was based on the pay actually received and the other based on pay
the individual would have received assuming they worked full-time (the deemed
high-three).
Section 1903 provides that the “deemed high-three” average salary will be
utilized for all service, regardless of when performed. Section 1903 does
not change the other provisions applicable to calculation of annuities involving
part-time service. The amendment applies only to annuities based on a
separation from service occurring on or after October 28, 2009.
Because the CSRS plan is only offered to government employees (not the
general public) it is an employer-sponsored plan, unlike Social
Security and IRAs. This topic general comes up with IRA use and therefore the
best information I found on the topic is on page 13 of:
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p590.pdf
Tax information about the federal retirement programs is available at:
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p721.pdf . You should seek the guidance of a
professional tax preparation specialist or the IRS for specific tax
information.
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