Federal Pension Advice and Insights

Aug 12, 2026

To file a deferred FERS retirement application in 2026, you submit it through OPM's Online Retirement Application (ORA) instead of mailing paper forms. FERS, the Federal Employees Retirement System, is the pension plan that covers most civilian federal workers hired after 1983. OPM, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, is the agency that adjudicates and pays federal annuities.

Aug 11, 2026

The 2027 FERS COLA, the annual inflation adjustment that may increase payments for eligible Federal Employees Retirement System annuitants, is not yet set.

Aug 10, 2026

Standard FERS employee contribution rates are not changing in 2026. Agency contribution rates are, effective the first pay period on or after October 1, 2026.

Aug 7, 2026

A FERS pension estimate is a projection of the annual basic annuity you may receive under stated assumptions. It's calculated under the statutory formula for FERS, the Federal Employees Retirement System, using your High-3 average basic pay, your years of creditable service, and a multiplier. OPM, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, administers it.

Aug 6, 2026

A federal retirement application checklist 2026 covers the forms, elections, and supporting records you should complete before separation so your agency can position the case for OPM's goal of issuing your first pension payment within seven days of retirement.

Aug 5, 2026

The phrase "federal employee performance review changes 2026" points to a final rule from OPM, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Aug 4, 2026

Starting July 2, 2026, federal employees and retirees generally must submit documents proving that a family member is eligible before that person can be added to their Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program coverage.

Aug 3, 2026

Federal retirement myths cost employees money and delay income at the worst possible time. Many FERS employees believe their pension starts immediately, their health coverage carries over automatically, and their survivor benefits are free. None of that is true.

Jul 31, 2026

The OPM retirement backlog is the queue of pending federal retirement applications waiting for final processing at OPM, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. In 2026, many new retirees wait months for their finalized annuity while receiving reduced "interim" payments.

Jul 30, 2026

The FERS annuity supplement is a temporary monthly payment from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). It bridges the income gap for eligible federal employees who retire before age 62, and it is not the same thing as Social Security.

Jul 29, 2026

Younger federal employees shouldn't assume Social Security will vanish, but they should build a retirement plan that still works if benefits are reduced. That's the core of sound younger federal employees retirement planning: treat Social Security as one funded pillar among three, then stress-test the whole plan against a smaller, later, or rule-changed benefit.

Jul 28, 2026

OPM FEHB data updates refer to two related actions by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that could expand how federal health claims data is collected and explain how that data may be stored, used, and shared.