Halfway Through 2026: Your Mid-Year Federal Retirement Checklist

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A mid-year retirement checklist is a structured June or July review of your federal retirement plan. It confirms your Thrift Savings Plan contributions are on pace, your benefit elections still fit your goals, and the year's rule changes are reflected in your strategy.

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For federal employees, the midpoint of the calendar year is one of the best moments to catch problems. You still have time to fix them before December's deadlines lock in.

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This guide walks you through every part of that review, in order, with the verified 2026 figures you need to act on. The goal is simple. Leave this page knowing exactly what to check, what has changed this year, and what to do about it.

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Federal Pension Advisors, a retirement planning firm specializing in federal employee benefits, built this checklist around the deadlines and rules that matter most to FERS and CSRS employees specifically.

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Why a Mid-Year Review Beats a Year-End Scramble

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The mid-year point gives you roughly half the year's pay periods remaining to correct your course. A December review does not.

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If your Thrift Savings Plan contributions are off pace, June leaves time to adjust your per-pay-period amount and still hit the annual limit without front-loading. Wait until November, and your only options are an uncomfortably large catch-up deduction or a missed target.

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A mid-year review also lets you prepare for benefit changes before Open Season and year-end deadlines arrive. Most costly federal benefits mistakes are not dramatic. They are quiet, like an outdated beneficiary form or a contribution rate that silently capped your agency match.

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Catching these in June is the difference between a five-minute fix and a year of lost matching dollars.

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Step 1: Confirm Your TSP Contributions Are on Pace

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The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), the federal government's tax-advantaged retirement savings program, raised its contribution limits for 2026. Your June review should confirm you're tracking toward the right number.

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According to the TSP, the 2026 elective deferral limit is $24,500, up $1,000 from 2025. Employees age 50 and older can add a catch-up contribution of $8,000, for a combined $32,500.

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A third tier trips up many employees. According to the TSP, participants who turn 60, 61, 62, or 63 during 2026 qualify for a higher catch-up limit of $11,250 under Section 109 of the SECURE 2.0 Act. That brings their combined total to $35,750. In the year you turn 64 or older, the catch-up limit returns to the standard $8,000.

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To check your pace, divide your target by the 26 pay periods. According to the TSP, hitting the $24,500 limit evenly requires roughly $943 per pay period.

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The mid-year math is what matters. If you haven't contributed close to half your target by the end of June, your remaining per-period amount needs to rise.

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Watch the front-loading trap. For employees under age 50, the TSP stops your contributions entirely once you hit $24,500. Your agency match stops with them.

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According to the TSP, the agency match applies only to the first 5% of basic pay you contribute each pay period. Maxing out early in the year can forfeit matching dollars in the final months.

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The fix is to spread contributions evenly, not aggressively. Employees age 50 and older are protected by the spillover mechanism, which automatically routes excess contributions into the catch-up bucket. Deductions can continue until the applicable catch-up limit is reached.

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Step 2: Review Your TSP Investment Allocation

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Your contribution amount and your investment mix are two separate decisions. Mid-year is the time to confirm the second one still fits.

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The TSP offers five core funds: the G Fund (government securities), F Fund (fixed income), C Fund (large-cap stocks), S Fund (small and mid-cap stocks), and I Fund (international stocks). It also offers the Lifecycle (L) Funds, which automatically shift toward conservative holdings as a target date approaches.

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Find the best TSP fund for your goals 

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A common allocation mistake is leaving everything in the G Fund for decades, where inflation steadily erodes purchasing power. The opposite risk applies near retirement. An all-equity mix with two years left offers no protection against a downturn just as you need the money.

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A mid-year check answers one question. Does my current mix match my actual time horizon? If your retirement date has moved closer since you first enrolled, your allocation should reflect that.

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Step 3: Act on the 2026 Roth Conversion and Catch-Up Rule Changes

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Two SECURE 2.0 Act provisions took effect this year. Both deserve a place on your mid-year checklist.

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According to the TSP, in-plan Roth conversions are available beginning January 28, 2026. They let you move money from your traditional (pre-tax) balance into a Roth (after-tax) balance without rolling funds out to an IRA.

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The converted amount becomes taxable income in the year of conversion. Mid-year is the ideal time to model the tax impact while you still have time to decide whether smaller staged conversions make sense for the rest of 2026.

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The second change affects higher earners. According to the TSP, starting in 2026, your catch-up contributions must be made as Roth contributions rather than traditional if your prior-year FICA wages exceeded $150,000. The threshold rose from the originally planned $145,000.

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If this applies to you, the TSP treats your traditional catch-up elections as Roth once you hit the deferral limit. The tax treatment changes, which means your tax planning may need to change too.

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Step 4: Verify Your FEHB, FEGLI, and Beneficiary Designations

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Mid-year is the moment to pull up your benefit elections. Confirm each one still reflects your life as it is today, not as it was when you last looked.

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Three elections matter most. FEHB, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, saw a significant premium increase for 2026. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the average enrollee share of FEHB premiums rose 12.3% for 2026, while the overall average premium increase was 10.2%.

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That makes a plan review worthwhile during the year, even though plan changes wait for Open Season.

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FEGLI, the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance program, and your TSP beneficiary form both rely on designations that are easy to forget. A beneficiary form that names an ex-spouse or omits a new child overrides anything written in your will.

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Confirming these takes minutes and prevents an outcome no one intends.

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Step 5: Check Your Retirement Milestones and the 2026 COLA

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If you're within a few years of retiring, your mid-year review should confirm where you stand against your key milestones. The Minimum Retirement Age, is the earliest age a FERS employee can retire with an immediate annuity. It ranges from 55 to 57 depending on your birth year.

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Pair that against your years of creditable service to know which retirement options are open to you.

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For current annuitants, and for employees close to retirement, COLA rules matter. Full or prorated eligibility depends on retirement date and retirement system.

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According to OPM, the 2026 COLA is 2.8% for annuitants under CSRS, the Civil Service Retirement System, and 2.0% for those under FERS, the Federal Employees Retirement System. The gap reflects the FERS "diet COLA" rule. According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), when inflation falls between 2% and 3%, FERS retirees receive a capped 2.0% instead of the full figure.

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Eligibility also varies. Under FERS, non-disability retirees generally do not receive COLAs before age 62, with exceptions for disability and survivor benefits. Some annuitants receive prorated COLAs depending on when their benefits began.

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Use our TSP calculator to estimate your retirement savings.

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CSRS vs. FERS: How the 2026 Mid-Year Picture Differs

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The two federal retirement systems handle several mid-year considerations differently. The table below summarizes the distinctions most relevant to your 2026 review.

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Source: OPM and Congressional Research Service, 2026.

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For FERS employees, the TSP carries far more weight in your retirement income. You receive an agency match, and your pension formula is leaner by design.

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For CSRS employees, the pension does the heavy lifting. The TSP still offers valuable tax-deferred savings even without a match.

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Your Mid-Year Action List

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Use this sequence to complete your review in one sitting:

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• Confirm TSP pace. Verify you're near half your annual target and adjust your per-pay-period amount if needed.

• Protect your match. If you're under 50, confirm your contributions will not max out before December.

• Review your allocation. Check that your fund mix matches your current time horizon.

• Model any Roth conversion. If converting in 2026, estimate the tax impact now, while you still have time to weigh smaller staged conversions.

• Verify benefit elections. Confirm FEHB, FEGLI, and all beneficiary forms are current.

• Check your milestones. Confirm your MRA and service years against your retirement plans.

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Take the Next Step

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A mid-year review is most valuable when you check the numbers against your specific situation rather than general rules. Federal Pension Advisors, a retirement planning firm specializing in federal employee benefits, helps FERS and CSRS employees coordinate their TSP, pension, FEHB, and Social Security strategy into a single plan.

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Schedule a benefits review to confirm your 2026 plan is on track before year-end deadlines arrive.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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When should I review my federal retirement plan? 

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Review your federal retirement plan at least once mid-year, around June or July, with a second check before December's contribution deadlines. The mid-year point leaves you roughly half the year's pay periods to correct your TSP pace, adjust elections, and act on regulatory changes before year-end windows close.

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How much can I contribute to my TSP in 2026? 

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According to the TSP, the 2026 elective deferral limit is $24,500 for all ages. Employees 50 and older can add an $8,000 catch-up for $32,500 total. Participants turning 60 to 63 in 2026 qualify for an $11,250 catch-up under SECURE 2.0, reaching $35,750 combined.

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What is the 2026 COLA for federal retirees?

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 According to OPM, the 2026 cost-of-living adjustment is 2.8% for CSRS annuitants and 2.0% for FERS annuitants, reflecting the FERS "diet COLA" cap. Not everyone receives the full amount. FERS COLAs generally are not paid before age 62, and some annuitants receive a prorated COLA based on when benefits began.

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Can I convert my traditional TSP to Roth in 2026?

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 Yes. According to the TSP, in-plan Roth conversions became available January 28, 2026, letting you move traditional balances to Roth without an IRA rollover. The converted amount counts as taxable income that year, so model the tax impact before converting a large sum in a single year.

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Will my TSP catch-up contributions have to be Roth in 2026? 

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Only if you're a high earner. According to the TSP, employees whose prior-year FICA wages exceeded $150,000 must make catch-up contributions as Roth rather than traditional beginning in 2026. The conversion happens automatically once you hit the deferral limit, but the after-tax treatment changes your tax planning.

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What is the FERS Minimum Retirement Age? 

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The MRA, or Minimum Retirement Age, is the earliest age a FERS employee can retire with an immediate annuity. It ranges from 55 to 57 depending on your year of birth. Reaching your MRA with enough creditable service determines which retirement options, including the Special Retirement Supplement, are available to you.

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This article is for educational purposes and informs rather than advises. Verify all benefit figures against OPM.gov and TSP.gov for your specific circumstances. Federal Pension Advisors, a retirement planning firm specializing in federal employee benefits, does not provide individualized investment, tax, or legal advice through this content.

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