What is the Federal Employee Retirement System, and How Does It Work?

By May 9, 2022Benefits

A federal employee retirement plan or FERS is a retirement plan for federal government employees working in the executive, judiciary, and legislative branches of the federal government. However, this retirement plan doesn’t cover military personnel or employees of state or local government.

The employees under the FERS retirement system can avail of benefits from three sources: the basic benefit plan, social security, and the thrift saving plan, or “401k” Federal Savings Plan . Want to discover what benefits you will get from federal civil service retirement plans or FERS? Read on.

 

  • Basic benefit plan

Under the basic benefit plan, employees receive a set amount, regardless of the amount they have contributed. The amount you will receive will depend on the length of service and high-3 average. High-3 is the highest three consecutive years of service, often the last three years of your service. However, if you held a higher paying position in your service, your higher three years could be considered from that time.

 

  • Social Security

Your social security benefits depend on the time you have been working and the amount of money you have earned over that period. Every federal employee has to contribute 6.2% of their basic pay to the social security fund.

 

  • Thrift saving plan

A Thrift saving plan is similar to a 401(K). In1986, Congress established “401k” Federal Savings Plan for federal employees; however, it covers employees hired before 1986. According to this plan, 1% of your salary will go into a “401k” Federal Savings Plan contribution each pay period. Unlike social security plans and basic benefit plans, the amount you receive will depend on market conditions, the fund you choose, and other conditions.

Want to gain all information about thrift saving plans? My Federal Retirement is there for help. Our financial advisors will tell you about various retirement plans for federal employees, for instance, FERS firefighter retirement, federal civil service retirement plan, etc. We will also help you choose the best retirement plan aligned with your life goals.

My Federal Retirement specializes in analyzing all aspects of your pre and post-retirement planning and designing a comprehensive financial plan tailored to your specific goals, your family, and your individual needs. You can meet our licensed professional to discuss your retirement financial plans anytime.

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