RETIREMENT TIMELINE
ONE YEAR PRIOR
CONTACT HE SHARES SERVICE CENTER AT 877-477-3273. IF YOU HAVE MILITARY TIME OR UNFUNDED CIVILSERVICE TIME THEY CAN HELP YOU FIND OU THE AMOUNT OWED AND THE IMPACT ON YOUR ANNUITY. DO YOUR HOMEWORK ABOUT ANY OTHER BENEFITS TO WHICH YOU MAY BE ENTITLED. REQUEST AN ANNUITY ESTIMATE FROM HRSSC OR LITEBLUE. ESTIMATE THE MONTHLY DEDUCTIONS THAT WILL BE TAKEN SUCH AS INSURANCE. LOOK AT YOUR TSP AND ESTIMATE HOW MUCH YOU WILL NEED IN RETIREMENT. IF YOU HAVE AN OUTSTANDING LOAN MAY ARRANGEMENTS TO PAY IT OFF OR TO UNDERSTAND THE TAS IMPLICATIONS AT RETIREMENT.
SIX MONTHS PRIOR
CALL HRSSC AT 877-477-3273, OPTION 5, TO REQUEST AN APPLICATION FORM/RETIREMENT PACKET (BLUE BOOK). CSRS WILL RECEIVE SF2801 AND FERS WILL RECEIVE SF3107 FOR IMMEDIATE RETIREMENT. AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE YOUR BLUE BOOK, CALLHRSSC TO SCHEDULE RETIREMENT COUNSELING. IT CAN TAKE A WHILE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT. REVIEW YOUR PERSONNEL FILE ON LITEBLUE.USPS.GOV. IT SHWS ENROLLMENTS, LWOP AND SALARY INFORMATION. SAVE A COPY OF YOU RFILE AS YOU WILL LOSE ACCESS TO LITEBLUE AFTER RETIREMENT.
TWO TO FOUR MONTHS PRIOR
MAKE COPIES OF ALL FORMS BEFORE FILLING THEM OUT. OPM WILL NOT ACCEPT FROMS IF THEY HAVE CROSS-OUTS, WHITE-OUTS OR OTHER EDITS. READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE FILLING OUT THE FORMS. TRY TO SUBMIT THE RETIREMENT PACKAGE AT LEAST SIX WEEKS PRIOR TO RETIREMENT. HAVE A SAVINGS CUSHION IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO PAY BILLS FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS UNTIL YOUR INTERIM PAYMENTS BEGIN.