Description:
Acquire the information you need to make fully informed decisions about retirement. Learn how Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) annuities are calculated and how your health and life insurance benefits carry over into retirement. Learn about Social Security, Medicare, and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) withdrawal options. Gain an overview of financial and estate planning.
Who Should Attend?
Federal employees covered by CSRS who are within 10 years of retirement. Employees who do not anticipate retiring within the next 10 years should take Mid-Career Retirement Planning, FERS Participants Only (BENE8120D).
Spouses are welcome to attend at no charge.
Tuition:
$679.00
Credits:
1.2 CEU's
Class Type:
This course is currently being offered in the following training modalities:
- Online
- Virtual Instructor-Led - BENE7120A
- Class Length: This class is listed as a 2 day course.
- Virtual Instructor-Led - BENE7120A
- On-site
Learning Outcomes:
- Determine when you are able to retire and explain the major steps involved in the retirement application process
- Understand how your basic annuity will be computed and what benefits will be payable to your survivors
- Determine whether you will be entitled to Social Security benefits, including Medicare, and how/whether your Social Security benefit will be affected by either the Windfall Elimination Provision or the Government Pension Offset
- Identify your federal health and life insurance benefits after retirement
- Identify TSP withdrawal options
- Identify your retirement income needs and develop appropriate financial plans for your retirement
Day one of two
Introduction to Federal Benefits
- Course and student Objectives
- Overview of course content
- Definitions of retirement benefits terms
- Retirement Questions
Retirement Eligibility
- Retirement eligibility under CSRS
- Establishing your AMinimum Retirement Age@
- Determining the best time to retire
- Eligibility considerations for special employee categories
Annuity Computations
- Computing creditable service
- Components of the AHigh-3" average salary
- CSRS and FERS basic annuity computations
- Components of special employee categories
- Parameters for reductions to annuities
- How Cost of Living Adjustments impact annuities
- Re-employment annuities
- Voluntary retirement annuity contributions
Survivor Benefits
- Survivor benefits of deceased federal employees
- Death after separation from federal service
- Insurable interest eligibility
- Court awarded survivor annuities
- Selecting survivor benefits
- Parameters for children=s survivor benefits
Health and Life Insurance Benefits (FEHB/FEGLI)
- Eligibility considerations for the FEGLI
- FEGLI continuation coverage options
- Order of Precedence for FEGLI benefits
- Post-retirement coverage under the FEHB
- FEHB and Medicare
Day two of two
Social Security/Medicare Benefits
- Key terms and definitions of the Social Security program
- Social Security eligibility requirements
- Calculating Social Security benefits using PIA and AIME
- Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO)
- Eligibility requirements for Medicare
Income Tax Considerations
- Application of basic tax rules to CSRS benefits
- Taxation of TSP annuity payments
- Taxes applied to Social Security benefits
- Sources of information about retirement income taxes
Thrift Savings Plan
- TSP participation requirements
- Meeting your retirement financial needs
- TSP and CSRS
- TSP investment fund options
- Withdrawal and transfer options of TSP funds
- Estimating a TSP account balance
Application Forms and Information
- Uses of the various retirement application forms
- Information sources available to federal employees
- Methods for making changes to your records
- Points of contact for questions
- Resolving common retirement problems
