www.myfederalretirement.com

Financial Planning Resources for Federal & Postal Employees

CSRS (Civil Service Retirement System)

2027 CSRS / FERS / Social Security COLA Estimate

Fresh inflation data has forecasters pulling in different directions on the 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment. One major advocacy group lowered its estimate this month, while another raised its own — with two other independent forecasters landing lower still. See the range of estimates, what’s driving this summer’s inflation numbers, and what the outcome would mean for the both the CSRS and FERS annuity adjustments. more…

2027 CSRS / FERS COLA Watch for Federal Retirees

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest inflation data, and the 2027 federal retiree COLA trend has moved higher as a result. With one more month of Consumer Price Index data still to come, the estimate for CSRS, FERS, and Social Security retirees continues to shift — and the gap between the two systems remains a factor worth understanding well before the Social Security Administration’s official announcement in mid-October. more…

Federal Retirement Application Checklist: The Errors OPM Says Cause the Most Delays

Federal employees can’t control how fast OPM works through its retirement backlog, but they can control whether their own application is complete and error-free. From OPM’s official guidance, this guide walks through the documentation, forms, and common mistakes that most often delay processing under OPM’s Online Retirement Application (ORA) system. A companion checklist is available to download and work through before submitting your application. more…

Some CSRS Retirees May Still Be Missing Social Security Back Pay

If you have a CSRS pension and never applied for a Social Security spousal or survivor benefit because the Government Pension Offset would have reduced it to zero, that’s worth revisiting now. A new August 2026 Congressional Research Service report confirms that SSA’s six-month retroactivity limit for new applicants isn’t changing anytime soon, despite pushback from senators. The message: don’t wait for the policy to shift — every month you delay a claim is a month of back pay you can’t recover. more…

Lump-Sum Payment Upon the Death of a Former CSRS Employee or CSRS Offset Employee

If a former CSRS or CSRS Offset employee dies after leaving federal service but before applying for deferred retirement, no survivor annuity is payable — instead, a lump-sum death benefit goes to the named beneficiary or, if none was designated, follows OPM’s order of precedence. Ed Zurndorfer explains how the process works and what family members need to file. more…

Need Your SF-50? OPM’s New Online Tool Lets Former Employees Download Their Personnel Records

If you’re retired or separated from federal service, getting a copy of your personnel file used to mean paper forms, a call to your old agency, or a request to the National Personnel Records Center — often with a long wait attached. OPM’s new Document Request Service changes that. Eligible former employees can now request their complete eOPF file, including their SF-50s, entirely online, with records delivered securely by email in most cases. This guide breaks down who qualifies, how the process works, and why it’s worth doing even if you think you already have copies of your key documents. more…

Federal Retiree COLAs Could Be Higher Under Different Inflation Index, Report Says

A new Congressional Research Service report is renewing debate over whether retirement cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) should be based on how retirees actually spend their money instead of the inflation experienced by working households. While the report finds that a retiree-focused inflation index would have generally produced slightly higher COLAs over the past four decades, no changes to federal law are currently under consideration. Here’s what federal employees and retirees need to know about the proposal, why it matters, and whether it could affect future COLAs. more…