What you’ll learn
This track covers the mechanics of actually retiring, the part most guides skip. Learn the application packet you file, how long OPM takes to finalize your annuity and how interim payments bridge the gap, what hits your final paycheck, and what your cash flow and tax bill look like in the first year.
Lessons
7 lessons · 7 available- 01Phased retirement: who qualifies and what it costsWorking half-time while drawing half your annuity, the two eligibility routes that allow it, and the supplement you give up.6 min read
- 02The retirement application packet (SF-3107)What forms you file to retire, and the documents OPM needs to process your annuity.7 min read
- 03OPM processing time and interim paymentsHow long OPM takes to finalize your annuity, and how interim payments tide you over until it does.6 min read
- 04When OPM pays your annuity, and what the deposit saysThe monthly payment cycle, how to read the OPM1 TREAS 310 deposit on your statement, and what to do when a payment does not arrive.6 min read
- 05Your final paycheck when you retireWhat lands in your last salary payment, which deductions stop, and when each retirement payment actually arrives.10 min read
- 06Your 12-month pre-retirement runwayThe federal deadlines that close permanently when you separate, sequenced backward from your retirement date.9 min read
- 07Your first year of retirement: cash flow and taxesWhy the year you retire stacks salary, your leave payout, and a partial annuity into one unrepresentative tax year.9 min read
Common questions
- Who is the retiring this year track for?
This track is for federal employees in their final months of service. It covers the mechanics most guides skip: the application packet you file, how long OPM takes to finalize your annuity, and how interim payments bridge the gap. It also explains what lands in your final paycheck and why your first year of retirement is an unusual tax year. If retirement is still a few years away, the late career track comes first.
- What should I do first if I retire in the next twelve months?
Start with the 12-month pre-retirement runway. It lists the federal deadlines that close permanently when you separate, sequenced backward from your retirement date, so you can see what has to happen while you are still employed. Then read the lesson on the retirement application packet, which covers the SF-3107 and the documents OPM needs. The lessons on OPM processing and the payment schedule explain what happens after you file.
Your 12-month runwayThe application packetOPM processing and interim pay
- Does the retiring this year track cover phased retirement?
Yes. The phased retirement lesson explains working half-time while drawing half your annuity, the two eligibility routes that allow it, and the supplement you give up by choosing it. Phased retirement needs agency approval, so it belongs in the planning for your final year rather than after you leave. The glossary also carries a short definition if you only need the term.
Put this track to work
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