Class Of 2025

Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen of fiduciary curiosity. Another year, another (Retiring) Class article. The only article of the year that YOU write.

If you are new this year, this article is a list of interview questions answered by those Fersonians that recently retired. It is meant to provide some insight into why they retired when they did, how they made the decision, and how things have turned out.

The reasoning is simple—-When you’re scared about going through something, it sometimes helps to hear from others that just went through the same thing. Hence, this article.

Post your comments. And share with others. We need to help each other out as much as we can.

CLASS OF 2025

Did you retire at first eligibility or later? What were the reasons for leaving when you did?

* I retired at my very first point of eligibility, age 50. I actually made the decision to walk away when I was 45 and sat down to do the math. I realized my pension and Retiree Annuity Supplement (RAS) combined would be roughly $110,000 a year. Every month I stayed in my GS-15 position past 50 was money I was effectively leaving on the table. After looking at the numbers with Chris Barfield, I realized I only needed an extra $30,000 a year on top of my annuity to maintain my net income and lifestyle. By staying, I would have been forfeiting $10,000 a month in benefits, meaning I was essentially working a high-stress Nat Sec job for only $80,000 a year. That math made the decision to jump very clear.

*I retired a little more than 5 years after my first eligibility. While I met my MRA as a SCE

(firefighter) in 2020, I wanted to grow my TSP and increase my high 3 following an unexpected

promotion to a higher grade. The volatility of my agency, the hiring freeze and concerns with

changes to the FERS retirement benefits were my reasons for retirement.

*About 18 months after first eligibility. Got diagnosed with cancer and had major surgery. Came back for 8 months but decided to retire while I was still in good health overall.

*I was regular FERS and was eligible at 57. I retired from federal service at age 53 under

VERA/DRP 2.0 and I’m continuing working in the engineering consulting field. I left Federal

service because of the uncertainty with the Federal workforce and the ability to retire early with

FEHB.

* Retired 5 days after first VERA eligibility. Biggest reason for leaving was to avoid getting stuck until MRA (over a decade from now).

* Retired two months after first eligible. Had told myself for years that I was going to leave on

day one of eligibility but I hit some agency-logistics speedbumps since I was retiring from an

overseas office and needing the PCS move back to the States.

* Yes, I retired effective the last day of the month in which I became first eligible

(April). I was going to retire at this time anyway, so I took the DRP 1.0. When it

looked like Congress would maybe pass the new bill to possibly eliminate the

FERS Retirement Annuity Supplement, I decided to officially retire when I did

instead of waiting any longer in the DRP.

* Later; at mandatory. I was originally retiring at first eligibility due to an issue with a terrible boss; after he was replaced and left for the place where all FBI terrible bosses go (a promotion to FBIHQ), I was talked into staying by his successor. It was only 2 years to mandatory so I considered the 2 years stint my retirement job. I’m not looking at working again.

* I retired 6 months after eligibility. 

* I left the very first day that I was eligible with 25 years of service. The time was right, my

eligibility date was a Friday at the end of the period, it seems as though it was meant to be.

*3 years after eligibility. I got divorced in 2019 and needed to get my TSP back up to an amount I felt comfortable retiring with.

*No - I retired at age 62 years and 1 month because I am a NON SCE.  As a result, I qualified for 1.1% of all of my years of service by virtue of reaching age 62.  My intention is to claim social security at age 64, so I wanted to maximize my pension and still retire early enough to travel and enjoy the next chapter.

*I retired in the first month I was eligible (Feb 2025). I loved my job and my team as a GS-15 Unit Chief but the 2-hour daily commute was a drag and I had better things awaiting me at home.

* Retired four years after eligibility. Children completed college and pension covered

expenses.

* As soon as I found another job after I was eligible. I have to work a few more years before my

wife is eligible, so I might as well work less hours and pull in two paychecks (annuity + new

job)…

* Yes, I accepted the DRP with VERA. Regular FERS 50 years old with 29 years of service.

* I was eligible Aug 12, 2025. I was an SES and attempted to DRP, but was denied because of me being SES. I requested (back in January) to be able to burn 90 days of AL to leave early. I was denied, but allowed to burn 60 days of AL to start at a post-retirement job. Last day in the office was May 25, 2025. Official retire date was Aug 12, 2025.

* Yes, Regular FERS employee, age 53 with 34 years of service. Retired via VERA + DRP 2.0. I

passed on VERA + DRP 1.0 because it was too abrupt (VERA was offered by my department

26 hours prior to deadline and I hadn’t crunched the numbers enough to know I could go.).

I was 4 years short of my MRA. My agency had 4 acting heads in the first 90 days after

Inauguration Day. The second of which took DRP 2.0 so I figured there couldn’t be a more

ringing endorsement to leave and…..I was a member of the Multi-Double Comma Club.

*  I was eligible in August 2024 and after 25 years as a 1811.  I retired on October 31, 2026.  The main reason for retiring was a fear that Congress would change the retirement benefits that I worked towards and earned throughout my career, essentially requiring me to work longer for the same benefits.  Additional reasons was my TSP being over $1 million and an opportunity arose to work in the private sector.   

* I retired two years after eligibility only to feed my TSP more.

* I retired at 52. I had been eligible for over two years. It was time to let go, and pursue other

ventures.

* Yes, well Two days after first eligibility. I spent 5 years in the penalty box and retired

SCE prior to age 50 with 25 years. I’m someone who retired, mid year, mid month, and

mid pay period. I did decide to go on Friday vs. Wednesday because I might as well

finish off the week. While I liked a lot about my career, in the last five years I realized

staying longer than first eligibility would have been too detrimental to my mental and

physical health. I also saved in my TSP (and outside accounts once I was a GS13)

from when I was first eligible, maxing it out by the time I was a GS 13. I had enough

money and I had to ask myself what would staying more get me and what cost was it to

stick around. (That cost was my sanity and The benefit was just not enough to stick

around)

* I retired later. I started working as a Fed in Jan 1986. I just felt it was time to retire and I had maxed out my pay as a GS-14 step 10 with special rates.

* After my session with a chris just confirmed what I hoped was true.  No reason to stay

* I became eligible to retire three years after my divorce was finalized. I decided to continue working to add service years to reduce the impact of the divorce order and to continue to build the TSP. The former spouse was awarded half of the marital portion of my FERS pension. The ex was also awarded the marital portion of the TSP. As far as reasons for leaving when I did, I had heard from others that you know when it’s time to retire. That was true for me.

* I was eligible at 56 and 2 months, intended to retire at 62, but retired at 60 on 30 Sep 25. My last day at work was on 30 May. Dissatisfaction with the chaos and unknown trajectory of my organization in the prior 3-6 months prompted my desire to retire earlier than originally intended.

* Retired on first day eligible.  My reasons for leaving were twofold:  1. Spend more time with family.  2. It wasn’t fun anymore and I was burned out.    

* First eligibility.

I received a decent job offer (5% less pay; less responsibility, average benefits; 15 minutes closer

to home… overall almost equal), so I decided to cash out. The past year saw a massive exodus

of talent from my office, with those of us remaining with experience massively overloaded with

the remaining work. I rarely was able to take a true day off without disturbance from the office,

so my annual leave seemed almost worthless.

* I planned to go three years beyond my eligibility as an SCE in order to max my high-3. I

eventually learned I’d be financially way better off to retire, collect my pension, and get a

retirement job. Plus, the stress of the job was getting old and I knew it was time to go. When the

DRP came along, I couldn’t turn it down and retired just shy of 52 years old, about a year earlier

than I planned, with 22 years as an SA.

* No, my MRA 56yrs 2mos 20+ years of FERS.  My FERS pension would have been reduced 5% a year before the age 60 with less than 30 years of FERS.  I retired at 60 years of age with 28 years of FERS

* I retired just as soon as I was eligible for the 1.1% per year and used the “first” best retirement dates that are published. Reasons for leaving were that I had enough saved for retirement and my talents had not been appreciated for decades.

* I was first eligible to retire in September 2016, but I had divorced in 2008 and lost most of my  TSP, and my former spouse was eligible to receive a portion of my pension.  I decided to continue to work in my agency for nine more years, including a two-year stint overseas.  The longer I stayed, the more my TSP and high three increased.  Upon my return from overseas, I stayed on for three years to ensure my high three was my last three years during the inflationary times, and not the three years prior to going overseas.  As a result my high three increased from $164,000 to $185,000.

*The difference between retiring at 20 years and when I finally retired at 29 years, was a pension that was $5600 per month instead of $3000 per month, and a TSP at $2,050,000 instead of $350,000.

* No, stayed 10 years after eligibility. I hit the button in OCT 2025, separated in NOV 2025.

Reasons for leaving: My retirement goal was 2026-2027 but I decided to go anyway. Although I

loved my job and staff, my agency was no longer the agency I agreed to be a part of 30+ years

ago. I was also passed over for promotions, capped at my grade level, and only looking at a 1%

2026 raise. Staying just wasn’t worth it. In Fall of 2025 I applied to a company, and they showed

very high interest in me for their team, so I left. (Go where you are celebrated, not tolerated!)

* I did not retire when first eligible. I was planning on retiring at end of 2026 but the DRP made it an easy decision to leave in March and have 09/30/26 retirement date. 2-3 months aren’t worth sticking around for.

* I retired approximately 3 years after eligibility. Someone mentioned to me years ago, you will know when it’s the right time. That’s what happened, I was no longer interested in doing the job.

* I retired at the end of the May when I turned 50. I had thought about staying till the end of the year to get more AL to sell. I eventually settled on having more free time and a bigger COLA adjustment the next year. I loved my career but realizing my hourly rate went from $90 dollars to about $10-15 once I was eligible was powerful. 

*I retired five months after becoming eligible. I retired at 50 with 24 years as an FBI Agent.

There were aspects of the job that I was not enjoying anymore and was growing tired of the

politics and B.S. When I hit the 15-year mark of my career I was convinced I would stay to age

57, but as each year went by, I keep lowering my estimated age of retirement and ultimately left

at 50. Additionally, and probably most significantly, I had experienced a personal tragedy with

losing a child two years before retiring. That is a life shattering experience and one that changed

my perspective on just about everything. That certainly played a pivotal role in my decision, as it

made me rethink priorities.

* Retired later. Got an assignment I really wanted (and liked) at about my eligibility point, so i

stayed two more years and left on DRP.

*I retired 6 months after first eligibility, 50 y/o. I was already looking for another job but was not

willing to retire until then. I retired because of all the nonsense happening in Congress and also

locally in my office. It was time for me to move on and I knew I could. My first kid is starting

college and I have another one going in two years so I knew I would continue working after

retiring.

*Later. I was eligible to retire in 2019 at 56 years old and 36 years of service. I waited until November 2025 to retire to get the extra pension percentage at age 62. I left because I had reached my personal target retirement age of 62. I retired on 11/29/2025 since that date was very close to the end of the month and it also was the last day of a pay period. I knew that my FERS annuity would begin on 12/01/2025. My job had long since become something I dreaded. Later. I was eligible to retire in 2019 at 56 years old and 36 years of service. I waited until November 2025 to retire to get the extra pension percentage at age 62. I left because I had reached my personal target retirement age of 62. I retired on 11/29/2025 since that date was very close to the end of the month and it also was the last day of a pay period. I knew that my FERS annuity would begin on 12/01/2025. My job had long since become something I dreaded.

*I retired at my maximum age of 57 (ATF GS 1811-14/10).  I enjoyed the job and would have stayed but ATF stopped authorizing extensions. 

*No. New Administration, opportunity to use DRP 2.0.

*I was eligible in August 2025, retired 12/31/25

*MRA was 2/27/26, but I took DRP 1.0 and retired 12/31/25 with VERA.

*I retired 520 days after becoming eligible. I had just accepted a promotion at the initial date of

eligibility. The main reason I decided to retire when I did was mainly to safeguard my

Retirement Annuity Supplement (RAS) due to concerns it might be potentially eliminated by

new legislation in the summer of 2025. Although the RAS was ultimately preserved, I felt

confident in my decision. Additionally, after 26 years in federal law enforcement, mounting

uncertainty and negativity within the government after the new administration’s arrival made me

ready to leave. To be fair, I had always planned to retire in 2025, whether mid-year, fiscal year or

calendar year, but these factors prompted me to do so a bit earlier than anticipated by two

months.

What was the exact financial reason (and moment) you decided to retire, if you can point to one thing?

*The definitive moment was the realization of the "opportunity cost" of staying. Once I saw that my TSP balance was large enough to withdraw the small amount needed to bridge my lifestyle gap in perpetuity—without the balance ever stopping its growth—the fear vanished. I had reached a point where my guaranteed income plus a very conservative draw from my TSP made working full-time for the government mathematically illogical.

*The proposal that targeted elimination of the FERS annuity supplement was the determining

factor for my retirement. While the proposal didn’t affect me due to changes in legislation, I was

ready to start the next chapter. Loss of the RAS would have greatly affected my SCE retirement

portfolio.

*Knowing that between my annuity, supplement, and TSP I could make the exact amount I made while working made it an easy decision.

* I made the decision to retire as soon as DRP 2.0 was offered with VERA. I already had a job

lined up to start once this opportunity was made available to retire early.

* Exact moment was when DoD came out with their DRP(2) + VERA offer, and my position

wasn’t excluded. Financially, I was set, as my net pension would cover bare bones budget, plus

some extras.

* Never experienced a nasty divorce and did not have kids so the money was never a real issue

(never took a loan). I planned from the very beginning to retire as soon as possible and it worked

out. Was able to retire at 49 as a SCE GS-13 and cannot believe how awesome it is.

* I pretty much knew that I wanted to retire when I became first eligible, as I would have over 36 years of service and be ready. I had taken a retirement seminar through work and have always been a nerd and up on my benefits etc. But the biggest eye opener to solidifying my decision to retire was when I met with Chris Barfield 14 months before my eligibility, and running my numbers using the retirement calculator spreadsheet on Chris’s website. Between my pension, the supplement and wife’s social security in the future, it was a no-brainer, even with a modest TSP balance, and a mortgage.

* I started my FBI career late (turned 35 in the Academy) so I didn’t have many choices. My 20-year anniversary was when I turned 55 so that was the original plan until I was talked into staying. Plus my wife works there as well. (not an agent but regular FERS) All 3 of my kids are out of college, and more importantly, out of the house, so financially I knew we would be fine.

* My intention was to retire at the end of the year. However, with all of the threats to the retirement system I decided to finish a little early. Policies were changing rapidly and I had no intention of becoming a collateral ICE agent, no offense. It’s an important job, but that wasn’t was trained to do over my 24 years in Law Enforcement.

* All my finances were in a good place (TSP, Fidelity (Roth and non-retirement investments).

*I utilized John Gutsmiedl’s SCE Spreadsheet and my wife and I felt my pension and TSP balance levels supported our family’s lifestyle. Plus, the uncertainty of the Supplement going away.

* I received some great advice when I started 36 years ago -- max out the thrift from the beginning.  I know Chris recommends 100% C and forget it.  I did 80% C and 20% G.  While others were trying to decide what they could afford to contribute, I decided to have the full IRS limit deducted from the beginning and worked a second part time job to make up what I needed to.  As a result, I felt financially ready a few years ago, but decided to wait for the extra 10% in my pension.  If I was SCE, I would have retired five years ago.

*The Barfield Barbell method gave me great peace of mind that I could retire without feeling financial stress! I retired as a SCE at 51 so I could have stayed until 56, but I didn’t see any reason to financially-speaking. I was capped too so my high-3 wasn’t going to change too much anyway ($187.5k)

* Pension covered expenses and children were finished with college. High three was no longer

really going to add to the pension amount, as it yearly was nominal. The raise as an annuity

would actually be a better situation.

* Opportunity to double-dip for a few years.

* I’ve known my numbers for years and was just waiting for an early out to be offered. Knowing your numbers is the key. Data drives confidence.

* When all of my 1811 colleagues retired at their 20 year mark (having both age and time in). I knew that as soon as I had my age requirement met (I already had the 20 years in), I would leave.

* I’m in dual fed marriage. The VERA was offered by my department 26 hours prior to the DRP

1.0 deadline. It was too short notice and we didn’t know if we could retire and not have to work

again. Shortly thereafter, my wife received and forwarded your I Can’t Afford to Retire article to

me. I did the math and realized we could both retire, not work again and maintain our current

level of income with 4% TSP withdrawals. Once my colleagues that took DRP 1.0 began Admin

Leave, I decided if VERA was offered again, I would take it. In April, VERA was offered again in conjunction with VSIP or DRP 2.0. I took it with DRP.

*  I keep in contact contact with those that retired before me and they all advised that, if you can secure another job, you make more money collecting a pension and continuing to work for a couple of years.  Also we were in control tactics and I was one of the oldest people in the room. 

* No financial reason, I was leaving 10/31/2025 even if TSP was not that much more. I didn’t want to leave at the end of December, I choose a date where the pay perioded ended closest to end of a month

* Giving back wages because of Max-Out. In what reality is it normal for an employee to give

money back to their employer? It’s nonsense that you give money back just by showing up to

work. The Federal Pay System is archaic, and should be modernized.

* When I reached more than $750,000 in my TSP and I still needed to work another 5

years in order to collect my pension. (I also had a 6 figure ROTH IRA). At retirement, I

was well past what I needed on the investment front in order to maintain my standard of

living (if not inflate it) between the pension, RAS and my investments.

* When I realized I had reached the pay cap asdescribed above. Also, when realized I had more money than I could likely ever spend.

* Just that the shortfall was something I could manage with my TSP monthly withdrawals 

* I decided I could retire when my TSP balance hit seven figures and my retirement estimate was acceptable even with the expected loss of the marital portion to my former spouse. My decision to retire was spontaneous. I was enjoying working with the team I was on, but there was a moment I knew it was time to go. I decided I wanted to retire in the spring to enjoy the first summer of my retirement. I didn’t feel I needed to wait toaccumulate maximum annual leave throughout the year for a larger lump sum. DOGE was in effect too, so I wanted to get ahead of those retirements. I walked out one day and never went back to that office. I submitted my retirement application from a remote location.

* I already had a very high probability of success with my retirement plan. The very moment was

defined when Secretary Hegseth announced DRP 2.0 on 28 Mar 25 with its offer of 4 extra

months of time in service and pay.

* I hit $1 million in my TSP 18 months before I was eligible.  

* The moment came when I received a decent job offer roughly equivalent to what I make now as a GS-15, but with less responsibility. We have just above $3M in our retirement accounts. The

extra cashflow from having a job plus a pension will help us get over the hump of paying for

college over the next few years. I’m 58. My wife is CEO of the household. We’d like to hit

$4M before I retire fully, but regardless, I’ll hang it up in roughly 4 years when I turn 62 or 63.

* The sweet deal of the DRP was the trigger. However, I only had the guts to pull that DRP trigger because I knew where I was financially and that I could make it work. I knew I could make it work because I had been using the Barfield/Gutsmiedel and agency calculators and paying attention to Dan Jamison’s FERS Guide.

* That my FERS was not going to be reduced 5% a year for every year before the age 60.  My TSP has a double comma and my outside investment account has a double comma.  I could have waited until I turned 62 years old and got 1.1% FERS annuity pension, which equals approximately $400 extra a month.  The .1% was not enough money for me to stay two more years.  My TSP account can increase that amount in a week. 

* Nothing really, I started saving for retirement as soon as I became a Fed and had a plan all along. The primary impetus was the extra FERS 10%.

* The one thing? My numbers. I had been following Chris Barfield for several years and running

my numbers with John Gutsmiedl’s FERS spreadsheets and I finally met my financial milestones

to be comfortable with a change. I did not take DRP or VERA, but My TSP and FERS estimates

made my timing acceptable.

* DRP.

* After using Gutsmiedl’s calculator, I knew I would be ok with my numbers. Don’t compare current yearly gross vs. estimated annual annuity. Instead add up your biweekly take home pay vs. estimated monthly annuity payment. I only needed to make up less than $2000 a month. I can withdraw that amount from the TSP and have minimal affect on my overall balance. My agency was dangling carrots with retention bonuses and over the cap maxout pay. That couldn’t overcome my lack of enthusiasm for the job.

* I knew I was done shortly after the DOGE insanity started, I had planned to stay longer because I really enjoyed what I was doing and ran a great team. Once I was called back to the office to get on teams meetings, doing exactly what I was doing remotely, it was time to go. Because I had paid attention to Barfield Financial and used the John G Calculator, I knew down to the exact dollar how much I would need to earn to make up for any lost income in my retirement. It was incredibly freeing.

* Touched on it in answer one but once you are eligible to retire your hourly rate drops dramatically. My teenage daughter would be making more than I was per hour. If anyone doesn’t know what I am talking about find someone to explain this math because it applies to all of us.  I heard a lot of people who stay talk about how much they loved the job, and I really did too. But once I was out I loved it. I didn’t miss the job. Don’t miss the virtual academy, the endless meetings, etc. 

*I had been “running my numbers” and evaluating my investments for years prior to retirement

and felt confident that things would be okay. One of the biggest factors in making me feel

comfortable with the financial aspects of retirement, was that I was completely debt free

including the mortgage for the last six years of my career.

*no one thing. DRP played a big role.

*I had a consultation with Chris in 2024 and knew what my numbers were. After talking with my

wife and my brother who retired in January 2025, I knew I could retire. I also had two other

consultations with other folks who are well respected and all the numbers said the same thing,

RETIRE.

*I actually made my decision in 2018. However, in 2024 when markets really started to rebound, I moved a large portion of IRA funds to my settlement fund in anticipation of retirement. In doing the math, I moved what I calculated to be about 5 years of income to my settlement fund to supplement my FERS pension and VA benefit. Once that transfers was done, I felt a huge sense of comfort.

*Age limit of 57 

*No financial reason. I had been eligible, but originally was waiting until 2028 for a more solid retirement – but the New Administration, plus the opportunity to use DRP 2.0 was a signal to depart when I did.

*Had an exit strategy to leave by end of December after eligibility if I got a retirement job. After attending retirement seminars over the years and then comparing my own numbers, saw it didn’t pay to stay. Was also a member of the TSP club!

*The DRP 1.0 offer was a good deal, I stopped working 2/28/25 and continued to get paid full salary until 12/31/25. As my acting director said, “it’s the golden ticket.” All the upper management in my center took either DRP 1.0 or 2.0. Got the max on annual leave you could get and had maxed out credit hours as well, so when that check arrives, it will be enough for me to live on until I get my final retirement approved.

*My financial rationale to retire when I did involved the potential elimination of the Retirement

Annuity Supplement, as a part of the proposed One Big Beautiful Bill. In retirement planning

classes taken throughout my career, the federal 6c retirement package had always been referred

to as the “Three-Legged Stool” (pension, RAS and TSP). I felt I needed to save a leg of my stool

that I felt I had earned. The exact moment I decided to retire was May 2, 2025. I retired on May

31, 2025 (29 days later).

Specifically regarding the retirement process, what would you have done differently? (Retire earlier/later, save more, learn more, file earlier, talk to more people, get more estimates, etc.)

*I would have worked harder to build a cash savings that covered 3–4 months of living expenses between retirement and the start of my annuity payments. With the current backlog at OPM, I worried about going months without a paycheck or an annuity, which initially forced me to look for work when I really wanted a year off. Fortunately, I fell into an incredibly lucrative consulting gig making about $40,000 per month for just 10–20 hours of work a week. I am now on track to make more in my first year of retirement than I did in the last three years of my government salary combined, while working a quarter of the hours.

* I would have used all my sick leave in the years leading to my retirement date. My plan to ‘roll’ my sick leave was solid, but it is very undervalued. I attended many retirement seminars and spoke to many FERS retirees to understand the process and hurdles I might face.

*Nothing really. I prepared a few years in advance, constantly ran the numbers on the Dan Jamison spreadsheet, talked to plenty of people.

* I don’t think I would have done anything differently, except maybe jump on DRP 1.0.

* I was/am well set. I wish I would have started my Roth IRA and Roth TSP, but we didn’t have

Roth TSP when I started, and withdrawal rules were not favorable until 2019.

* I am very happy with how it all worked out. I had a “retirement folder” I started back when I

was a non-SCE GS-7 in 1997 and have kept notes in it ever since (it is a lot thicker now!). I have

a section for printed materials, notes from classes, notes from co-workers, agency printouts, etc.

It would not have been possible to save more – I maxed out my TSP from day one (all C fund) –

this is solely due to a friend of my dad’s who pulled me aside when I was about to report in 1997.

He told me to max out in the C fund from day one. He reminded me that it would be tight for the

first few years but to trust him and ride the wave. So glad I listened to him – wish he was still

around to buy him a beer or two.

* I would have tried to save more in my TSP, although I feel pretty good about where

I ended up overall. Try to get out of debt as well; that will help with your monthly

cash flow a lot. Getting out of debt is probably even more important than

contributing more to TSP at the point right before retiring.

* Really not much. I am pretty frugal by nature (my wife is as well) so I was always tuned into the retirement process and what we needed to do (max TSP ASAP, etc.) to have a comfortable retirement. I was a CPA in Chicago before the FBI so I had a pretty good head start with a rollover IRA. TSP money for me and my wife was in addition to that. I also (back in 2011) talked my wife into moving to a bigger house (at half the cost of our current house because of the housing crash) and renting out our current house as an investment. When we sold the “new” house, we were able to start a brokerage account with the proceeds. And we converted my wife’s prior IRA to a Roth as well. So we were pretty well set up financially for retirement. Following you and Dan for the last decade, and using John’s estimate spreadsheet, only confirmed we were on the right track.

* I believe I retired at the right time. Obviously, everyone believes they could have saved more but I did alright. 

* I couldn’t have retired any earlier, as I went when I was first eligible and I don’t regret leaving at all. You never know what tomorrow’s going to bring.

*I would have invested all my funds in the C Fund for my entire career (28 years). I split between the C, S, and I funds when the S and I were introduced. I would have tried harder to not take out any TSP loans. Unfortunately, over the 28 years I took out two personal and one residential loan.

* I am very happy with my timing.  I retired 10/31/2025, so I'm still waiting for OPM to start my interim pension, but as far as timing, I wouldn't change a thing. 

*No issues here. I felt prepared for the transition and I didn’t hit any issues along the way. 58 days for me from my last day to receiving my blue book so I feel blessed.

* Max out TSP sooner it actually caused me to stay on the job past eligibility longer. If my

TSP was larger at first eligibility I would have retired sooner.

* Nothing

* No change. Just be prepared because things move at the speed of government so make sure you have cash on hand for the transition.

* (Retire earlier/later, save more, learn more, file earlier, talk to more people, get more estimates, etc.) Would have done it exactly the same way. I left at the very first chance I had to retire. Don’t regret it one bit.

* 1. I wish I had read “I Can’t Afford To Retire” prior to DRP 1.0. If so, I’d have taken DRP

1.0.

2. Increased my TSP contributions to the max dollar amount from 2014-2024.

3. Take advantage of the Catch Up contributions during 2022-2024.

4. I wish I became aware of Dan Jamison’s FERS Guide 5-10 years earlier. Same goes for

your website

5. Not take set it and forget it so literally. I did not engage in one TSP transaction from Dec 2012 to

Dec 2024. I maxed out to the annual dollar amount $17,500 for 2013 and left it as is thru 2024.

I did not increase my contribution until Dec 2024 when maxed out including the catch-up for

2025 to $31,000. Although I had everything in the C Fund for 29.5 years. But as you would say,

perhaps that was the best decision I made, effectively losing my password.

 *I would not have changed a thing.  I started my federal career right out of college, got married, bought a house, and had kids right away.  My wife was a social worked and having three kids ages, 3, 2, and a newborn, it was not cost effective for her to continue working.  We chose for her to be a stay-at-home mom and I worked.  Unfortunately, this caused me to not fully contribute to my TSP.  I also took out loans along the way to make due, kids are expensive.  However, I would not have changed this as my kids are all very good humans and smart and gained numerous college scholarships, mainly because of my wife's influence as a stay t home parent.  However, in later years, I began maxing out my tsp every year.  

* I would have liked to have started my TSP investment sooner than I did. I only started after I got married in 2009, and had only 31,000 in TSP

* I balanced my TSP account with several funds. When I look back, I would have stuck to the C

fund and let it ride.

* Nothing. Don’t get me wrong I made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I always

shoved money into my TSP and other savings and investments. Enough to over come

what I messed up with by lack of knowledge or stupid decisions. Luckily I pretty much

had it figured out about 10-12 years before retirement.

* I would have retired sooner. I think now I saved way to much and the worries of not enough money held me back from retiring earlier.

* I was prepared as I could be but maybe save more earlier if I could and manage my debt a lot better 

* I was well-versed in the retirement process thanks to some mid and late career seminars, Barfield Financial, and Dan Jamison. Dan Jamison has been an incredible resource in navigating and crafting language in my divorce orders and their effect on my retirement. My agency retirement branch had given me accurate estimates over the years. I think the timing for me to retire was perfect.

* Although I’ve done reasonably well with investments, I would have been vested 100% in

equities until entering the last decade before retirement. As it was, I was always ~75-80%, even

when much younger. As for other issues, I’m 100% satisfied with my preparation along the way.

* I would have waited until just before eligibility to put in my paperwork.  I gave them a couple months notice which was a mistake.  Submitting my retirement application early didn’t speed up the actual process (it still took me over 4 months to receive my first partial annuity payment) and it likely cost me a couple  of opportunities before I left.

* I just retired from federal service on 12/31/25, so perhaps too early to tell. I think with $3M

now and perhaps $4M in a few years (fingers crossed), we should be fine. My GS-15 pension

will be around $4K gross, but I will receive an AF Reserve pension of another $3K per month

when I turn 60 in two years. Our expenses right now are $8K per month, but I expect they’ll go

a quite a bit higher with two kids in college.

I guess all that said, I probably need to map out in greater detail what the next 10 years or so

looks like for us financially with some very conservative estimates on returns.

* I really started detailed planning for retirement about two years before I was eligible. I wish I had started that detailed familiarization with the tools (agency tools and webinars, Barfield articles, FERS Guide) and processes, and my numbers, about five years before I was eligible.

* My plan was to retire August 31, 2025 the month I turn 60 years old.  DRP 1.0 was offered and I accepted the resign RETIRE.  I contributed to the TSP as soon as they would let me (which I had to wait approximately 9 months before I was eligible to contribute in 1998 as a non-LEO).  Every pay period after August 2025 I treated as if it was a cash award.

* My timing was horrible, the Musk RIF stuff just happened and so I am in limbo as so many are (I never even contemplated taking the Musk offer as I’ve never been on welfare and it smelled too much like that).

* I was comfortable with my decision to retire when I did, and I do not second guess my decision to stay so long after my initial eligibility.  The process was smooth, and I received my full pension six months after retirement, though I still have an appeal to OPM concerning their calculation of my former spouse’s share.  I was fortunate to be part of the first group of retirees post-2016 with former spouses who did not have to give up any of my Supplement, which is $1,964 per month (Thanks Ron Moulton!)

* If I had known earlier in 2024-25 of the company and position where I am now working, I would

have left government sooner. Also, if I had known there would be a mass federal exodus in

2025, I would have tried to get ahead of that OPM wave. Of course, I wish I had contributed

more to TSP and not tried to time the market at times. Thanks to extensive information from

Chris Barfield, Dan Jamison, and John Gutsmiedl. I was very well prepared for the process

* Not much different, planning is the key. Only item is starting to put money in ROTH earlier

* I went about 6 months of not enjoying work before deciding on a retirement date. I maxed out TSP from day one. If you follow/use the FERS Guide for SCE, Barfield Financial and the Gutsmiedl Calculator you will have all the information you need to make an informed retirement decision. Don’t rely on the info you receive from an admin person sitting half way across the country. Buy the FERS Guide early in your career. So many of my colleagues were uninformed about their benefits. Continue to buy updated versions until retirement to keep up with changes.

* I always maxed out my TSP contributions, but it would’ve simply put everything in C fund and left it alone. I stayed one year past my eligibility date and once I retired and all the stress dropped away, I realized I probably could’ve retired as soon as I was eligible. Realistically, though, I wouldn’t have done much different, I was having a good time with my team. I can’t stress how good it feels to be out of the rat race. I got a good private sector job and while I enjoy it, knowing I that I can leave at any time and it’s such a good feeling.

*  Fortunately I had a few people that said some things to me early in my career that got me interested in understanding the retirement process and finances. So I learned on my own. I knew my expenses, my salary, my benefits. Once you understand these things the situation is very clear and the decision is very easy.  

I know lots of people that avoid knowing these things, a very common thing. They tend to be anxious about the decision and then make bad decisions due to ignorance. The math is generally the same for everyone so ignoring it is not a recipe for success. 

*I do not have many regrets. As I was planning to retire, I will say that I was nervous and worried

about the unknown. I could not have retired much sooner as I left five months after first

eligibility. I have been retired for one full year now and have not regretted the decision for one

second. If I knew at age 25, what I knew at ages 35 or 45, I would probably have an insane

amount of money. Even though I did not always max out my TSP and early in my career didn’t

really understand what I was investing in the TSP, it still worked out pretty well. I was diligent

with saving, investing, and getting out of debt, and made plenty of mistakes along the way.

Some mistakes were investing in the G and F funds early on because I did not know what I was

doing, and bought things that were mistakes and a waste of money. All that being said, I still

have come out the other side with investments well over $3 million and a paid off home worth

$850,000.

*Do resume’ earlier, and start networking. Figure out what to do.

*Save more, learn more. I tried to max when I could but should have looked for more ways to

save elsewhere. The concept of compounding interest is huge and wish I knew more earlier on.

Know what is required to retire and what that process entails. I started with a paper application

but ended up having to do the ORA because I moved my retirement date up.

*I definitely would have been more aggressive with investments. If I had just left TSP 100% C-Fund my entire career I could have retired at MRA+30.

*I was fully prepared. 

*Under DRP 2.0, for my agency (CISA), I decided on the last possible date for that version – 4 October (which more aligned with my 60 th birthday). If I had it to do over again – I would have retired on 30 September 2025, avoided the shutdown and subsequent delays in my package (AL buyback, final check, etc.). In reality, I wish I could have retired on 31 December…but that wasn’t an option for 2.0.

*I wouldn’t have moved to the L fund briefly when it came out, although I was aggressive one vs the fund I should've been in based on my retirement projection. I also would’ve tried to get to max a little sooner, but life and kids slowed it just a bit. The key is to put it in C and S and let it ride.

*I wish I had started maxing out TSP earlier in my career. But I was a low grade (GS-6 and lower) for 26 years. In 2015 I accepted job that was GS-7/9/11, ended up going to GS-12 in December 2020, so my high 3 was at a 12.

*Looking back, I probably should have retired at first eligibility (12/28/2023). I am however glad

that I retired in 2025 prior to the VERA, VSIP and DRP 1.0/ 2.0 folks. Although unintentional, I

beat the retirement package rush at agency human resources, as well as with OPM.

I do wish that I had learned more about retirement planning and processes earlier in my career.

Throughout my career, I had taken 3-4 retirement seminars, but I either didn’t pay close attention

or was disinterested to the whole concept of “retirement”. Thankfully, towards the later part of

my career, conversations with peers, as well as online resources such as Barfield Financial,

Gutsmiedl’s retirement spreadsheet, FERS Guide and social media pages that I follow were

instrumental in my successful retirement.

How is actual retirement compared to how you envisioned it to be? (Better/worse/more boring, etc?) 

*Actual retirement is, quite simply, the best thing I have ever done. I am the healthiest and happiest I have ever been. While I didn't initially intend to work full-time, the consulting gig has been an incredible addition, but the real improvement has been personal. My health has improved, and my relationships—with my kids, my ex-wife, my partner, and my parents—have all flourished. Life improves immensely when you aren't under the constant pressure of a GS-15 career. Now, I gravel bike, fly fish, read, connect with friends, and work only when I want to. It is amazing.

*Retirement is better than I thought, once I started a routine. I’ve been able to reengage hobbies

and interests that I put aside due to work obligations. While I’m only receiving interim

payments, I saved funds to cover the difference so I could enjoy the holidays and travel a little

before my full payments begin. I have reached back to talk to a few teammates and share the

retirement process with those preparing to retire.

*Still adjusting, but it is still surreal that I wake up with zero stress every day.

* Retirement/leaving federal service has taken a huge weight off of me. Very happy with the

decision, although still working full time as a “retiree”.

* Amazing. First time I’ve not had a job, or worn a watch, since I was a kid. I can fill my days

how I want now. My worst day in retirement has beat my best day at work.

* It is so much better than I thought. It took me a few months of full payments to get over the

“guilt” of being paid this much money for doing nothing. I had to talk to a number of other

retirees to help me get over this thought. I mean it is crazy – it’s like being a kid but with money

 and freedom. So many people were like, “won’t you be bored?” Told them I would let them

know and it’s a hard, “Nope.”

It was a hell of a run for me but I do not miss one thing about it (even the free trips came with

issues!). With all the bad guys, two phones, phone calls in the middle of the night, missing out

on parties and events, red tape, speedbumps, in-fighting, head-shaking, eye-rolling,

knuckleheads, AUSA drama, etc… it was a ton of stress that I had no clue I was carrying around.

Now that I’m free it is a huge weight gone. Still talk to some of the guys who aren’t eligible yet

and just listen to all the issues.

* Retirement is awesome. Getting paid to stay home from the stress and rat race.

However, yes it is a little more boring than what I was expecting. My wife and I

are both home now, and now that the “honey-do” lists are done and we completed

finishing our basement, we are trying to find our purpose and fullfillment now in

what things to do. We have taken a few trips and plan to do more traveling in the

future of course.

* I’m only 2.5 months in (retired 10/31/25) so it may be too soon

to tell but initially, it is fantastic. Love having no responsibility

and having nothing but Saturdays in my future.

* It’s exactly what I envisioned. I don’t work and set my own schedule every day. It’s important to have things planned that keep you busy (i.e. hobbies, volunteer work, home improvement etc.)  Since retirement I have traveled to Europe on a WWII tour, gone to the world series, been snowboarding, flyfishing, mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, seen NFL games and never asked for time off to do any of it or had to worry about an AUSA calling me to cancel vacation because of a trial that is going to get continued anyway. Loved my job but I never made it who I was as a person. 

* It’s great, my wife and I moved from NJ (I hated the Garbage State) to Florida and we’re loving life. I was active with physical fitness before retirement, but I think I’m even more active in retirement.

*I’ve been retired for just over 7 months and enjoying it. I’m able to spend valuable time with my family. Specifically, taking and picking up my daughter from school.

*My first two months were an adjustment.  I felt a little guilty not going to work - it was so much a part of my identity.  That's what I did - get up and go to work.  Prior to retirement, I was even doing the "should I work one more month" analysis.  Chris was 100% correct, once you retire, I never once thought about the fact that my pension could have been a little more or my TSP balance could have been slightly higher.  It's all nicely in the past. I am so glad I didn't hold out for another $20 a month in my pension.  After three months of retirement, it would be very difficult to envision working full time again for the government.  

*Even better than I expected. How did I ever have time to work?

* Better than expected having control of your life and time with no stress, no amount of money

can buy. I know that a big part of that is that my pension covers my expenses and the TSP is

there for doing stuff that I have only dreamed about.

* Still working, so just retired from the USG not Retired-retired… But, the beach is calling!

* I retired from the government and planned to run my construction business full time. I was unexpectedly offered a great W2 job shortly after I retired and decided to accept it. I love my new job and don’t miss my fed job one bit.

* SOOOO much better! The stress is non-existent, even though I’m still working. I have a

tremendous amount of free time with my new job and somehow, I always find ways to fill it.

* Better! What a relief to be free of my duties. I’m in much better health and hope my colleagues-

friends that stayed on, many of whom are retirement-eligible and choose to continue working, can

get to Retirement Land ASAP.

* I chose to retire at age 50 1/2.  I am employed in the private sector where I hope to work until 55, maybe longer if I like it and it is an easy lift.  I enjoy having uncle sam deposit a monthly check into my account for not showing up.  

* Retirement is better than working but must do something.

* When you start a new career after twenty-three years in Federal Law Enforcement, it is quite an

adjustment. Slowing down and letting it go is still a challenge.

* TBD. I say I’m in the pre honeymoon phase of retirement. I don’t think I’ve fully

realized I’m done yet. But sorry agency instagram meme page, every time I see you

post something, I’m like OMG, thank god I don’t have to deal, with that.

I am enjoying looking around and seeing opportunities in my community to contribute

that I now can do instead of thinking maybe someday. It is nice to schedule a drink with

friends and know I’ll be able to be there. (Unless I happen to double book myself or

forget, it’s better since I figured out I still need to put things in a calendar).

* Better. I have found plenty to keep me busy – epically volunteering with my church has brought me great joy.

* Better especially mentally also bored but finding things to help that 

* I’ve been retired for eight months. It is amazing with the control you have over your life. I’ve taken multiple trips in my RV. I had an incredible international travel experience with family. With time to travel, I’ve spent more time with family by driving or flying. Reunited with old classmates. I’m definitely not bored. I’ve had plenty of time to hike, get out for off-road cycling, and put the kayak into various bodies of water. The dog likes me being around more too.

* I’m quite busy and it is mostly as I have envisioned. The exception is that my spouse is still

working in a very demanding career, so we have not yet begun some of the longer term traveling

for weeks at a time as we have planned.

* It’s only been 4 months but it is better than I expected.  Really enjoying the extra time with family and friends.  Not having the work phone or having to complete mindless on line training or attend pointless staff meetings is great.  Far less stress, sleeping better, getting more exercise and eating better too.  

Been able to do some traveling with the family and look forward to more trips this summer.  Being able to leave for a week or two and not having anything from the job weighing on you is an amazing feeling.  

I keep in touch with several of my old co-workers.  Monthly lunch meeting with the retired ones.  None of them regret retirement either.  

* Right now it is worse, since I’m still working. I hope I will have enough to retire in around 4

years.

* It has been great. I’m not fully retired as I got another full-time retirement job which I expect to

do for five to seven more years before I fully retire. Mostly, I did this to put-off taking any

withdrawals from my TSP for a few more years to let that grow some more. My retirement job is

way less stressful and requires less time. I knew from the calculators that I’d only need my

retirement job pay to be about $55-60k per year to have the same take home pay as my

government job. As it is, with my pension, RAS, and retirement job, my total take home pay is

about $3600/month more than my government take home pay was. After all of the craziness,

violence, and nights and weekends as an agent, at this point, boring is good. I highly recommend

retirement (even partial retirement like me) when able.

* The days go by pretty quick.  I am able to spend more time with the grandkids, since I moved closer to them.  I can play more golf and hopefully drop my handicap. I'm still adjusting to retirement life even though DRP 1.0 let me leave the office on March 7, 2025 and collect a check to December 31, 2025. 

* Amazing! Financially we are ok, even though not receiving hardly anything,

due to our good planning and financial status. The main thing is time, there is

never enough of it!!!

* I retired on March 31st, and on April 4th, I had rented out my house and moved overseas.  I have been able to travel around Europe for several months, and I just bought a house that I will move into in March.  I am never bored and once I move in, I intend to travel more throughout Europe and to volunteer in my new town.

* Good so far but I’m not yet getting any FERS pay. It is a relief not to worry and obsess with

running my numbers every day and worry if I should stay or go. What’s done is done at this

point. My stress about the whole situation is now gone. My new retirement job has been very

good, and it keeps me engaged and active.

* So far so good. Health is better, attitude is better all-around a good thing.

* Way way better, I thought I would miss it but that is not the case. Not boring at all. If you’re bored then you let the job define who you are.

* It’s the best, and even better than I could’ve imagined. The lack of stress, no more administrative BS and getting a monthly paycheck without going to work is beyond awesome. 

*  Actual retirement has been better than I had hoped. I could not really understand how I would feel to get the freedom retirement brings. I did not realize how much pressure I was under. I am not talking about major pressure like life and death or solving the case. I am talking about the constant little pressures from the job. It felt great to feel that lift. 

  I did take another job a few months in. But in this job I know I can walk away at any moment and still have health care and enough money to live comfortably. I have very little stress at this job, it is fun and I get social interaction. The smaller amount of money on top of my pension means I have more money coming in then I ever did when working and I can let my TSP sit and cook. It feels like a fun and temporary hobby. I am excited to go to work again, because I choose to go and can stop at anytime.  

*I have been retired for one year now. I do contract private investigative work. The work I do

now is everything I loved about being an FBI Agent without all the B.S., politics, mandatory

trainings, and awful supervisors that were stupid, inept, and created toxic work environments. It

is great not having to manage vacation days, I take the day off whenever I want or need to. Even

though I am still working, I do not have the Sunday Night Blues anymore of having to face

another week of the daily grind. Having a pension, health insurance, and no debt, makes

working for yourself so much easier. I am working because I want to and not because I need to.

*About what I thought. Looking for a job is harder than i thought it would be.

*Better! I took a new job that pays $5 less per hour than my LE position and depending on what

office I report to my commute is either 5-20 minutes from the house, which gives me more time

with my family. Previously, I was commuting 3 hrs. everyday to get to the office and home. The

job I took has no benefits so it’s straight dollars into my bank account. Three months into it and

things are going well. Less stress, no govt. bureaucracy, and more money in my pocket. My

new first world problem is that I don’t have enough time to drink my cup of coffee or listen to

my favorite morning radio show before I get to the office because my commute is so short.

Sometimes I ride an e-bike to work.

*For about 5 years prior to retirement, my wife and I had been dreaming of moving to South Korea and living there as expats. After countless hours of research, visa paperwork, visits to the Korean consulate in D.C., selling 2 cars and a house in Maryland, we left the U.S. in mid-December of 2025 and arrived in Busan, Korea. We will be getting our Korean residency cards in about 3 weeks at which time we can get our own home here. So more to follow on that. But the short answer is; We are literally living our dream!

*Retirement is GREAT!  Four vacations planned this year already. 

*About how I envisioned it. Fairly busy with family support, keeping active in and up to date with skillset. I’m still stuck in getting my final OPM pay adjudicated – once that is over, I’ll have a better feel for retirement, and if all the estimates were correct.

*Way less stress, I was SES when retired and the meetings and all the political rhetoric was over the top with our country rightnow. It’s very much stress free in my current job, worrying only about me and not managing anyone, love being back into the cases and helping others.

*Kinda boring, I like to stay busy. I have gotten my substitute teacher’s license so I can accept jobs around my vacation travel.

*Retirement has been better than I envisioned it. Some days, I find myself busier with projects or

trips than I had been while working. I also enjoy being able to do things and go places, without

the time constraints of a work week to contend with. Initially, I was apprehensive about the

unknown of retirement. I was comfortable in my career, with a lot of work friends and

interesting work (land management law enforcement). I was still having fun, and I didn’t want

to leave it. However, it finally became time to go, so I made a leap of faith into the unknown.

Thankfully, a buddy had retired a year before me, so I was able to use his knowledge and

experience to help guide me. I’m only 240 days into retirement, but I am loving it! (yes, I kept my countdown clock running after retirement, to show me how far I have come…).

If you don’t mind sharing, what was your exiting TSP balance?

*My exiting TSP balance as of December 31, 2025, was $1.6 million, with an outstanding $50,000 TSP loan.

* $1,589,255 on 31 October 2025, after 30 years and 5 months of service – not including my

military reserve TSP balance.

* 1.1 million

* $1.45 million.

* $1.2 mil (also had a Roth IRA and HSA, not included in total)

* At retirement: $2,081,136

Current: $ 2,413,628

It is so wild that it has gone up $332,492 in one year without contributing.

* $660,000 when I retired in April.

* $1.25 million (very proud of being in the double comma club

and putting 3 kids through college with minimal student loans)

* 1.7 million

* It was about $850,000 I believe. I would have made it to a million or more had it

not been for my past divorce. I make outside investments as well, which makes up for the years

of separation and divorce.

*$820,000. That’s with a QDRO for a 2019 divorce totaling $167,000.

*I had to give my now ex-wife half of my TSP balance at the absolute worst time - in the third quarter of 2007 - the height of the market.  I retired with $1.35 million.  

*~875k. Despite withdrawing monthly since May, I’m currently

at $980k thanks to the bull market. I hope it continues ;-)

* 650K, that is after several loans, listening to TV or the watercooler guys and moving money

in an out of the C to G Fund. Would have been better to have left the money alone and looked at

it right before retirement. However, it still worked out even with all the messing with it. My

goal was the initial 500K that Dan Jamison-FERS guide had suggested years ago. He has now

revised it to 750K, which is truly attainable if you leave it all in the market and max out your

TSP as soon as possible and don’t mess with it.

* $1.1M

* TSP $614,000

IRA’s $320,000

* ~$920K

* $2,546,400

* Jan 14, 2026 - $1,179,658

* My TSP balance on 10/31/2025 was 776,312.38.

* $1.3mil

* At retirement $1,426,580. Could have been more but when I had enough, I changed my

asset allocation to 70/30. I called it throwing out my sea anchor. (I also had an outside

Roth and taxable brokerage close to 7 figures as well between the two). FWIW about 6

months later it’s up to at least $1,537,xxx.hI

* $3,483,939.18. $~ 10k was from my military reserve time.

Today 4,120,639.43

* Day of retirement $1,000,000 exactly 

* At the beginning of 2025, my TSP balance entered seven figures. I retired in April. By the end of 2025 it had gained $170,000.  My divorce had a significant impact that no one can easily plan for. After the divorce, I was three years from retirement eligibility and left with $330,000 in the TSP. Post-divorce, I was able to contribute to TSP maxing out a few years including “catch-up” contributions to help recover from the loss. I stayed in the C fund, let it ride, and it tripled to more than $1M in those 9 years (2016-2025). Had I not lost TSP funds in the divorce it could have between $1.8M to $2M at retirement.

* ~$2.3M

* Just over $1.2 million

* $1.5M in TSP; $1.5M in IRAs outside of TSP.

* My TSP was about $780k, but my total retirement savings

including my pregovernment 401ks/IRAs was just under $1.1

million.

* 12/31/2025 - $1,005,945.95 this is after I moved $540,000.00 to an outside financial institution.  27 years of contributions.  I moved from funds to funds thinking I was on Wall Street.  If I was starting today I would go 100% C Fund into the ROTH, My 12/31/2025 figure would probably start with $2M. 

* $1.4M. We also had another 25% or so in other retirement savings (aside from TSP). You did not ask, but I’ll tell you: we moved everything out of TSP (left the required $2K to keep TSP open) to Vanguard as soon as we were eligible to do so. TSP has become horrible with its new online website and poor customer service. Vanguard (and other private firms) are amazing and react to our needs almost instantaneously.

* $2,050,000.  I took out $800,000 last year to purchase a property, and still have a balance of $1,300,000.

* $1.2 mil.

* Between TSP and what I rolled over at 62 ½ about 1.25M

* 1.45 million

* $1M

* My TSP was about $1.2m when I left. Should be higher but I had a divorce and did some stupid money moves early on. 

*When I retired on 12/31/2024 my TSP balance was $1,605,522. I have not added any money to

the TSP or taken any money out of the TSP this past year. My TSP balance today is $1,870,533.

My other investments outside of the TSP (IRAs, Roth IRAs, and brokerage accounts) totaled an

additional $1,304,333 on 12/31/2024. Today those additional investments total $1,609,467. I

never went above a GS 13-10. For half of my time at the FBI, my wife was a full-time mother

and for the last half of my career, my wife worked part-time making about $20,000 per year.

*About 1.1 million at retirement

*1.3m

*I hit the $1M mark in my TSP in March of 2024. Shortly afterwards I started doing rollovers into my Vanguard IRAs. At the time of retirement, I had a total portfolio balance of just over $1.8M.

*2.4 million

*$735,000. (which my financial advisor has gotten to $835,000 in 8-months).

*I’m in the millionaire club….

*$683,514, I don’t plan on touching it until I’m 62, and will put off drawing social security until I’m 65 (I think).

*$861,000

I know we could always use more money, but specifically, do you think your annuity, supplement, and TSP are covering your expenses ok? 

*They are covering my expenses more than "okay." With a pension and RAS totaling $110,000, my baseline is fully secure. Because I have over $1.6 million in my TSP, the amount I need to withdraw to maintain my lifestyle is small enough that the principal can continue to compound. Between those fixed streams and the new consulting income, I am in a position of total financial peace.

* While I am only receiving my interim payments from OPM, I believe my annuity, supplement,

and TSP will cover all expenses. My monthly / annual income will be 51% greater in retirement

than it was while working.

* Yes, I expect they will cover all my expenses easily.

* Currently, just receiving annuity, not eligible to withdraw from TSP and probably wouldn’t if I

was able to. Annuity definitely wouldn’t cover expenses, probably could make it work with TSP

withdrawals if I was eligible to (Don’t want to go the SEPP route).

* Yes. I’ve tracked my income and expenses since 2015. Net pension covers bare bones budget,

SEPPs will allow for some more room, supplement will be a nice boost in 10+ years (hopefully

making up for inflation effects on the budget.)

* More than enough money. What I learned that as long as you’re disciplined for 27 years in

saving, you can be quite non-disciplined in spending for the rest of your life (bought my

girlfriend a $3,800 watch this week because it looked awesome).

* Yes, absolutely. I have been taking monthly TSP distributions and a few larger

withdrawals, but I’m still invested in equities and anticipate my TSP to keep

growing. I have rolled my ROTH into a Schwab IRA, and some Traditional as

well.

* TBD; I have only received my AL payout so far. Annuity hasn’t been finalized. (2.5 months after retirement date) Actually, I rolled over $1 million to Fidelity this morning (if the CHECK gets there in 10 calendar days!) Left approximately $260k in TSP and will start taking $4k monthly distributions this month out of G fund. When my annuity is finalized, I am confident that those two amounts will be more than enough. My wife will retire from FBI on 4/30/26. (MRA+10) We plan on taking her reduced pension immediately as well as I think investing that will more than make up for the 20% reduction (she will be 58 and less than the unreduced age of 62) break-even point wise.

* I wouldn’t be able to do it on my pension alone. My wife still works and I make a 4 percent withdrawal from the TSP every month. 

* Absolutely, I feel very comfortable financially and money is definitely not issue.

*Yes.

*I think I will take social security at age 64 because my after-tax pension and social security combined will be very close to my take-home pay the year I retired.  I want to spend 2026 doing some Roth conversions to soften the blow of RMDs at age 75.  It's also my last year before IRMAA (Medicare Part B is calculated with its two year look-back).  Yes, social security will be 20% less than what it would be at full retirement age of 67, but I would rather limit my TSP withdrawals, so taking social security next year will give me to do that. 

*Generally, yes.

* Yes. The annuity and supplement cover all my expenses. Eliminating debt except for the

house is a major factor.

* Not a chance! We still live in the DC area, so I had to get another job until we can move from

this God forsaken place!

* My annuity is covering most of my expenses. I won’t get the supplement for another 7 years. Since I retired at 50 as regular FERS I also don’t get COLA until I am 62 so I plan to reinvest most of my annuity.

* Working another job, so yes. Covers it just fine.

* Yes, even though I am without the RAS until 2029 because I’m Regular FERS going out on a VERA. With my pension plus 3% of my TSP via 72(t) SEPP arrangement, I not only cover my post-retirement after-tax income vs. pre-retirement after-tax income shortfall, but I’m also getting a raise.

* I am still in the interim OPM payment phase, but I am doing just fine financially.  

* According to my spreadsheet from Barfield Financial I am only 357.90 dollars short of what I used to make working. So, my pension, supplement and TSP will be fine.

* I haven’t touched TSP, and don’t plan to for a bit. A retirement career allows you to leave TSP to grow. If I were sitting around and eating bonbons, I would definitely need to start taking

distributions.

* My Annuity and the RAS alone cover my basic needs (housing, basic food, basic

transportation). But I’d be very constrained staying in my current HCOL area without my

investments/TSP. But then I did a good job of shoving money into my TSP, brokerage

and investments and I’m likely to spend more in retirement instead. I’m continuing to

max out my HSA until I’m 65 to take care of any future long term care needs. Over the

past 4 years I built a transition cash cushion to make sure I didn’t have any oh shit

moments these first few months of retirement and anticipate taking my first withdrawal

for my investments sometime in the summer of 2026. I currently have a ton of fun

money in my current spending plan that I could easily lower (but still have a wonderful

well funded life).

* Yes, I have been blessed!

* Yes

* Given the shortfall of low interim pension payments due to a divorce order, I’ve had to establish monthly distributions from the TSP to qualify for loans and pay bills. At one point during the 11 week period where I received no pay, I told a loan officer I’m unemployed with no income and I’m applying for a $300,000 loan. Once I scheduled and could show two months of TSP distributions as income, we worked it out and I got the loan at sub-6% interest while my 7-figure TSP was making 17%+. Having the ability to request partial and monthly distributions from my TSP has been a necessity during this process. I retired at the end of April 2025. Checking the OPM dashboard in mid-January 2026 my retirement package is still in purgatory. I went 11 weeks without any pension pay. I did receive the annual leave lump sum in two pay periods. My case was assigned to a retirement specialist on July 10, 2025. I received my first interim pay July 11. Because I have a divorce order in my retirement package, my interim pay is one-third of my expected pay from OPM. I have not seen much information for a final adjudication timeline from others in this situation, but I was told anywhere from 9 to 18 months.

* Annuity and supplement (then Social Security at 62) covers all of the expenses I would classify

as largely non-discretionary and then some: (1) Home/Property/Vehicle ownership, operations

and maintenance, and (2) Personal diet, health care, personal care, clothing, etc. TSP and other

investment withdrawals will fund any recurring discretionary and also large occasional (e.g., new

vehicle, new roof, etc.) purchases that aren’t covered by defined benefits without requiring

significant withdrawal rates.

* I’m still waiting for my annuity to be finalized.  I’ve been investing in one form or another since I was in college.  TSP and annuity are just part of the over all financial pie for me.

* TSP and FERS alone would not have been enough. Although we currently operate on $8K per

month, I hope to have around $12K - $15K per month during retirement to enable a stress-free

existence, and some travel with my wife and family. We have scrimped and saved for decades to

get to this large nest egg, and I want to spend most of my 60s (God willing) and perhaps even

70s not having to worry about an occasional nice meal or modest vacation. 

* My annuity, supplement, and retirement job are substantially more than my government

paycheck was. So far, so good. Working with the calculators, I’m confident that when I start

withdrawing from TSP in five years or so (when I fully retire), I’ll be very comfortable with my

pension plus supplement plus TSP.

* Yes, my outside investments are covering my expenses until the FERS annuity and RAS is finalized.  With my FERS annuity, RAS and my military retirement, I will take $4,000 from TSP and outside financial institution.

* For sure! We have not yet taken SSN, but are definitely considering it as the break-even (waiting for FRA) is too far out. I am simply waiting a bit to see if I get bored and need some work “entertainment”. For now, doesn’t look to be the case. We’ll make our decision this summer.

* I am satisfied with my pension.  I am receiving $6,700 per month with the Supplement for the next two plus years, then will tap my TSP to carry over for the lost Supplement until I take Social Security when I turn 67.

* Yes, my projections assured me of that before I hit the button. My new retirement job pay

eliminates the SRS supplement completely, but I would have only gotten the supplement 1.5

more years anyway and the retirement job will go well beyond the age 62 SRS cutoff.

* Yes. As many of your articles have stated, focus on what you need to replace your net income, not gross. It makes things much clearer.

* Absolutely, using the 4% rule my TSP balance will continue to grow even with taking regular withdrawals to make up the difference between my take home pay and annuity.

* This is my biggest challenge, our financial planner indicated between my annuity, TSP, and private investments, we had plenty of income to meet our needs. I do believe him, but after retirement, I began to stress over finances and I still have not taken any TSP deductions. I know this is common among retirees, so I know I’m not alone. Going from an accumulation phase to a spending phase is challenging, just be aware. 

*  Absolutely. My annuity, supplement and TSP could more than cover my expenses. The new job means I don’t touch my TSP yet and can increase other outside investments. 

*Yes, with no mortgage or other debt, the annuity and supplement cover my basic expenses.

Other income from my work and my wife’s job covers some additional investing and travel. I

have not taken any money from my TSP yet, but plan to in the next one to two years when my

wife and I stop working and start traveling.

*No, they are not. Looking for a job now, going back into service as retired annuitant

soon, hopefully.

*I do not plan on touching my TSP at this time. My annuity, supplement, and new job is covering

the bills and still have some left over to put into emergency fund and savings.

*My FERS annuity is about $4,100 monthly. Plus my VA benefit is $4,200 a month. Those two alone are more than enough to cover our expenses. But we do have that chunk of money in our IRA settlement account that’s available too.

*Yes

*Yes…at least they should once OPM gets to my application.

*From what I can tell this first month, although I haven’t gotten partial payment yet, it will be fine based on my annuity estimate.

*I have not received any checks yet, but according to my figures I should receive more money in retirement than when I was working. I contributed a lot to TSP in my end years, and I was still living fine.

*Currently, the funds from my pension, supplement and TSP are more than enough to cover

expenses. We initially took a block of money out of my TSP to pay off outstanding balances

(cars, credit cards, etc.). That definitely reduced our monthly outflow of money as far as

required payments to be made.

Currently I have not found a need to get a job, either to supplement my income or alleviate

boredom. I used my annual leave payout to book a 15-day river trip from Amsterdam- Budapest

as a way of saying thank you to my wife for tolerating this career for all these years. That trip

begins in 6 months! After that, I may go find something to keep me entertained and occupied. I

do have a lead on temporary, seasonal type job driving tour bus for travelling musicians, but that

is more for “entertainment and adventure” purposes.

What would you tell those considering retiring in the next few years? 

*My biggest piece of advice is: Do not let your decision be guided by fear. Most people stay in their jobs longer than they need to because they are afraid of the unknown. You need to do the actual math and see exactly how much you need to survive. If the math works—and for most Special Category Employees, it often does—then take the jump. You will find work you actually enjoy on your own terms, and you will finally be able to live the life you want.

*Ensure you have completed the Military Service Deposit process if applicable and have the

payoff letter inserted into your eOPF. Request an estimate from your respective benefits center at

least 1 year out to ensure you are financially able to retire. Read the estimate(s) very carefully to

ensure there are no errors in your federal service calculations or military buyback calculations –

once submitted, there is very little time for corrections kissed by the individual retiring.

Using the spreadsheets created by John Gutsmiedl (provided through Barfield’s Helpful Links

resource page) really helped me better understand how my retirement pay compared to my pre-

retirement pay.

*Run your numbers! Once you see the difference between take home pay while working vs. the small amount you need to withdraw from TSP to match that amount, it becomes a no brainer.

* If it makes sense financially, go for it. I hadn’t realized how much stress federal service was until

I left, and it was very freeing.

* Know your spending needs and expectations, know your true Retirement SCD, and have a plan.

* 1) Enjoy the last of your working years. Retire as soon as you can. Pension is worth more

the earlier you grab it. If you work until you’re 57 - you missed out on lots of free money.

2) Attend as many retirement classes as you can – especially with Chris Barfield. I was

fortunate enough to get into two classes a couple years apart and they are priceless.

Explore his website – lots of articles on lots of topics. Follow Barfield Financial on

Facebook – set up a fake account if you aren’t on FB (exactly what I did).

3) Read Dan Jamison’s FERS Guide. Get the fresh one every year and spend time with a

high-lighter on the parts that apply to you (ex: portions like Military pay and divorce

settlements did not apply to myself so it is an easy read). I think I still have about seven

copies in my files.

4) Keep a running folder with all your info – will come in so handy. I’ll never forget years

ago, a dude I worked with submitted his paperwork to HQ/OPM and THEN turned

around and said to the group, “well I guess I need to start a retirement folder.” Lots of

heads were shaking.

5) Use John G’s spreadsheet often. Play around with it. See some fake numbers and make

them real numbers. It was only about $26 of from my actual payments years later.

* Take a retirement seminar and know your benefits! I can’t believe the number of

employees that have no idea of their benefits and retirement numbers. Get

knowledgeable on these things. Get a good retirement estimate from HR at least

once a year, and use the retirement calculator spreadsheet on Barfield Financial’s

website under Resources.

* Talk to those who have retired and ask for pros/cons and mistakes made. And to talk to some financial folks. I am versed in it, and what you have unselfishly shared only confirmed my thinking. My daughter is also a CFP so she is a great resource to bounce ideas off. Can’t beat the pros.

* Zero out your debt if you can. Make extra mortgage payments, credit card payments and get those cars paid off. This makes a difference between having to work in retirement and needing to work in retirement. The mental freedom of being debt free means everything. Also, start looking for work now if you plan to work in retirement. 

*Go when you’re eligible, as life is too short. Save your money and invest it

wisely. Don’t move your money or try to time the market in the TSP, put it in the C fund and set

it and forget it. Also, if you’ve ever been divorced and your ex-wife gets $0 of your pension,

make sure you say that, where a prior spouse isn’t entitled to any of your pension and do not

send OPM your divorce decree, as they don’t need it and it can only slow the processing of your

pension.

*I can feel like a scary idea. Specifically, the gross income levels. But review your numbers

using the agency retirement system or John Gutsmiedl’s Spreadsheet and the NET numbers

might be a lot closer than you think.

*Maximize your TSP contributions - the new rule requiring those contributions to be ROTH is not a bad thing. 

*Make sure you’re maxed out with contributions, including catch

up contributions if applicable.

* Eliminate all debt except for your house. 5 years before eligibility get an estimate from your

HR so that you have an idea of what your pension/supplement will be. Use John G’s spreadsheet

on Chris’ website and plug in your numbers and see what the difference in your retirement pay is

verses your current pay that is the number you need to make up with your TSP or by getting

another job.

* Go as early as you can! Either start living the good life right away, or start a new job and have

Uncle Sam start paying back all that blood, sweat and tears.

* Know your numbers and take into consideration your time as well. My time is more important to me then increasing my pension.

* Go at the very first opportunity you get.

* 1. Max out your TSP (including Catch Up Contributions if applicable).

2. Read all Barfield Financial articles prioritizing “I Can’t Afford to Retire” and “Have I

Won The Game?”

3. Read Dan Jamison’s book cover to cover and reread chapters as needed.

4. Subscribe to the Barfield Financial newsletter.

5. Don’t delay retirement or hobble in it by only using two legs of the FERS three-legged

stool. Use the TSP to make up your shortfall between your post-retirement take home

pay vs pre-retirement take home pay and pull the plug. Dan Jamison is right – not

wanting to tap your TSP in retirement is akin to not driving a new car because you may

get a scratch on it.

6. Maintain your friendships with the colleagues you like. In retirement, you get to

maintain those friendships without the pain of tasks assigned and organizational

annoyances.

* Retire when you can, if you want to continue working, look into the private sector and double dip.  

* Go when you can or want to, feed your TSP, do not take loans out, or move money when market drops.

* Max-out your TSP contributions prior to leaving.

* Come on in the water is fine. On a serious note, if you a close but have some concerns consider

employing a fee only financial advisor to create a retirement plan on a hourly basis. A good

advisor will likely charge at least $200 an hour, but meeting with someone that has seen

hundreds of people many without a pension at all retire and having them tell you that you are

good is priceless. If an advisor says oh no, the plan is free, run away because the only thing they

are going to do is try to sell you something even if you don’t think you bought anything.

* To take a close look at the Roth TSP. Try to plan to avoid the problem I’m going to have. Which is very, very large RMDs. My RMDs will likely be between $200-300k. Which means IRMAA and high federal taxes. If a person has a large traditional TSP balance, they need to plan to try and minimize the tax burden.

* Please do not wait any longer. Get out and enjoy life as soon as you can.  

* Know your numbers and make sure you alreadyhave some hobby activities. Start your bucket-list sooner than later.

* Do not delay retiring if you desire it and can afford it, but have some vision of what you want to

do with your time. Of course, “affording” it is the issue people seem to have a hard time

assessing. It really is as basic as (1) thoroughly understanding your expenses and forecasting

how they may change over time, and (2) knowing your income sources separated by defined

benefit as Part I and the investment part of your net worth as Part II.

* Leave as soon as you can.  Life is short, get out there and enjoy it.  Don’t let the job be what defines you.

* Have a good plan on how you’re going to manage your cashflow. Ideally if you need to work,

you can afford to take a carefree, low stress job. My current job is a quite a bit more stress than I

would have liked, but I’m going to tough it out for 3-4 years for the good of my family.

* Know your numbers!!

* I would direct them to barfieldfinancial.com and have them follow Barfield on Facebook.  There is a ton of valuable information on the articles and the comment section.  Attend an agency retirement seminar at the earliest possible opportunity and often.  You will learn something new every time you sit down for another retirement seminar.  If you can afford to contribute the maximum to the TSP and the catch up amount for those over 50 years old and the new catch up to the catch up for those 60 - 63 years old (this amount is even more).  Depending on their risk level (60-40, 70-30 C-G), encourage them to have their money work for them in the C fund.  Talk to your agency HR and build a rapport with HR specialist.  Request retirement estimates annually from the HR specialist when you are 5-6 years from retirement.  Review your eOPF documents (SF-50, DD214,...) HR specialist notified me 15 years after I submitted my DD214 Character of Service was N/A.  The Character of Service had to be Honorable Discharge before the agency would accept that time of service.  This process took me 9 months for the USAF to correct my DD214 to Honorable Discharge.  Talk to recently retirees about the good bad and ugly on the Online Retirement Application.  Fortunately I had the Honorable Discharge corrected on the DD214 and sent to the agency HR specialist and received an updated Retirement Estimate, saved an electronic copy of my eOPF and printed a hard copy of the eOPF, get all of the websites (ie. EPP), logins and passwords that I will need to login from my home computer.   On January 28, 2025 an email came out from OPM to all FERS employees about THE FORK IN THE ROAD.  Which we thought was SPAM.  It was not SPAM.  If I did not have all of my paperwork ready and know where I was at financially.  I would still be reporting to work today. I was in a good position that day, knowing that I was going to retire August 2025.  The Fork allowed me to collect a paycheck and accumulate more annual leave to December 31, 2025.

* Do the numbers and figure out how the three-legged stool will work for you. If not enough, cut your expenses (I don’t recommend working longer for two reasons: 1. Our time on earth is so short and 2. What you save going forward will not make a difference, it is just too late, time value of money is no longer on your side). Just cut back and enjoy with what you have coming.

* Put the maximum into the TSP and don’t touch it.   Roth it in your early years.  Be aggressive with it because you will not really need that money right away when you retire.  

Also, if you can, start a ROTH IRA.  I started mine in 2004, and when I retired, I had $900,000 in that Roth.

* Do your own research. Learn as much as you can. Subscribe to Chris Barfield’s posts and

articles. Use John Gutsmiedl’s FERS spreadsheets (Barfield website). Buy Dan Jamison’s

annual FERS guide. Read other articles on FERS. Get an additional free FERS estimate from

Serving Those Who Serve (STWS). Get your agency’s FedNavigator or other retirements

estimate each year. Run your numbers. Run them again. Know your acceptable range for

hitting the button.

* Start a ROTH, needs to be open 5 years before you can withdraw, Make the catch up payments, and stop looking at TSP daily weekly or monthly. Use C fund and let it ride.

* If you don’t enjoy your job, retire the day you are eligible. Don’t worry about the money. Your annuity, RAS and TSP will keep the roof over your head and the lights on. You can always find something else to earn some extra money to fill that gap. Retirement allows you to tap into your TSP without penalty. You saved your entire career for this moment. Too many 1811’s retire and say they don’t want to touch their TSP. I don’t think their financial advisor is telling them about minimum distributions and how much they will be forced to withdraw at age 75. Start using it now. Retirement life is great. It can’t be explained until you experience it yourself.

* Read Barfield financial. Get a copy of Dan Jamison’s FERSGUIDE. Most importantly, know your numbers! Use the John G calculator on Barfield financial to understand your retirement annuity, it is incredibly accurate. It gave me the understanding and freedom to be able to retire knowing exactly what I would be getting. It is incredibly freeing.

*    1. Start tracking your expenses. Understand exactly how much you spend each month for a couple years. 

2. Fill out the Gutsmeidl spreadsheet and play with it. Big confidence booster.

3. If you haven’t already, attend all the retirement seminars. 

4. Talk with people smarter than you on retirement. Talk to recent retirees. 

5.  If the job is your Identity start to work on changing that. It isn’t. 

6. If you identify some financial shortfalls, make a plan and aggressively tackle it. 

7. Read and watch all the Barfield content. 

8. Read Fersguide, knowledge is power and confidence. 

9. Avoid debt

*From the financial side of things, my suggestion to those planning to retire would be to run your

numbers and know what you will be receiving from your pension and supplement, and get a

handle on what your expenses will be. Have a plan for any short fall. Also, have a cushion of

cash before you retire to help cover your expenses while you wait for OPM to do what they

should be able to do quickly and easily. A couple months before my retirement date I lowered

my TSP contributions down to 5% and stopped other investing into a brokerage account. I did

that to stock pile some cash to get us by until the pension was finalized. If you are planning to

work after you retire, I would take as much time as you need to get everything lined up before

you retire. It took me about a year to start planning my retirement. I talked extensively with

other retired agents doing private investigative work. Had to get an LLC set up and licensed and

set up bank accounts and purchase a computer and office equipment etc. By the time I retired I

was ready to go.

*Put resume together, start looking for a job. I’d rather get a root canal than job hunt, but

it helps to know what’s out there. Lots of jobs I might be interested in or qualified for

have a big range in pay and opportunities varying by geographic region, so knowing

what’s out there where you want to live is helpful as you search.

*Know your numbers, get an agency estimate, get educated on retirement benefits, buy the

FERSGUIDE for SCE and subscribe to Barfield Financial. Don’t listen to watercooler talk to

plan your retirement.

*Know your numbers. How much will your FERS pension be? What will your income gap be? How will you fill it? Open a Roth IRA. Have money put aside to supplement your income if needed. Invest the rest is something similar to the TSP C-Fund.

*Make sure you have 3 months of savings that are liquid to cover expenses while you await your pension. 

*Research, learn from others, attend multiple “retirement” planning events. Build your savings reserve to cover 4-6 months minimum of all key bills. If you’re thinking about going around the end of the fiscal year - Don’t do what I did, and wait for the end of paycheck – go on 30 Sep, and hopefully avoid all the shutdown issues.

*Do it and don’t look back. Realize we work very hard to gain the pension and in light of the current political mess going on in our country, there are so many other jobs out there to make up the difference. Do your homework, look at the ADP payroll calculator and confirm yourself. Read Barfield’s advice and all the others, leave and have WAY less stress.

*Max out TSP contributions.

*The best piece of advice I would give is start planning now. Learn everything you can about

your retirement; steps leading to it, the process and life beyond. Seek out information sources.

In 2023, I attended an agency sponsored retirement seminar. We were encouraged to have our

spouses attend. That was extremely beneficial with valuable information for my wife and I.

What would you tell those 20-somethings that are just starting their federal careers? 

*Max out your TSP from day one and stay 100% in the C Fund. I wasted the first 10 years of my career in the G Fund; after a decade of service, I only had about $60,000. Everything changed the moment I switched to 100% C Fund; that is exactly how I became a millionaire. Don't play it "safe" in the G Fund when you have a 25-year runway. Your pension is effectively the equivalent of having $3–$4 million in a "safe" G fund, so you can afford to let your TSP be your "profit" engine in the C Fund.

*I would recommend that new federal employees start their TSP contribution at 5 percent

(minimum) and increase the percentage each time they receive a WIGI (1/4 to 1/2 the increase)

and up to 1/2 of each annual COLA pay adjustment when given by the administration. It’s

important to increase contributions on each grade increase or promotion too! Small steps early

and incrementally increasing contributions can get each of you into the double comma club!

*Max out TSP as soon as you can. I didn’t max out until I had 15 years in and I still made it over a million. And that included many years of dumb moves. Had I stayed in C the whole time I would have made at least 2 million.

* My heart says if you get with the right agency, it can be a great, fulfilling career…my head says

federal service can/will exact a heavy mental and physical toll… Consider your options very,

very carefully. If they are going to make a career with the feds, follow Barfield Financial! Great

resources and straightforward strategies to make the most of a federal career and be prepared for

retirement, which comes really fast.

* Get your match in TSP, then open a Roth IRA and max that out. Look into HDHPs with HSAs.

Be careful where you get your pension information, and don’t bother trying to time the market.

Try to maintain a good work/life/financial balance.

* 1) Getting rich is not complicated: Max out TSP from day one. Put it all in C fund and just

roll. Pinch pennies early and spend thousands later

2) Enjoy the job and have fun but please don’t let it define you. We lose way too many

people shortly after retirement because the job was their life and identity– especially

these dudes getting extension after extension.

* Contribute as much as you can as quickly as you can to your TSP (at least 5% for

free matching), and invest 100% in the C fund, and try not to take any loans out.

Also live within or beneath your means and try to avoid debt except your

mortgage. I know how hard it is to raise a family and not feel pinched along the

way, but do your best; your future self won’t regret it.

* I already have passed your info to several new(er) agents. You and Dan need to be followed. Maxing out as soon as possible is so worth it. You’ll learn to survive without the money currently and will be amazed how fast it grows in your later years. My wife pretty much leaves the financial stuff to me and she is amazed when I show her our balances. She can’t wrap her head around it. And I had to really talk her into maxing her TSP. It left her without much of a paycheck but with my paycheck, we didn’t need hers as much. Her TSP (approx. $325k) isn’t bad for someone with less than a decade on the job.

* I gave TSP guidance to every new Agent that came through the door. FEED IT EARLY AND OFTEN. You can’t always max out as there were times I had to cut back but always pay the minimum of 5% and bump it back up as soon as you get your bills paid. Also, enjoy the job early on, take opportunity to travel when you can and work in interesting places. But at some point get to a low cost of living area and stay there until the end. This makes a difference. The high COLA pay in big offices doesn’t offset the money saved by not paying big tax bills, mortgages, insurance rates etc.

*Start investing in the TSP Roth on day one and put everything in the C Fund.

*Contribute a minimum of 5% into the C fund and leave it alone. Increase contribution levels as

you can. Educate yourself on your government/retirement benefits. It’s never too early. Use

Barfield Financials resources and/or Jamison’s FERSGuide. I attended multiple retirement

seminars throughout my career. First probably mid-career.

Look into private life insurance as rates should be fairly cheap for healthy 20-year-olds and get

rid of FEGLI.

* Contribute the maximum to TSP - once you get used to living on what's left, it's not bad.  The power of compounding will create the greatest sense of financial freedom when you ultimately retire.  Don't listen to those who say "contribute only as much to maximize the match).  

*Don’t mess with TSP allocation sites, I know I lost money early in my career trying to time the market. Stick it in C and forget it. I wish I had lost my password 15 years ago!

* You have chosen a career that will make you a multimillionaire. A financial advisor

explained to me you have chosen an amazing career with an annuity that is indexed for inflation

and that has a social security supplement, together they are worth a portfolio of millions of

dollars when retired.

* The same thing as Chris: Max out your TSP as soon as possible, but at least ALWAYS max out

the match. Stay in the C-Fund and don’t mess with it!\

* Invest in the TSP as much as you can. When you are young invest in C fund and ROTH. Start a HSA and build your balance.

* Maximize their TSP contributions as early in their career as possible. If you are financially able, invest in the TSP Roth and max that contribution out as soon as possible. Invest it all in the C fund, and don’t every change it. Go check on it from time to time, but do NOT move the money around.

* 1. Read Jamison’s book cover to cover.

2. Read all your articles and subscribe to your newsletter.

3. Do what I was told to do when I was a 23-year-old Grade 4 clerk – max out your TSP

contributions, put everything in the C Fund and let it ride.

*  Dump as much as you can into the TSP.  Consider using the Roth when you are young and making less and switch to the regular TSP in later years when your salary increases.

* Feed your TSP as much as possible

* Max-out your contributions, if you can. Set it and leave it.

* Feeding your TSP early not only is for retirement, if later in your career you know your

retirement is taken care of you can take some risks either personally or professionally Because

you don’t have to “Worry about retirement”

* Learn as much as possible about your benefits and money management. Go to every seminar you can. If you learn onenew thing, it was worth your time. No one is ever going to care as much as you do about your money.

* Max out as soon as possible. I couldn’t until became a 14 last 5 years but still got a million. Each step increase up a percent to tsp 

* TSP: Get into the TSP early. Never give up the matching funds so always put in at least 5% no matter how hard the times may get. Max out when you can. Life Insurance: Look into the difference between FEGLI and long-term life insurance. Typically, long-term (example 20 year) plans are better cost benefit than FEGLI and you can renew a 20 year term yearly to maintain the best rate until/in- case you have a limiting health impact. I developed cancer in my early 40’s and could not qualify for additional renewals of term-insurance, but I had a long-term plan that has stayed in effect with a great rate. Depending on your age at retirement, there may be some benefit in carrying low-level FEGLI to retirement and take the 75% reduction plan into retirement (not a well-known benefit). https://www.fedsmith.com/2024/08/05/fegli-basic-life- insurance-biggest-missed-retirement-benefit-for-federal-retirees/

* Lots!

TSP: Stay100% in the equity indices. (1) get 100% employer match from day one (5%

contribution MINIMUM). (2) stay in a 100% equity allocation until a decade before retirement.

(3) among C and S funds cover the total domestic market in proportion (ratio S:C funds 18:82 to

yield a total US market) and also have international (I fund) similar to a fifth of total (e.g., 66%

C, 15% S, and 19% I). (4) Use every annual salary increase as an opportunity to increase your

TSP contribution to its MAXIMUM.

FEHB: You are young, so consider an HDHP w/ HSA, then also contribute through payroll to

that HSA up to your maximum. It is triple tax advantaged, plus as a federal employee you fund it

completely pre-tax such that no OASDI and no medicare tax are withheld either. Leave an

amount equal to your annual deductible in the cash account, but then set up automatic investment

for anything over that to 100% index equities.

FEGLI: If you have a spouse, children … any insurable interests in your income, you must

investigate alternate sources to FEGLI and should consider long-lived/level-premium term

policies. (Term Life ONLY – Don’t convolute savings and investment with life insurance) There

are too many factors to suggest “How Much … When to Initiate … For How Long”. You must

educate yourself here. Know that if you waive FEGLI, treat it as though you will not have any

opportunity to enroll again since an open season is very rare.

Sick Leave: Understand that being a federal employee, you have no actual short-term or long-

term disability. Sick Leave needs to be conserved and grown to provide its equivalent; treat it

that way.

Debt: A house is the only item you will ever finance that generally appreciates. Avoid other debt

to the maximum extent possible.

Generally: While I am a DIY’er, it is because I have an interest in the process (planning,

investing) as much as in the outcome itself (e.g., successful retirement). I would encourage one

who finds no interest in the process to not be a DIY’er but to seek a good planner who charges

level fees by activity and avoid any AUM-based planner

* Always seek out opportunities to learn, train and travel.  If you want to be a supervisor and climb the ladder-be a leader not a petty tyrant or managerial drone.  Look out for each other and do your best to stay above the river of BS that flows out of HQ.  Maximize your TSP and figure out a strategy that works for you and stick to it.  Go into it knowing your time in the job is going to be limited to 20-25 years and plan accordingly.  Network and make friends while working.  Then get out when you are first eligible and do something else (or do nothing).  Just don’t be that old burned out agent who should have left a long time ago.

* Max your TSP using a reasonable 3-fund Boglehead-style allocation (CSI, most likely) and then don’t look at it for at least 20 years.

* Read the FERS Guide early on. Read the Barfield newsletters and articles throughout your career so you’ll be conversant and confident in your plan when retirement comes. Plus, you’ll be taught to feed your TSP… to max it, and not leave it all in G, which will set you up very well for retirement.

* Get your login and password to TSP and set it up to contribute 100% C fund and into the ROTH.  All of the gains on these contributions will be distributed tax free when you are 59 1/2 years old and older.  Now lose your password and don't check it until your eligible for distributions.  Contribute at least the minimum of 5% to TSP and make your goal to contribute the maximum to include the catch up limits when you are 50 years old and the catch up to the catch up at 60 - 63 years old. 

* Tithe 10% and another 10% towards retirement. Put the retirement in a life- cycle fund that is 5 to 10 years “after” you plan on retiring, as they tend to be too conservative. Do this consistently, don’t ever pull out or time the market. You’ll be rich beyond your needs.

* Invest the max in TSP Roth, go all C fund. Maybe check it once a year, then put your TSP

password back in a safe! Start some rebalancing at age 50 between C and G to your own risk

tolerance.

* Start a ROTH and get a health plan with a HAS

* Learn about your benefits, fund your TSP, preferably in the ROTH.

* Max out your TSP from day one, putting everything in the C fund. Whatever you have to do, max it out, I cannot stress this enough. You only have 20 years to invest and earn as much as possible, you have to make the most of it!

*  1. Max out TSP in the C fund, set and forget. Use dollars and not percentages. If you think you can’t max it force yourself to increase it aggressively and you can quickly and easily scale back if you HAVE to. I got divorced and gave up half my TSP but I always maxed out and got it back over a mil. Do it in ROTH throughout your 20s and 30s. Revaluate traditional later, maybe. 

  2.  Get smart on personal finances with podcasts/books etc. it has never been easier to understand person finance. Small mistakes have huge consequences for older you. 

*Live below your means. Budget your money every two weeks or every month. Get out of debt

and stay out of debt. When you have no debt, you actually have money to save and invest. Invest

in your TSP, Roth IRA, and a brokerage account. The earlier you can save and invest the better.

Time in the market is key. Make those sacrifices early on and it will literally pay dividends later

in your life. Make sure to increase your savings, investing, and debt reduction every time you

get a cost-of-living increase, step increase, or WIGI. Watch out for life style creep. Compound

interest is amazing. It takes many years to really see it and feel it, but be patient, it’s awesome.

*Feed TSP as best as you can. I haven’t always been able to max TSP (due to family

situation, forced transfer at housing crash, other family expenses). But, Luckily I maxed

TSP early, and then even though I had to back it off later (always getting at least the

match), the early inputs have grown to a respectable amount.

*Live within your means and put as much as you can towards retirement early and allow it to

grow, grow, grow. Educate yourself early and often, especially when Congress threatens to

screw with your benefits.

*Contribute as much as possible to your TSP. Open a Roth IRA. Stay invested in the TSP C-Fund.

*Max out your TSP as soon as possible.  Put 100 percent into the C Fund and forget about it.  Don’t try and time the market.  It never works! 

*Start planning your retirement on day one. Always max out your TSP, and with the current and historical markets – dump a cushion (10-15%) in G fund, but put the rest in C- fund or possibly a C/S split. If you can afford it – start Roth early, pay the taxes when you’re in a lower bracket and have more to use right after you retire. Don’t be afraid of retirement – plan for it….and don’t try to play the market – I tried and lost money over the years.

*Contribute and max out as soon as you can, it will pay dividends. Also leave it 90% C fund and 10% S fund and let it ride.

*Don’t be afraid to leave your home area so you can climb up the ladder and make your high-3 bigger. My home area had very few federal jobs. Also, every time you get a WIGI or COLA, increase your TSP contribution.

*Start planning now!!! Seek out information and seminars, even at the beginning of your career.

Unfortunately, the only advice I had been given relevant to retirement when I was first hired

related to TSP. Essentially, to “set it and forget it”. Thankfully, I was able to correct

What resources did you use to get retirement/post career guidance? And would you recommend it to others?

* I highly recommend working with Chris Barfield; his perspective was instrumental in helping me realize how little supplemental income I actually needed. I also relied heavily on the FERSGuide, which is essential for any SCE who wants to understand the true value of their benefits. Having experts help you "do the math" gives you the confidence to retire when the time is right. By comparison, the retirement resources provided at my workplace were essentially worthless and often misleading.

* I attended two seminars provided by a SCE-focused contractor earlier in my career, and viewed

the videos provided through the Army Benefits Center. As I approached my MRA, I bought and

referenced The FERSGUIDE for Special Category Employees (Dan Jamison) and spent lots of

time reading articles provided by Chris Barfield. Finally, I created an income plan based on my

pay, my FERS retirement estimate using the special category spreadsheets created by John

Gutsmiedl. I know I already mentioned these resources, but they were very important to my pre-

planning process and made me very comfortable in my transition.

The timeframe of my retirement was in the middle of the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP),

and since October 2025 I have not received any correspondence from the Army. I was able to

access the OPM Retirement Services Online portal within 45 days of retirement (even with the

furlough-driven delays). I recommend retiring members create usernames and passwords for

DFAS MyPay (or other agency specific payroll websites, BENEFEDS and other websites

associated with your benefits. Open every mailer you receive, because there are important access

codes you will need.

* The FERSGuide discussed on Barfield Financial, NARFE, Tammy Flanagan. Would recommend all of these resources.

* Barfield Financial, FedImpact retirement class, FERS GUIDE, and our district, then division,

“retirement expert” (who introduced me to the CSRS/FERS handbook, thanks for the help over

the years, Eric!)

Non-FERS, ChooseFI helped me discover the ways to access retirement accounts early. The

Simple Path to Wealth and Your Money or Your Life were helpful as well.

Would recommend all of them.

* As stated above: Barfield Financial and Dan Jamison’s resources are top notch (pay for the FERS guide – might be the best $20 ya spend on Amazon this year).

* Take two or three retirement seminars throughout your career, one early, one mid-

career and one three years away. Read and understand the FERSGuide. Read and

understand the OPM website. Read all the Articles on the Barfield Financial

website. You will get so much important and valuable information.

* Your monthly newsletter. I also follow you on all the socials so I constantly getting info about what is going on. I can’t thank you and Dan enough. I came up with what I thought I wanted to do and confirmed it with financial pros. I would highly recommend it to others. You/Dan and the financial pros are where it is at.

* Attended a retirement seminar put on by Chris Barfield a couple years prior to retirement. Very beneficial in getting everything in order in preparation for retirement

*Chris Barfield, Dan Jameson and FedImpact by ProFEDS (I took one of their workshops and

they provided me a very good analysis of all my finances)

*The Barfield Financial website, especially the resource tab. Also, follow Barfield Financial on

Facebook for the most updated information. Lastly, get Dan Jamison’s FERSGuide which is

updated annually. I purchased the 2025 SCE version and reviewed thoroughly prior to

retirement.

*I did speak with a financial planner because it seems like everyone says "defer social security to at least 67" - I'm more comfortable with my 60% C and 40% G knowing that I don't have to tap much of it for awhile.  Also, I moved my money out of TSP to a much cheaper, more flexible place, leaving $800 behind to keep my account open -- another great piece of Barfield advice.

*The usuals, Jamison, your Dad and Tammy Flanagan. They are

the experts in this field.

* FERS Guide-Dan Jamison, Chris Barfield and John G’s spreadsheet.

* All of Chris’ content as well as lots of hours on YouTube watching reputable content.

* Barfield Financial

FEDIMPACT workshops

Layered Financial BLOG

AI assistant to decipher OPM policies

* Barfield Financial – Facebook, LinkedIn

Dan Jamison

If you intend to work afterwards, start your LinkedIn connection building sooner than later.

Give yourself plenty of time to work on your Resume. Don’t

need to hire someone to do it. But is helpful to have others

review it.

* Barfield Financial!  My own financial advisor.  Friends and Colleagues.  

* I did retirement estimates from HR, Barfield Financial, spreadsheet on website and got the FERSGUIDE. Yes, get as much information as possible regarding your numbers for retirement

* Lots of YouTube videos for interviewing. I paid a service to write my resume.

* FERS Guide, the white papers and a fee only financial planner who I paid first on an hourly basis

and when I wanted to have regular advice I pay him on a set yearly amount that is not a

percentage of assets under management but a set yearly amount based on a combination of my

total assets and my salary (now pension). The set amount is examined every other year to see if

it is still appropriate. My advisor has no access or control over my investments, he provides

guidance and I generally agree and execute. If I don’t agree the change doesn’t happen. My

advisor is someone who double checks my ideas from an outside perspective, and is like that

wiser older coworker who just has spent way more time on the subject than I have.

* I follow Chris Barfield, I read the federal employee news web sites - FEdsmith etc. Attended every retirement seminar I could during my whole career-not just the last couple of years. And I had a long career :)

* Friends who recently retired and the  FERS LEO spreadsheet to run your numbers and then use chris to confirm it all. FERS guide also 

* Agency retirement seminars – go to every seminar you can. The presenter and other people’s questions will be different every session and you will learn more. The FERS Guide is a must- have resource. Barfield Financial is a must-read for every article and newsletter. Some of the fed news sites have good articles now and then for retirement. FedSmith, Fed Exec, etc.

* In-person FERS-specific seminars, vetted and sponsored by my agency, for early-career, mid-

career and late-career are very useful. Though I was well versed in FERS generally, I always

found something new to consider. Today of course there is so much free-content on YouTube and

elsewhere, but of course one has to be confident of their own knowledge enough in order to vet

the sources. I would highly recommend starting with Barfield Financial’s content as it regards

FERS-specific subjects. All is spot-on!

As for some YouTube channels for non-FERS specific content I would personally recommend:

Rob Berger, The Money Guy Show, The Retirement Nerds, and Devin Carroll.

I use my own spreadsheets for one-off scenario testing but also have a software subscription for

more sophisticated multi-parameter scenario simulations. I use Boldin, but can’t compare it to

others. My only issue with Boldin and similar products is that being proprietary, you see inputs

and outputs but don’t have complete understanding for some of the “black-box” assumptions and

calculations being made, so adjusting your inputs to yield better outcomes can be difficult. I’ve

had outputs that make it suspect they are making incorrect assumptions and when I go to inquire

via email or chat, I’ve twice now come to find that it can’t handle the specifics of my situation in

a straight forward way. So be aware and seek answers from the product team if something

doesn’t seem right.

* Pretty much everything from Chris Barfield and Dan Jamison’s FERS guides.  John Gutsmiedl’s awesome spreadsheet.  Talking to other agents who had retired before me.  Working with a private financial advisor.  

* Bogleheads and the lazy three fund portfolio. This approach has served us well and given us the

confidence to not touch anything no matter what during the highs and lows. Right now we sit on

a 70/30 portfolio due to having two pensions when I turn 60 years old. This will be around $7K

gross (perhaps $5K net). With $3M, my 4% income from investments will be around $10,000

per month. So… I should be relatively set if this grows to $4M in the next 3-4 years.

* FERS Guide and Barfield Financial were my two trusted sources. I wish I had found Barfield earlier. (I only found it about five years before retirement).

* FERSGUIDE.COM, BarfieldFinancial.com, GOVEX, agency federal benefits (FEHB, FEGLI, FLTC, HSA, FSA, SSA.GOV, TSP.GOV)  On the barfieldfinancial.com is a FERS spreadsheet that will calculate your pension when you input your data.  

* FERS is definitely the biggest challenge and highly recommend the book “The FERSGUIDE 2026” by Dan Jamison. This book gives you everything you need to figure out your retirement. A must read!

* The usual suspects, Dan Jamieson and Barfield Financial.

* Thank goodness I discovered Chris Barfield several years ago. Dan J’s annual FERS book is

very informative too. Run John G’s EFRS spreadsheets are an absolute must for any federal

employee.

Chris Barfield’s “barbell strategy” makes the most sense of any post-retirement withdrawal

strategy I have seen and the simplicity is unmatched. I encourage every FERS employee to go to

his website and review it or watch his YouTubes.

I attended every agency webinar or seminar on FERS. There is a lot of financial information out

there, but the simplicity of FERS and TSP can’t be beat as a growth vehicle.

I also read articles from various FERS sources like myfederalretirement.com (Ed Z.), Serving

Those Who Serve, FedImpact, Tammy Flanagan, and Cindy Lunquist.

* Barfield Financial, including a 1 on 1, and John G.’ spreadsheet. FERS GUIDE

* Read the FERS Guide for SCE employees front to back and understand it. Follow Chris Barfield and read his past and present articles.

* When I was a baby agent in 2006 I was lucky enough to get a copy of Dan Jamison‘s FERSGUIDE. It remains the single best document for understanding your retirement. I was fortunate enough to find Barfield Financial and the information here along with the John G calculator is invaluable.

*  1. Read all of Barfields stuff and attended an in person seminar. 

  2. Tried to listen to at least one personal finance podcast a week. There are tons. 

  3. Go to agency seminars very early in career. 

  4. Track expenses. 

  5.  Understand the 4% rule of thumb. 

*I used Al Malinchek at Eclat Transitions to help prepare a resume and update my LinkedIn page.

He did a great job, was easy to work with, and the cost was reasonable and worth it. Although I

was not seeking a corporate job, the updated resume and LinkedIn page has been useful in

starting my own business. I also sought out advice from other agents that have walked this path

before me.

*Barfield Financial, FERSGUIDE, OPM website, Lacy Harmon, Dallen Hawes, Profeds, and my

brother (also LE). I recommend all as they all pointed in me in the same direction with a better

understanding of what I was about to enter into. No surprises.

*An old boss introduced me to Vanguard in 2013. That changed everything for me. Afterwards I was like a sponge trying to find out as much as possible about investing. Barfield Financial provided a wealth of information. Specifically the Barbell Strategy!

*FersGuide, Barfield

*Attended a “mid-career” retirement planning session, hosted by my agency, a 2.5 day event, so I got HR, Payroll and a few other inside experts to brief and then review our individual “status” at that point. This caused me to adjust my original plans slightly, mainly correct administrative issues I was unaware of and helped me fix an issue I was totally misinformed about on literal day-1 of my career.

Then a couple of years later in 2020 (8-years from my original retirement date of 2028), I got two independent analysis done on my accounts/assets, including one from Barfield Financial, compared them, found a happy medium between them. I took their deliverables and built my own spreadsheet, so I could compare real-time numbers to see if I was still on course or needed to correct. Then at least once year over the next few years - attended various free sessions on the topic, just to identify any changes (i.e. FERS supplement) I needed to be aware of.

Signed up for NARFE to get access to those resources, listened to every webinar Tammy Flanagan and read all her articles, reviewed Chris Barfield’s Barbell Strategy, followed Chris on his various platforms, also Bill Pritchard at The Fed Trader – another great resource. I also spoke with those I knew were planning on retiring and then those who had retired recently….others experience shared are lessons learned for free.

*Barfield site, Jamison’s guide, agency sponsored retirement clinics, the internet.

*Go to every retirement seminar you can. I just went to the ones that my agency put on, but I’m sure there are others that would be beneficial.

*Dan Jamison’s FERS Guide, Barfield Financial website and newsletter, Gutsmiedl’s retirement

spreadsheet and the experiences of others that have retired before me.

What advice do you wish people would have given you when you  first started your government career? Read and understand the FERSGuide.

*I wish someone had explained that the G Fund is a trap for young employees. If I had known then what I know now about the C Fund, my balance would likely be double. I also wish I had been told to read the FERSGuide immediately; you can't maximize a system you don't fully understand. Finally, I would have gone into a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) from the start. I made the switch six years ago, and it has been amazing. If I had been contributing to an HSA for the last 30 years, I would have several hundred thousand dollars in there by now.

* I would have invested more funds in TSP at the beginning of my career if I had a better

understanding of our three-tier retirement. I was 5 years into my career when I attended my first

retirement seminar, and it opened my eyes to the importance of growing my TSP. It would have

been easier to invest earlier (prior to children) to compound my balance.

For federal employees who are also military reservist, I recommend investing maximum

contribution amounts and understanding how/why investing special pay, incentive pay, and

bonus pay can grow your balance!

*Read and understand the FERSGuide.

* Strongly consider choosing an HDHP and contribute as much as possible. Started this later in my career, and it’s such a great strategy on so many levels. Also, emphasize contributions to the Roth IRA, in particular in younger years, when you’re in a lower tax bracket.

* I wish I had known about SCE retirement (so much better than what I’ll get with VERA). As

someone who considered law enforcement before becoming a fed employee, I would have gone

the fed SCE route had I understood the difference.

I wish someone had explained how to determine risk tolerance and how things worked, and I

would not have spent several years in G fund before figuring it out.

* I was fortunate in that I got great advice and got it early: C Fund maxed out from day one (side

note: in 1997, we had to wait 6 months upon hiring to even be allowed to participate in the TSP –

so dumb). Work hard, have a list of goals, travel often (G trips are the best trips), don’t be an

idiot, don’t use the G car for personal stuff, make up your own decisions about working with

others, trust your gut, and have fun.

* Do what I suggest above. I recall the only advise I was given back in 1989 as I

was filling out the FEGLI (life insurance) form, was my supervisor saying to me to

‘select the “5 multiples” because you can’t go back and add more later’! The rest I

heard and learned throughout my career.

* The first advice I got was about 10 years in and it was the FERS Guide. And then I heard about you. I absolutely wish I would have known about both sooner. Max that TSP ASAP. At least try it initially. NFC makes it very easy to switch if you find you can’t swing it.

*I think I received good advice that I should have taken, such as feeding the TSP, which I eventually did. I just wish I did it as soon as possible. I read Dan’s “FERSGuide for LE” pretty early on.

*I got educated on my benefits early on. I got rid of FEGLI for private insurance, my first year on the job. I only wish seasoned agents really emphasized investing solely in the C fund and avoid TSP loans at all costs.

*Read and understand the FERSGuide.

*Luckily, I was in the same FBI office as Jamison from 2011 until his retirement so that was a great benefit to me. See 20 somethings comments above.

* Immediately max out your TSP and put it all in the C Fund=FU money. Loose the TSP

password and never look at it until 5 years before retirement. Eliminate all debt, except for your

mortgage. If you can stick with one job, one wife and one house. Obtain a higher-level job (GS-

14) in the last phase of your career to boost your high three. Use the recommendations of the

FERS Guide-Dan Jamison, Chris Barfield and John G’s spreadsheet.

* Definitely research retirement benefits early and watch for changes that might affect you. Attend a retirement seminar early and then attend a couple more when you are 10-years and 5-7 years out. Even if you have to pay for them out of pocket!

* Start with the end in mind and have a plan throughout your career.

* Read and understand the FERSGuide. Max out your TSP contributions as soon as possible. Keep your TSP contributions in the C fund. Max out your TSP Roth contribution if you are financially able to.

* Read and understand the FERSGuide.

In retrospect and I wasn’t aware of it at the time, I got exactly what I needed because an elder was looking out for me. I was a Grade 4 clerk. A Grade 13 Agent asked me how my TSP was set up. I told him my contributions were maxed out (10% at the time) and they were allocated 80% in the G, 10% in the C, 10% in the F. He told me to continue max out my contributions, put 100% in the C and let it ride. He told me if I stayed with the agency, I’d retire as a Grade 13 or 14 and would be all set. I decided to follow his advice. I had 100% in the C Fund for 29.5 years. I maxed out 1995-2013 and 2025. I retired as a Grade 15 and Multi-Double Comma Club member.

* Feed my TSP.  Financial and Career and Retirement planning at inception.  I educated myself in recent years.  Take advantage of your agency retirement seminars as soon as you are allowed to .  

* Put money into TSP as soon as possible

* Contribute as much as possible to your TSP account. It’s an investment, and think of it as that.

Let it grow.

Definitely read FERSGuide, subscribe to the Barfield Financial newsletter, and use the

Gutsmiedl spreadsheet. You surprise yourself after completing the spreadsheet.

* Don’t try to time the market ever. But if you do it’s not the end of the world so long as you learn

from your mistakes and always keep feeding the TSP.

Keep an eye throughout your career on your big expenses. I deliberately didn’t buy the most

expensive house or car so that I could retire when eligible. I didn’t pick the cheapest option but I

live well within my means not at the top of them. 

* I wished I would have thought

more about taxes in retirement And how to manage them. In

my opinion, managing taxes is the biggest concern in

retirement

* Read and understand the FERSGuide. 

* Buy back your military time as soon as you can.

* The advice I give to go all-in on equities for really long-term savings (i.e., retirement accounts)

when you are young and until you start your last decade before retirement is how I wished I were

encouraged more at a young age. When I was hired in 1987 FERS was in its nascent stage. It

wasn’t until many months later that one could even invest in equities in TSP as I recall.

* When I started I was told to max out my TSP and put it all in the C fund and let it ride.  That advice was golden.  

* Max your TSP and don’t mess with the L funds. Also, focus your life on a happy home life. It’s

worth more than all the money in the world.

* FERS guide, Barfield Financial, max TSP ASAP and put it all in C.

* I would like to have known about barfieldfinancial.com in the beginning.  Barfield advice on contributing to the C fund and leave it during the market up and downs.  I would have entered the double comma club earlier in my career. 

* Mine is more about advancement and not retirement. For advancement, be prepared to pack up and move every 3 to 5 years. Or, find something you really love and stick to it. Two completely different paths but both can be very rewarding. Retirement planning is simple, do it and stick to it.

* Contribute the max into the C fund. Start 100% Roth TSP when available, it wasn’t around when I started working.

* Put it all contributions in Fund C and let it ride. Be in TSP for long haul, don’t change allocations due to dips in market.

*Read and understand the FERSGuide. Don’t follow any TSP investment guidance unless it’s from YOUR retirement planner. If you don’t have a planner, then stay in C-Fundand leave it there. Don’t try and time the market. I can only imagine what my balance would be if I hadn’t taken some dumb advice from someone that carried the same credentialsin his pocket as me or from some website that all the agents in the office were following.

* Max out your TSP, put everything into the C fund and lose your password. 

*  1.  You should retire when you are first eligible. Some will say they can easily live off pension, supplement and TSP so you should go, and they are correct.     Others will say they can’t afford to live off of those so they HAVE to stay.  WRONG, you can’t afford to stay. With a job that pays $50k almost all employees will be making more money than if they stayed. If this is a strange concept you need to learn why it is true. It is true for everyone, you probably aren’t the special one off case. 

*I wished people would have explained the TSP funds to me. I was saving but did not know what

I was investing in. I wished someone would have told me to never take out a mortgage more

than 15 year. It took me several years to figure it all out.

*FERS Guide every year, I still learn things I read before but forgot or didn’t understand

b. Feed TSP.

c. Use the Roth option (in or outside TSP)

d. Get term life insurance when young. I have kids and plenty of insurance for cheap now

b/c I did that.

*FERSGUIDE is a must. My brother told me to go 100% C fund when I first started and I never

looked at it again until about 20 years later, pure ignorance. I never received any training until

about 15 years into my career when my agency held a mid-career retirement seminar. Started

tweaking a few things through the years after that.

I wish I got rid of FEGLI earlier and had gotten a private policy sooner. I dropped FEGLI when

I was 49.

*Understanding the TSP.

*Have a plan. No one cares about your retirement but you (and your family). So, it’s up to you to look to the future and plan your safe landing. No one knows your situation better than you do, don’t be afraid to ask for advice, but don’t make changes without ensuring it’s good for your retirement – and trust but verify anything you get…especially if it contradicts your current understanding.

*Know the retirement system and how all components feed into it. Don’t look at it as day trading, let it ride and stop moving stuff around. Max out when you can, even if it hurts a little.

*My co-workers were very knowledgeable; they gave me lots of great ideas.

*Read and understand the FERSGuide.

Anything else you would like to share with current employees? (please be as free as you want here. They WILL benefit from your advice).

* I feel so incredibly blessed to have had this career. I grew up on welfare and was the first person in my family to graduate from college, so I never take this for granted. My USG career was full of amazing adventures and incredible sacrifices, but because of it, I am now a 50-year-old multi-millionaire who never has to work another day of my life if I don’t want to. It is such an incredible blessing, and I am so thankful for the FERS SCE system. Retirement is a promotion to a better life. Don't be afraid of the transition. If you’ve done the work and saved the money, don't keep working for "pennies on the dollar" while leaving your pension on the table. Jump, find work you enjoy, and don't look back.

* Regardless of your proposed retirement date, it may be prudent to go into the planned retirement year at with a max annual leave balance. Receiving a lump-sum payment for all your

accrued annual leave at the end of your service may provide a significant safety net while your

agency and OPM process your retirement. Expect delays and be patient with your fellow federal

employees processing your retirement.

* Go out on your own terms. I chased promotion for a few years but when I got sick it put everything in perspective. Live your life for you and your family, not the job.

* There is life after federal service! It’s an adjustment to leave, but it was a great choice for me. It

helped to have a specific plan after retiring.

* Work on getting enough in accessible funds to weather any lack of income due to furlough,

injury, or the gap between retirement and pension/TSP access. Even with a work injury, you may

go a couple months before you get paid through workers comp. If you don’t have enough in

accessible funds for the first 6-12 months in retirement, consider taking a TSP loan, because it

may be a while before your interim pension payments start, and some are still waiting for annual

leave lump sum and TSP access months after retirement.

Take a retirement class early and often. Rules and laws are always changing, and this can help

you stay on top of those changes.

No one cares more about your work/finance/life balance than you do.

No matter where you get your information, verify everything.

* Please heed all the advice you are reading here. You are responsible for your own

successful retirement planning and implementation just as much as you were for

your own career path. Know your retirement benefits and numbers. Until then,

keep working hard and even though you may not think so or feel it, what you do on

the job really does matter – leave your fingerprint behind. Then when it’s time, try

and retire TO something and not just FROM something. That’s what I’m trying to

figure out now, what my calling and purpose is now - now that the daily structure

is gone. Happy Trails!

* I would really try to understand the process as soon as possible. Making a plan and understanding how to get there financially makes going through your career much easier.

* Retirement is a scary prospect and it comes up pretty fast in the scheme of life. Preparation is the key to enjoying your retirement and not making a stressful moment. If you have saved, planned, paid off all of your debt it will be a lot easier. If you’ve spent your entire career buying a new truck or house every time you received a raise it is going to be a little more difficult for you. I didn’t max my TSP out my entire career but once I reached that 13 level it was much easier. I did have my money in the C and S fund for the majority of my career and later on C only. I’m in retirement for less than a year and closing in on the multimillionaire club and have been pulling money from my TSP. YES IT GROWS in RETIREMENT. Look up the barbell method, it works.  Also, I never chased the SES dream or any supervisory role as I knew that meant moving back to undesirable locations that cost and arm and leg to live in. I started my career in a major city and knew that to create wealth I needed to keep my money, not give it to the government, bank, or landlord. Finally, don’t keep working because you think your agency/office needs you. It’s sad to say but they don’t need you and it will carry on without you. If able, you should pull the plug today and everything will workout for everyone. You’ll find that the people who were your friends will stay in touch the rest will fall off the board and life moves on. Too many people keep working because it becomes their Identity. Don’t let it become who you are. Life it too short, spend time with family and friends, work on your health, enter a hot dog eating contest. Do anything, but, make your work a life sentence that you can’t escape from. I had the best job in Law Enforcement but never had any delusions I was going to save the world. I did my job, knew it was time, and handed over my cape to the next generation, now it’s their turn. 

*I say go as early, if not at the point of eligibility of retirement, I’m very glad I did and as I said, life is too short.

*Not all marriages will make it. That is just reality. So, please protect your pension and TSP.

Make sure your divorce decree, martial settlement agreement (MSA), whatever it’s called where

you live has specific language in it that lays out everything. Dan Jamison is a SME (subject

matter expert) in this department. This could make life much easier when it is time to retire.

Lastly, and extremely important, do not provide your MSA to your HR if it does not state that

your ex is entitled to your pension/benefits. Chris Barfield preaches this regularly and I followed

his suggestion. My retirement process went through without any issues.

*Retirement is a transition, just like getting married, having kids or in some cases getting a divorce.  It takes time to adjust to it.  For me, that was about 10 weeks.  Take time to get used to it.  Once you do, it's wonderful. 

*For SCE employees, once you hit journeyman/GS-13 in your career, allocate your annual raises and WIGIs straight to your TSP until your are maxed. Trust all those before you who are now living their best lives. Life is good on the other side. Don’t let your career/job be your identity. There is so much more to your life outside of work!

* There are no tricks, gimmicks or new ideas to obtain wealth from your TSP investments. It

is obtained by maxing out your TSP as soon as you can, driving a cars for as long as you can,

doing without the new you name it, just putting your head down and staying on target to achieve

the goal of freedom-retirement. Success, is defined many different ways for everyone but for me

getting to choose what you do each day of your life and if you saved enough or have no expenses

you can live however you wish.

At times you might not be able to see the finish line because your working for a bad supervisor,

location or assignment sucks but its only temporary because in a blink of an eye you’ll have 20,

30, 40 years on the job and never work again if you listen to the advise of Dan Jamison, Chris

Barfield and using John G’s spreadsheets and probably Dave Ramsey as well.

* No one in your agency will take care of you. YOU have to do the research and should be more

intelligent on the retirement process than those assigned to your case. Make sure they get it right

and not just push the paper across their desk/computer… Double and triple check everything you

submit and everything they provide back to you. A small mistake compounded over 30-40 years

could be a huge suck on what you have earned. Don’t ever forget that you earned your

retirement, it’s not some handout or government program to make you feel better about yourself!

* If you are bitter and have an entitlement mentality you should leave the federal workforce. I saw many of these types in my career and they brought the morale down of the organization. Bottom line: when you reach a point in your career that you have had enough; leave. It’s better for everyone.

* The government job is great, but it is only a phase of your life. Leave your job like taking off a wet pair of wet long underwear after playing in the snow all day. Shed it, put on a fresh pair, and enjoy a nice hot fire.

*  Keep in tough with your former co-workers.  Talk with recent retirees about their experiences.

* If you are thinking about retirement but think you cannot afford to. Sit down and look at the actual numbers and will be surprised that you can go. Don’t make assumptions, sit down with someone and do the math!!!!

* Contribute as much as you can to your TSP. Let it grow!!!

Listen to Barfield! It makes sense!

* Make sure to not neglect your life outside of work, someday you will retire and your work buddy

may live on the opposite side of the city from you, far enough away it might as well be across the

state.

* Take the time and effort to educate yourself. That should start on day one of being a Federal employee. God has blessed me.

* Talk with a psychiatrist if needed. I needed it for the first time ever the week before retirement. . I was scared of losing my identity.  It was very bad and emotional.  It helped and I told friends retiring an me found out they were found through the same thing!  On the. Right side the day after retirement it all went away!!! The mental decompression for the next 60 days is a real thing you can only undertake once you go through it. Enjoy life!! And th freedom 

* When I was in the process of getting divorced, I do wish I had more information regarding statues such as 5 CFR 838 for divorce. Also, currently the FERS Annuity Supplement or survivor annuity cannot (or should not) be awarded to the former spouse unless it is explicitly written into the divorce decree. Some attorneys for former spouses will write the Court Order Acceptable for Processing including items that are not awarded in the divorce decree. In some states it is standard practice to award the supplement and survivor annuity to the former spouse through a COAP even if not supported by 5 CFR 838.

To wit: 5 CFR 838.806(a) “A court order awarding a former

spouse survivor annuity is not a court order acceptable for

processing if it is issued after the date of retirement or death of

the employee and modifies or replaces the first order dividing

the marital property of the employee or retiree and the former

spouse.”

Technical note of value to some: Dan Jamison wrote my Court

Order Acceptable for Processing (COAP aka QDRO) that is

submitted to OPM to ignore salary adjustments after the date of

the divorce decree or separation of marriage when determining

the former spouse’s awarded share of the employee annuity

(pension) because FERS is a contributory retirement plan. Any

pension value increase after the date of decree/separation is

required to be paid into with post-marital funds by the federal

worker and agency. This is similar to determining the end date

for calculating the marital portion of the TSP. So the statement

in the COAP establishes the “high-3 time line” at the time of

divorce, however, the calculation for the marital portion of the

former spouse’s pension award of that “high-3” will be

determined by the length of marriage divided by length of

federal service; which would not be known at the time of the

divorce unless the employee is already retired.

* Things are much more expensive today (e.g., FERS, FEHB, etc.) but you have more investment opportunities, better decision-making tools and greater access to good advice than ever before. You need to be prudent with your spending choices and engaged in planning your future, so be prepared and ever aware.

* It’s an awesome job but know it has an expiration date and take that ability to retire while you are still young and healthy to do other things.  I’m busier now than I was when I was working and its all stuff I want to do.  No more work phone, duty calls, or late nights and weekends.  Get out there and travel and learn something new.  The agency you work for will keep rolling along without you.  So get out when you can and enjoy the fruits of your labor and the time with family and friends.  

* If you plan to work after retirement, don’t be afraid to step outside into the private sector when

the time comes. If anything, I am better trained, more experienced, and more capable than the

people I know work with outside the government.

Your spouse and your kids are the team you work for, not the government. When the time comes

and you surrender your government ID card, you will be surprised at how fast and efficiently the

government shows you the door.

FEHB is not to be underestimated as a killer benefit. The health plan offered by my new private

sector employer is much more expensive with worse coverage, and I am so thankful I don’t have

to take it.

Exercise most days, even seven days per week if you can. I’m in better shape now than I was in

my thirties, and it has a direct impact on my daily happiness and mood.

Befriend people in your HR office and headquarters personnel center if you can. I had a lot of

friendly people helping process my application quickly, and this cut the stress of mustering out of

the federal government in half at least.

Don’t let the federal government stress you out. Use the federal government transactionally to

get you to where you want to go in life, but don’t mistake the job for anything more than a job.

Try to go 3, 6, 12, 24, or even 36 months without looking at your investments. Looking

frequently will just stress you out, and it is a waste of time.

* Remember that this job is what you do, not who you are. Who you are is a son/daughter,

husband/wife, father/mother, sister/brother, etc. Make sure you can look at yourself in the mirror with satisfaction each night, and that you are taking care of your physical and mental health. Obviously, work an honest day's work for an honest day's pay, but remember that the job will greedily take everything you’re willing to give. Fight to keep balance with your personal life and the job. Before you know it, this career will end, and you’ll (hopefully) still have years of life left to enjoy. Make sure the people you love are still with you to enjoy life after your retirement.

* Contribute a minimum of 5% into the TSP and work on putting the maximum in.  When your finances allow you to.  100% C Fund into a ROTH.  Your duty as a FERS employee to share this information with everyone (FERS and Uniformed Service Members) that can contribute to the TSP.  Just because they are senior FERS or military, they may not be well informed on the growth opportunities of your retirement money.  It's sad to hear someone retiring and they have <$100,000 in their TSP.  Consider Long Term care if it is available.  Medical expenses will only increase.  I was in a Flexible Spending Account the last 10 years, but I wished I would have considered a Health Savings Account instead.   Learn your job, be a TEAM player, be a good employee to your supervisor, because you will probably be a supervisor at some point in your career. Be prepared for retirement, we never know if and when there will be a RIF.  Have all of your documents ready.

* BOCs and OPM are both currently a mess and be careful with your timing. If you don’t have enough savings, I mean liquid savings, do NOT retire at the end of the year as the backlog is huge. Find a best retirement date somewhere sooner so that your regular annuity comes sooner. I submitted my retirement paperwork to my agency’s BOC in July, retired end of October, BOC FINALLY forwarded my application to OPM in December, and I have yet to receive my leave pay or a “full” annuity. It causes a lot of stress and you have to have faith that the government, one that we all so dutifully served, will get their act together.

* Be cautious of financial advisors. I had very bad experiences with three different financial

advisor firms in the DC area. They advertise on the radio “if you have saved $500k or more and

are 55 or over, come talk to us.” Well, I tried. Unless you are willing to turn over all your assets

to them for Assets Under Management (AUM), they will not listen to you or meet with you.

AUM can be 1-2% of your portfolio. For a $1mil TSP that equates to $10-20k per year just for

someone to “manage” your money - with or without positive results! Retiring Feds in the DC

area are a prime hunting ground for these firms. I even tried to pay firms for a second opinion

just to check my own numbers. Nearly every firm I contacted was not interested, only one would

consider a review for a $2,000 fee. Hopefully you will find better firms to work with. Always

do your own research.

* If you’re under 35, set TSP contributions and forget password. Market will go up and it will go down, you’re in it for the long haul. Once you hit 50 or so, line up your own life insurance and dump FEGLI. If you don’t plan on working anymore, have a plan or list of things to do, try, experience that work got in the way of. Volunteer somehow. As I tell my kids, you may or may not like your job, but don’t let that be what defines you. Make an impact on someone’s life. However, you want to define that. Paraphrasing a certain motor company. The experience is all about the journey, not the destination. Live Free and Ride.

* I never understood the statement “you are losing money by staying” until now. Retirement payments come without stress, without carrying a second phone, without looking at the phone and seeing 35 unread messages within the last two hours, not working weekends, not working shift work AND most importantly not working for free because you hit salary cap. The freedom of retirement is priceless.

* I will say it again because it’s so important: MAX OUT YOUR TSP FROM DAY ONE IF YOU CAN, OR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!! Read and apply Barfield’s Barbell Strategy document to your TSP. I know an agent who worked for 25+ years, didn’t max out and kept everything in the  G fund. At the end of his career he had less than $400,000 in his retirement account. I invested for 20 years, went through the great financial crisis, plenty of small and big market crashes, and still had $1 million when I retired. 

Also, a non-supervisory 14 is the best job within the government. 

*  I have know a lot of folks that are avoiders when it comes to personal finances. They think there situation is probably bad so they don’t want to look. Or they think it will just work out so they never check. Success and happiness is relatively easy to achieve if you spend just a small amount of time learning and making small changes. It is all a game, you are playing whether you want to or not. So you really should learn the rules. 

*Try to figure out what you want to do after. People told me that, and I tried, but nothing stood

out. As I looked for a job, nothing really caught my eye. I met with a career coach who said

“what is your ideal job?” and my first thought was “the one i just left.” I probably wasn’t ready

to leave it mentally, but did because of DRP, approaching 57, and the frequent advice (which is

mathematically correct) that you should leave sooner than later. But there is something to doing

the job if you still like it.

*You are the only one responsible for your retirement, not anyone else. All of the info is out

there, you need to take the time to find it, read it, understand it and apply it. Don’t rely on HR to

know anything at all. If you are not sure about something consult a professional, you trust.

Interview several if needed and remember they work for you, if you’re not happy with them,

move on. Don’t make decisions on impulses, it might cost you thousands of dollars, if not more.

Learn early and often. Do not wait until 10 years out from retirement to look at things for the

first time and find out that you have a lot of regrets because you haven’t done anything for the

years before that. When you decide to retire, it should bring a smile to your face, not trepidation

or fear. That’s because you know your numbers and have made good decisions.

Talk with folks you know that have already retired and ask them if they would have done things

differently and if they have any regrets. Everyone’s situation is different, but you will learn from

others, both good and bad.

Don’t compare your retirement circumstances to others. Everyone has different reasons for

doing what they do. I tried to compare to my brother who was SES for the latter part of his

career, while I retired as a GS-11. Financially quite a discrepancy, both from an income and

locality level.

Don’t stay in it for the money. It’s not worth your mental health or possibly your marriage. We

all have choices, some are harder than others but we control our destiny.

It’s great to see other people’s facial reactions when I tell them that I have retired. The next two

questions out of their mouth are: 1. How old are you? 2. How were you able to retire so young?

*I think I laid out most everything above. The only other thing would be to find a job you love. In my case, my career was good, but it was not a passion for me.

*If you enjoy the job don’t listen to others who say get out as fast as you can.  Max out your TSP into the C Fund and just let it grow.  

*Being a TSP Millionaire is a great goal, but don’t forget to look at your retirement as a 3-legged stool, understand your retirement annuity value, couple that with TSP investments (I wish I had a $1M, but $700k isn’t anything to laugh at), and put aside savings for those first few months until everything syncs in…and you should be fine. Don’t count on FERS supplement or even Social Security (at least in your early/mid-60s), if you put in enough time to retire, with good TSP management (and your retirement check) you should have a very comfortable retirement plan.

About 10-years ago, I met a federal partner who was about to retire…younger than I thought possible, he had been a GS-14 for about 20-years (total service over 30), and was my first TSP millionaire (I didn’t know that was a thing until then). He explained he’d had a goal from day-1, and once he hit $1M, he dropped paperwork and retired. Traveled the world and sent photos from everywhere, COVID lock downs derailed him a bit, but once he could - he was back traveling the world and never looked back.

*It really does go fast, do what is right all the time, right is right, wrong is wrong….stand up for the people no matter what is going on with your agency in these trying times.