Rustynutt's "Transition" Thread

[Rustynutt]

Ok folks, it's began!

Came into work New Years Eve to check if I've missed something over the Holidays.
Sure enough, in the dreaded NMCI email account was a notice from Personnel with a letter approving a VERA VISP!

Was kind of elated, until reading the date. It was received here on December 12th, and for whatever reason was not forwarded to me until December 21st. SOP I guess.....Funny how long a few days can seem, even after 30 years have passed.

Titled this transition thread as many members here do follow up on some of their after retirement escapades, and share experience during the "transition".

As was stated in another’s retirement thread, I too have been told by HR locally that last payout, annual leave, and the buyout is paid fairly quick. If not, we are prepared to eat hotdogs for a little while. As I am FERS, the interim annuity as I understand will not be calculated with the FERS offset pay, so until that is sorted out, it could be tight. Kind of why taking the VISP might be wise, not knowing if another would be available during the period I'd like to exit service.

I'm not completely decided on which way to go with the TSP just yet. Think i'll have at least a month after exiting to decide on what to do there. Kind of glad I missed the October VERA offer, this year will have much less tax liability, and do have a small portion of the TSP set aside to clear up debt that I don't want to carry, but would have taken considerable time to continue paying. I know, not the best solution, but it is what it is.

Also just completed a refinance on the balance of the home mortgage. Again, yes, not the ideal situation, but now our house payment is about $750.00/month, which is manageable. We are 5 years away from making a firm decision on to sell, or keep this place as primary and buy a small shack with open boards in the Sierra's somewhere for a get away .

Will follow up next Wednesday, have to figure out why DEFAS changed my FERS Cumulative Retirement from over 10K to about 500 bucks two paydays ago. No one here can answer why, and DEFAS requires payroll here to go through channels to discover information such as that.

Happy New Years to all here!

Both scared and elated at the same time,
Rustynutt

 

[nnuut]

Congratulations RN, sounds like there is a short fuse and it's already lit! Gonna be fun but worth the effort.

 

[nasa1974]

Rusty, Good luck. Hope everything falls into place.

MArty

 

[Stoplight]

Way to go, Rusty ! Glad to see you got your VERA/VSIP approval (finally !), and you'll be sharing your "transition" with those who might be in the same boat as you...and NMCI is TRULY one of those things I DON'T miss

RE: the TSP...you can't do withdrawals/rollovers until they get notified you're retired...they say 30 days, but mine was a little sooner. Once they know that, you can begin withdrawals/rollovers or whatever, but you don't HAVE to...you can take your time and decide what's best for you. Crunch the numbers, too, including the taxes on any scheme you plan to implement.

Best wishes for a healthy, happy retirement !

Stoplight...,

 

[Scout333]

Thanks for sharing Rusty! I may be there soon! Best of luck in your "transition"!

 

[Rustynutt]

A tidbit.

I'd mentioned the reasonable accommodation request process in another thread.

Briefly (and I have volumes of paperwork from the past 3 years of the process), if due to some physical or mental medical reason, an employee becomes limited in the ability to perform critical functions of a position, and an agency is not inclined to modify the position requirements, the process is available for employees to officially request changes in their duties to accommodate limitations they have documented by a physician. At that time, a direct supervisor, Human Resources (personnel, Total Force Management, what ever you agency calls it now) and EEO become involved in the process. There are specific time frames actions must be adhered to by both the employee and the agency. EEO is there to ensure both parties follow regulations and meet the requirement for the accommodation request.

Then a bunch of stuff happens. Some good, some bad.

For this purpose, assume that the employee has a physicians statement in support of the limitations of the employee.
It does not matter if the limitations were incurred by injury on or off the job, or just old age setting in with arthritis or repetitive injury from years of work.

A fact finding meeting is held with the above mentioned group, and again for this purpose, the supervisor writes a summary of their findings that the position cannot be accommodated completely. Keep in mind, if only one of the critical functions cannot be performed by the employee, the agency can deny the accommodation request. There can be many reasons for a supervisor to deny the accommodation. To be nice here, an example could be the agency does not wish to change the position description for future placement of other applicants. Cough cough.

If communication between the employee and supervisor exist, they may assign temporary light duty, however this is not a permanent solution.
If after the meeting where the agency finds the position cannot be accommodated, the supervisor will in all likelihood order the employee to NOT perform the duties documented by the physician that cannot or should not perform which might cause further injury to the employee. I'll assume this is a CYA action.

At this point, the ball is in HR's court. The employee submits a resume which HR compares to positions available within what is called the local commuting area. They are allowed one week to complete this search.

Now, this is a sticky point. At that time, the agency does have the option to terminate the employee for medical reason. I'll stay away from this subject, and would imagine the rapport with the supervisor and all involved can influence the process at this point.

For myself, I had been offered a detail assignment the past couple years in a field where I had 12 years experience. The entire situation could have been avoided, except for the resolution of one staff member, whom refused to allow the detail, or at least consider it a second position that which I could be recalled from at anytime.

Knowing the detail existed, I notified HR, and basically walked out of one position, into another. This temporary allowed the accommodation process to be satisfied as being accommodated through reassignment. The detail assignment lasted 18 months, however the detailing code was not able to realign my position organizationally. At the end of 18 months, funding expired within the program, requiring not only myself to be returned to my assigned code, but members of the program to seek out details of their own.

To date, I have returned to my official position, under temporary light duty, without accommodation. I have been under the assumption past instructions by the supervisor were still valid. However, the same staff member protested this as my position is funded from overhead as opposed to being directly funded. This way of funding has always been the case since 1999 when transferring into the current code. Just to shed a little light, some examples of the critical functions as documented by the supervisor were, must be able to life up to 150lbs, unassisted (yea, I know, an OSHA violation, but hey, the way it works in Federal Service, if an employee is ignorant to do something like that, it's their fault), work on 6 inch wide platforms 30 foot up from a concrete floor in fall protection gear, climb into tunnels and work under raised floors (you get the idea, typical 25 year old employee technician work).

Since returning to the code (6 months ago) I have been mentoring new employees and documenting my knowledge of the complete systems in the laboratory. While the supervisor approved this as a temporary solution, again, there was continually feedback from the staff member. To clear that up a bit, in our agency, supervisors, while holding management level positions, do not necessarily preside over appointed staff members (non management).

The next right, or process and employee has acces to is to submit a package for FERS Disability Retirement.
My reason for documenting the above accommodation process is to lessen the distaste some may have hearing disablity retirement.
Surely, it is a vehicle for terminally ill, or severely injured employees to exit service earlier than their MRA, but it is also a program where employees are allowed to exit service before their MRA, receive a lesser percentage of their pay, and be allowed to return to work outside Federal Service where no position was available to them and maintain a simular income before leaving Federal Service.

That package was filled and received by OPM November 9th of last year on my part.
The above is a very abbreviated version of the process and documentation required to get to this point. It is different for almost every employee. I spent at least two years researching independently OPM rules and instructions by researching personnel sites on NOAA, DOD, OPM, US Army, Department of Forestry, and many other agencies. Point being, no one agency has a date base which contains all information that an employee should know for this process. HR, in all likelyhood, will not be able to provide the precise information required to navigate through the process. Direct contact with OPM is almost impossible with respect to a disability application. Most employees not close to their MRA have even thought of investigating a normal retirement process, much less this type. You are on your own. There are attorneys that specialize in aiding employees, but to be honest, the service they provide is no different than the process I went through, and you will end up doing most of the work yourself anyway.

Ok, that's off my chest!

One of the options I requested in the accommodation process was a VERA VISP. At that time, the agency did not want to give up the billet.
Now, as I first posted have been offered the opportunity and accepted, with my final day of work being January 31st.
Today, HR notified me that I must first submit to OPM a letter stating that I wish to withdraw my request for disability retirement before they could complete a VERA. Now, OPM states that, if they receive another retirement package, they automatically stop the disability retirement request. This kind of set off some flags, why would HR want to cancel the application if OPM does it automatically. Of course, as I found out, HR does not always understand what OPM regulations are for complex processes. The local HR had be contact another HR rep that would be handling the VERA packager off center. We discussed this, and he basically just said that this is the way we do it, not knowing if the OPM regulations actually reflected what I stated. We both agreed, that given the short time the application had been submitted, that in all likelihood it was no where near being approved or disapproved. Ok, so I agreed to send a letter, stating I withdraw my FERS disability application. OPM also states that most DOD agencies have authority to offer VERA's without OPM approval.

 

[Rustynutt]

Now on to the next local department, payroll. Two pay periods ago I had noticed that the balance of my FERS Cumulative retirement on LES block 19 had changed from about 12k to about 600 bucks. Payroll stated they have no clue, they have to submit a request for information to DEFAS, and don't have a direct contact number. Been two weeks. Now this is something I am very concerned about, knowing that one, this amount is included in a calculated FERS annuity, and the fact that after exiting service, it would be very difficult to pursue, not to mention if OPM does not have the correct information, it could take them over a year to adjudicate.

So while at the doctors office today, Google searched DEFAS, and after several attempts to get a customer service that knew what I was talking about, talked to a nice lady, abit in a different part of DEFAS that explained the options to select on their phone system was not working correctly. She told me to recall the number, select change of address, then wait for customer service. Sure enough, the rep was able to access my payroll account (the first person was local in California, this person was in Ohio, dialing the same number, just selecting a different option!). After providing personal information, he was able to identify the discrepancy (or what I that was), and took the account to another person for explanation. He returned about 30 minutes later, and explained that when filing for the FERS disability retirement, OPM took all 12k out of that portion of my FERS pension, as basically you loose it on a disability retirement as they pay it out by percentage of your high 3.

He also was able to tell me the disability application had been disapproved, but OPM would basically continue to hold the account on their side and keep record of it, instead of returning it to DEFAS accounting. Thanked him for the service and information.

Next call was to both HR reps (local and remote), left a message to local payroll on my findings, that it wasn't THAT much effort. The local HR rep was just short of astounded that DEFAS knew the application had been disapproved, one, so early in the process, and two that DEFAS know results they had yet to receive. We speculated that when the VERA was submitted, the fact that the NAVAIR did in fact submit the list of employees to OPM for acknowledgement, that at that time they denied the application for FERS disability retirement as in fact, another retirement package had been submitted (as noted several long paragraphs ago).

Shame, it was a very complete, expensive, grand package that took many months personal effort to document.

So, tomorrow, I will still submit a letter to withdraw the package to the remote HR rep, just to keep them happy.
Will also fax a copy for annuity estimate, and VISP estimate to Civilian Benefits Center. I am told that OPM has begin to utilize the estimates for interim annuity payments as they have found them to be accurate and do not result in overpayment to retirees.

I will have the office manager generate the check out list and paperwork local HR requires next Monday.
One of the local HR reps I have been dealing with suggested I could check out a bit early, as I have been such a pain in the azz.

One other note, employees have the right to change a FERS retirement to a FERS disability retirement up to one year after separation.
At that point, your earned annuity is used for disability payments. Same same. The huge, and I mean huge advantage at that point for a disability retirement, is a retiree is allowed to make up to 80% of their high 3 upon exiting service before the annuity is reduced. Under FERS, once a retiree makes 20% of their high 3, their offset pay (if qualified to receive it) is reduced by 50% for each dollar earned above the 20%. Not a lot of incentive to return to the workforce (I'm only 56). By the way, the same critical functions of the position upon retirement are the weight used by OPM to determine if an employee will not recover within one year from the date of submitting a FERS disability application, even after normal retirement. Of course, if a VISP is paid, the portion after tax must be returned, but personally, consider that a petulance for what it took me to get to this point, after 30 years.

Honestly, that is an abbreviated version

Now, to get that trout that is laughing at me!

 

[Rustynutt]

Something to keep in mind for FERS with Offset pay, TSP cash withdraws count as income. Will assume that not only does TSP report withdraws to the IRS, but to OPM as well. How else would OPM know if you have earned income above the 20% amount?

 

[Rustynutt]

Thursday, faxed in request for FERS and VISP estimates with Civilian Benefits Center.
Sure wish HR would have let me know sooner it was my responsibility. OPM uses that info for interim annuity processing.

Foot and fingers have been tapping a lot past few days.

Finished roofing the patio just before Christmas.
Tree line snow is up on Walker Pass (Pacific Trail) New Years Day, about 30 minute drive.
Big Sierra is a view from just outside of Bishop Christmas week.

The high desert isn't all that bad!

 

[PessOptimist]

Thank you for sharing this Rustynutt.

The way I am feeling tonight brought your posts to mind. I am 60 and have been working under raised floors, on ladders in ceilings pulling cables and my old body feels it. I wonder from time to time about failing to meet conditions of employment.

This is more on my mind as my supervisor is leaving for a different position and who knows what the new supervisor will be like. Just as in your situation, my supervisor is several levels above the person I directly work for.

Given time this weekend I will search out your post on reasonable accommodation. Any thoughts you might have are welcome.

Looks like you picked a great retirement location. Looks a little chilly though, stay warm.

Thanks again for sharing.

PO

 

[nnuut]

Looks great my friend, congratulations!

 

[Rustynutt]

Thank you for sharing this Rustynutt.

The way I am feeling tonight brought your posts to mind. I am 60 and have been working under raised floors, on ladders in ceilings pulling cables and my old body feels it. I wonder from time to time about failing to meet conditions of employment.

This is more on my mind as my supervisor is leaving for a different position and who knows what the new supervisor will be like. Just as in your situation, my supervisor is several levels above the person I directly work for.

Given time this weekend I will search out your post on reasonable accommodation. Any thoughts you might have are welcome.

Looks like you picked a great retirement location. Looks a little chilly though, stay warm.

Thanks again for sharing.

PO

Many supervisors require a kick in the butt to get an accommodation process going. Honestly, branch heads in the department I'm assigned to rotate in and out on a biannual basis. For the most part, it is a way for upper management to increase their pay rate, before returning to an actual working position. I think that STRL kind of put a clamp on this, making supervisory pay temporary. Surely, there are other benefits to be had. Enough about them.

It's pretty obvious to the person performing required duties, as well as being held to specific elements in their job description if continuing them is causing physical impairment, or as in both our cases, just got old in the job were have been doing 30 some odd years. I also have spinal surgery in 2008 along with shoulder surgery and a total knee replacement just last year. Those conditions, as I saw it, put me out of contention to compete with other employees, as well as not being to perform critical elements of the position.

Typically, a position description says for and Engineering Technician does not include the actual physical aspect such as minimum weights lifted, repetitive nature of task, difficult access and such. When filing an accommodation process, you are likly forcing a supervisor to understand and investigate on their own the critical elements of the position. These are different than what the position description includes. The government would never be successful as procuring applicants if a position was advertised for a Physicist, whom could lift 150 pounds on a regular basis, climb towers, crawl through tunnels and floor space toting a tool bag and pulling 30 pounds of cable, and moving office furniture for supervisors whom frequently move to the better office when available. I've seen a lot of new graduates come in to what they thought were going to be interesting positions with the government, then after a year realize that's not entirely the case. Supervisors like to call this “multitasking” or being “multi-disciplinary”. Of course supervisors on the board reading this may thing hogwash. Maybe so, in my experience it is rare to be under a manager whom completely understood what an employee’s position entailed, thus the list of rather ignorant critical elements for the position generated during my review.

Anyway, you must get a supervisor approved list of critical elements for your position to take to a physician and obtain a statement. The most abrupt way to do this is to request an accommodation request. If your supervisor realizes your limitations, they could provide this to an employee, but then why not just assign light duty, if a supervisor feels degrading the position would affect mission requirements. Either way, you are not likely to make more new friends.
If after the 6 to 8 months it takes to navigate the process, the agency determines it cannot accommodate the position, and HR fails to discover a position you qualify for, and can perform with your limitations, the next step if you have no other alternatives is to submit an application for FERS disability retirement. It does not mean you’re head is cut off at the neck, it just means you cannot perform one or more of the critical elements within your position, the agency cannot accommodate the position, and your physical or mental limitations are expected to last one year or more. Unfortunately, at that point you will have to start over again with the physicians statement as OPM, while not mandatory, feels the evaluations shall be within 60 days of filing the request. As the accommodation process takes 6 to 8 months, with obstinate supervisors or uncooperative HR, most of your medical information is outdated according to both them and OPM.

Typically, when an accommodation process is initiated, a supervisor will instruct you to not perform any of the restrictions you documented in the process. It’s really big of them to notify other staff and managers you are in a light duty status. It is up to them as to how long you can remain on light duty. However, it will be up to you to tell each supervisor, staff member, program manager, or the guy needing help lifting a 300 pound filing cabinet you are on light duty and cannot perform those task. You will get use to smug looks, and having to listen to their medical conditions they suffer through. Very important to understand, once you notify the supervisor of the limitations, and they instruct you not to perform task that would likely further the condition or injury, it will be your fault, and all finger pointing will be at you if you trip down a stair case or similar. After the accommodation process, and the agency finds it cannot accommodate your position, and HR cannot find a supplementary position, an employee can actually be terminated for medical reasons. If you, even through no fault of your own are injured on the job, good luck with federal workers compensation, compensation for sick leave you use due to injury, or most any other reasonable expectation you may have for an employer for restitution to you for being injured for performing your duties on federal property. This is the US government we are talking about. Sure, you can get a lawyer, but unless you are prepared to wait for a settlement for a few if not more years, keep a very low profile at work. People will come looking for you, remember you are the guy that crawls through raised floor, not the pencil neck geek spending millions in program money on 100 new HP computers that will be outdated the following year. Sound bitter, don’t I? J

All that depends on your supervisor, HR rep, EEO rep not moving on during the process. The only protection you have is the accommodation process, once began, must be completed after a specified duration. I think it is 4 months AIRC.

Failing that, it depends on your immediate agency as to what they are going to do with you.
If considering filing for disability retirement, do so as soon as possible. Processing an application at this time is taking well over 6 months, and that's just to determine if you are eligible. Remember to apply for Social Security disability. If you are eligible, you cannot receive FERS disability. As with us it sounds, I did not qualify, as you likely wound not. But get the request in a few weeks before actually filing with OPM so as to include it. Your file will be put on hold for any missing, incomplete or incorrectly filed information, likely costing weeks during the course of the application review.

At 60, you may reach a decent retirement age before this entire process is complete. It wil also cause a lot of paper work to be processed by ones self, lots and lots of time, and stress. That is, unless you are fortunate to work for an organization which would expedite the process for you, by finding you another position, accommodate your current position, or provide extensive supervisor and HR support in applying for disability retirement. I found no experts on center here in the field.

Winded, I know. But there is a lot to know, at least from my perspective.
Good Luck.

 

[Rustynutt]

One thing to keep in mind throughout the entire process above.
Don't know the relationship between you and the person you work for, below your supervisor.

The person you work for, regardless of their title, is not the one you answer too for the purpose of this process.

Your branch head, division or department head is your direct supervisor. Doesn't matter if your "boss" is a member of staff, program manager or in a lead position, whatever. Do the best you can to work with them, but sometimes that isn’t always possible as they too have priorities set by others they must accomplish.

For personnel matters, it is a supervisor which oversees actions on your behalf within the agency.

And to correct something in the above post, I "think" that once the accomidation process begins, and if not resolved in the end, the supervisor will have to complete a certain OPM form giving the reason why your request could not be granted. At that time, they become your supervisor of record. The case I "think" kind of tags along with them until resolved. That would make sense, but can see where that is not always possible. Noted that my branch head became my division head, with the new branch head not being involved in the process.

That isn't to say your supervisor will not consult with your "boss" on many matters on this topic. Mine did, and as my "boss" and I were at a Trans Atlantic distance over what I could and could not do, and they were not held to the same standards of conduct in a management position, needless to say it became a pissing contest, which should never had occurred in the first place.

A good branch head will take responsibility for their position, and work it through as an unbiased process.

 

[Rustynutt]

Beam me up Scotty.

Had had a check out date of January 31st, but the planets surface was becoming unstable, requiring extraction Stardate 13084.4.
Noted in ships logs.

So much depends on the people that surrounded you, and those you surrounded yourself with.

A colorful bouquet to a companion whom season to season wore daily winter, with all the wonder it brings for near half a career. And to one, with sparkling eyes, glowing face and caring smile whom kept me nourished and never without.

You deserve much more, know this, it's not what you get, it's what you give which will be the memories which are kept.

Two in thirty isn't too bad, is it?

Some impressions leaving a regularly accessed area you've spent approximately 6660 days coming and going, leave and holidays excluded.

The contractor which supplied the floor tiles in 1991 installed a durable brand. To my discerning mechanical eye, it was nearly impossible to detect any negligible amount of surface erosion.

Too, the fire doors seemed as difficult to push open as the day they were installed.

The musky smell that accompanies long forgotten and closed storage areas on legacy government installations continues to linger, long after the 1972 shelf life expiration date.

To that extent, it would seem nothing has changed. Yet looking out at the world around, it is obvious outside the confines of the dark and dreary, the world has indeed changed, as well as the people one has become acquainted too over time.

The change, everyday looking in the mirror and noticing one more gray hair, one more wrinkle below the eye, seems such a slow process, one that at times brings about concern, but soon forgotten once the lanyard from which a hanging badge rest is placed around the neck, and make your way to a world which was as much a part of your life as a weekend picnic with family, for the better part of your life.

At the end of a long day, as it will seem driving past near daily encountered landmarks, referencing one from designated home, and a home away from home, the surrendering of ones badge brings an almost surreal feeling to what has seemed a journey without end.

And thus it ends.

Not sure how other agencies process departing employees. Here, there is an installation check out sheet, which is somewhat complex, requiring acknowledgment and verification by many competencies. Half of these an employee will personally "walk" through to obtain signatures, hopefully in benefit of your accountability and good standing with each.

If required to exit service by a specific "hard" date, suggest requesting a copy of the checkout sheet in advance from whomever is beginning the process. Almost got caught up and have to submit for a physical when checking out through Occupational Health. Turns out I was enrolled in a monitoring program 20 years ago, and my file was not correctly documented as to the current status. With a few hours left in the day, was fortunate enough for the attendant to make a rational decision with respect to the documentation oversight.

So this is home? I mean, full time home as it were.
Nice

Captain's Log, supplemental.

 

[nnuut]

Been there done that,"Beam Me Out Scottie". The trip is slow but the other side is better, enjoy!

 

[Rustynutt]

Been a bit on pins and needles when leave and VISP would be paid. Happy to say my LES tonight had last week of hours, annual leave payout and VISP all in one deposit. Regular deductions were taken out of the last weeks pay, State and OASDI came to 4 grand on the total. All in all about 26% withheld. Wife will be relieved in the morning, think I had her pretty much on edge with the horror stories.

Just hanging out at home. So far behind getting hobbies in order, working more hours now than before retirement, a whole 8 days ago. Bit cold to go up into the Sierra just yet, but soon.

Now to get serious here and check out options for the TSP!

Thanks all!

 

[Rustynutt]

Got my letter from the TSP today asking if I want to repay a loan or take a taxable distribution.
Said something about me retiring from the government

 

[Rustynutt]

Few more transactions occurring in March. (exit date January 31, 2013).

March 7th, two deposit's into personnel account. Without a statement, cannot determine withholdings, or even what it is for (First time every the government has deposited money into our account "shoot first" ask questions later).

March 8th (dated March 1), a letter from OPM, Boyers PA. welcoming me to the Federal Employee Retirement System, including a Retirement Service Reference Card containing CSA identifying account.

March 8th, (dated March 6), letter from OPM, Macon GA containing temporary password and instructions to setup a personal account where changes can be made to retirees information.

March 8th, (dated March 6), letter from OPM, Boyers PA containing FERS Annuity Supplement Information.
This was an unexpected letter, everything read and was told stated the supplement pay would not begin until full annuity was calculated.

But....the wife missed the two Treasury Department deposits, they may have finished final calculations.

From the above letter, the two deposits could have been February supplement pay, and interim FERS annuity. The letter states the supplement pay begins 03/01, and will be reflected in my 04/01 payment. Neither deposits reflected the calculated FERS supplement pay, so the deposits could be just back pay for February, and this months interim annuity, with supplement pay deposited 04/01 as stated.

As confusing as it may seem, bottom line is some cash being deposited!
The other observation is, what looked good on paper, does not look so good number wise in the bank account.
Save!

Kudos for OPM, their various offices, DEFAS and HR East for promptness AFTER retirement .

 

[nasa1974]

Few more transactions occurring in March. (exit date January 31, 2013).

March 7th, two deposit's into personnel account. Without a statement, cannot determine withholdings, or even what it is for (First time every the government has deposited money into our account "shoot first" ask questions later).

March 8th (dated March 1), a letter from OPM, Boyers PA. welcoming me to the Federal Employee Retirement System, including a Retirement Service Reference Card containing CSA identifying account.

March 8th, (dated March 6), letter from OPM, Macon GA containing temporary password and instructions to setup a personal account where changes can be made to retirees information.

March 8th, (dated March 6), letter from OPM, Boyers PA containing FERS Annuity Supplement Information.
This was an unexpected letter, everything read and was told stated the supplement pay would not begin until full annuity was calculated.

But....the wife missed the two Treasury Department deposits, they may have finished final calculations.

From the above letter, the two deposits could have been February supplement pay, and interim FERS annuity. The letter states the supplement pay begins 03/01, and will be reflected in my 04/01 payment. Neither deposits reflected the calculated FERS supplement pay, so the deposits could be just back pay for February, and this months interim annuity, with supplement pay deposited 04/01 as stated.

As confusing as it may seem, bottom line is some cash being deposited!
The other observation is, what looked good on paper, does not look so good number wise in the bank account.
Save!

Kudos for OPM, their various offices, DEFAS and HR East for promptness AFTER retirement .

Sounds like things are moving along. Have you been on the OPM website yet? It does give you a hint at what is going on. Not much but a little. My first two deposits were for my annual leave and my first estimated retirement check.
Good luck.

 

[Rustynutt]

Sounds like things are moving along. Have you been on the OPM website yet? It does give you a hint at what is going on. Not much but a little. My first two deposits were for my annual leave and my first estimated retirement check.
Good luck.

Nasa,

Think you are right about the deposits, they didn't match what I think the annuity payments will be, nor the supplemental pay.
Leave and final paycheck came the following pay date .

Mom recently has been diagnosed with Lymphoma Kaiser thinks they can knock it out with Chemo. She is 83, a tough old Gal and hopefully responds well. I'm glad now I can make the drive without a career getting in the way of emergencies such as this.

As far as utilizing time after retiring, have been spending 20 hour days working on the vintage computer collection . Also re-running my 220V service to the old well house where my two stage compressor sits, sand blasting cabinet and other refinishing tools for the vintage motorcycle restoration projects. Been telling the wife there is "Gold" in the garage, just need to dig for it .
The wife has been great following our plan to not do anything extravagant until finalization of pay shows up and we can set out budget.
She's chomping at the bit for a low mileage Tahoe, or cross over SUV.