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Recent OPM retirement experience
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Federal Retirees
For those approaching retirement as well as the currently already retired, here is a forum to share ideas and thoughts and exchange questions and answers.
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Rank: Senior Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/30/2008(UTC)
Posts: 2,659
Thanks: 12 times
Was thanked: 35 time(s) in 29 post(s)
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Congrats Spartaned ! Live long and prosper !
I too have only worked for one agency (+ 4 years military) and am CSRS as well.
You give me hope.
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RETIRED CSRS 12/19/2012 @ age 57 w/39 years.
Good Bye Tension...Hello Pension ! |
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Rank: Newbie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/24/2012(UTC)
Posts: 3
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Thanks, HB...I've been checking this site ever since I found it last September or so. I felt I should chime in with my good OPM results to show the system is working. I had 3 years military plus 32 years with one agency so my work record wasn't complicated like some seem to be. I had good HR folks also, so that may have contributed. Retirement is even better than I thought it would be thus far. I've adjusted well as has my wife... 
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Rank: Rookie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/16/2011(UTC)
Posts: 29
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Certainly congratulations!! But, again, amazement and confusion, to say the least! This is Alice in Wonderland stuff. I keep hearing that OPM won't even look at your file at least for a couple or three months because of their backlog and yet it seems that some lucky retirees, whom I don't begrudge, get finalized very quickly. I had seen three months which seemed great and now 1.5 months. Huh! 
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Rank: Senior Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/12/2010(UTC) Posts: 604  Thanks: 2 times
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Spartaned wrote: 1) Date of retirement:Â 12/3/11 Â 2) Weeks to receive A/L:Â Â 5Â (1/10/12)
3) Weeks to receive Buyout $ if applicable: N/A
4) Weeks to receive interem and %%% of pay: 4 weeks (1/3/12) 67% Received CSA # on 12/15/11
5) Months to complete:Â 1.5 months, Finalized 1/16/12
6) OPM processing by D.C. or Boyers, PA:Â D.C.
7) FERS or CSRS CSRS
Wow! 1.5 months. I bet you were surprised, as was your Uncle Barack.
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Rank: Senior Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/1/2009(UTC)
Posts: 329
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Well Spartaned, that was terrific. I can't begrudge you either and wish you a long and enjoyable retirement.
Whether OPM is finally listening to our complaints to the press and to Congress, or their managers and "tiger teams" are really plunging in to process the files, or if it is still a demonstration of how quixotic and random the OPM system really is, we won't know for some time yet. My 10 months of waiting were a financial and emotional hell which I wouldn't wish on anyone.
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Rank: Groupie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/15/2012(UTC)
Posts: 69
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tigerseye wrote:My 10 months of waiting were a financial and emotional hell which I wouldn't wish on anyone. No kidding. I'm going into my 12th month. It's been just one long emotional roller coaster ride for me. Since my situation is caused by employer HR errors, there's nothing I could have done to prevent it.
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Rank: Senior Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/25/2008(UTC)
Posts: 207
Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)
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1) Date of retirement:................ December 23rd 2) Weeks to receive A/L:............ 5 weeks 3) Weeks to receive Buyout $ if applicable:.......... Not Applicable 4) Weeks to receive interem and %%% of pay:....... 6 weeks - 78% of estimated net 5) Months to complete:................................... Too early to tell (not finalized yet) 6) OPM processing by:................. Boyers, PA 7) CSRS, all with one agency, no military, no buybacks, no breaks in service
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Rank: Rookie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/1/2010(UTC)
Posts: 38
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Date of Retirement: 31 Dec 2011
AL Payment: 6 Jan 2012
Buyout: NA
First Interim pay: 30 Jan 2012 (74%)
Retirement System: CSRS
So far, I have no complaints and retirement is fabulous (understated). I hope final processing goes as well. Best of luck everyone!
Brooksey
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Rank: Rookie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/10/2011(UTC)
Posts: 36
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1) Date of retirement- 12/31/2011
2) Weeks to receive A/L pay- 2
3) N/A-No buyout.
4)Weeks to receive interim pay- 4
5) Received CSA # on 1-13-12 but no password yet.
6) OPM processed at Boyers,Pa. Whewwww.
7) CSRS or FERS- CSRS- 36 years.
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Rank: Newbie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/30/2012(UTC)
Posts: 18
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1) Date of retirement: 5/31/11
2) Weeks to receive A/L: 7/12/11
3) Weeks to receive Buyout $ if applicable: N/A
4) Weeks to receive interim and %%% of pay: 7/14/11 ~45% (w/o supplement)/~35% (w/ estimated supplement)
5) Months to complete: Not- called Boyers yesterday and still not assigned.
6) OPM processing by D.C. or Boyers, PA: Boyers
7) FERS or CSRS: FERS
I was told yesterday by Boyers that all documents received electronically 2nd week of June 2011 and hard copies received 3rd week of June 2011 and documents were logged into system 2nd week of July. They are currently working on 3rd week of June 2011 FERS packages, therefore I should be assigned in the next 2-4 weeks. A friend of mine (FERS with similar agency background) retired after I did and was finalized in less than 8 weeks by DC, go figure.
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Rank: Rookie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/1/2010(UTC)
Posts: 38
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BTW, Boyers is the processing center handling my claim. (sorry for the omission)
Brooksey
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Rank: Groupie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/15/2012(UTC)
Posts: 69
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Painterbill wrote: A friend of mine (FERS with similar agency background) retired after I did and was finalized in less than 8 weeks by DC, go figure.
From what I've gathered by reading the posts at this site is if you have had a career uncomplicated by temporary time, breaks in service, divorce, military time, different retirement systems, missing records, agency switching or court decisions, then processing time should be minimal. On the other hand any one of the factors I just mentioned can cause a delay. In other words, if you and your friend both first started federal employment as FERS and stayed in the same agency up to the end you should have been treated alike. Look for some difference in how you both progressed through your careers.
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Rank: Newbie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/30/2012(UTC)
Posts: 18
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In other words, if you and your friend both first started federal
employment as FERS and stayed in the same agency up to the end you
should have been treated alike. Look for some difference in how you
both progressed through your careers.
Both have many similarities but enough differences that mine will be more difficult when it is finally assigned. It was just the thought that his was finalized in less than 8 weeks and mine has not been assigned in 8 months to begin the finalization process. But as a current saying goes "It is what it is" and I am still happy being retired!
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Rank: Senior Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/1/2009(UTC)
Posts: 329
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Painterbill, although there is a lot of "luck of the draw" going on with OPM, part of the tip off may be your low interim. As Bearlakeguy has pointed out, a complication in your personal life or career can get your file stuck in a pile waiting to be assigned for a very long time like mine was. Too bad to hear that Boyers may be having the same problems as DC had last year, but maybe the workload has caught up with both centers. Keep calling the 1-888 number every week. If your file has not been assigned like advertised in 2 weeks, you need to consider either enlisting your congressman or sending an e-mail to one of the higher ups in retirement operations at Boyers (you can find them in their agency organization chart: http://www.opm.gov/organizationchart/ ) or perhaps by sending an e-mail to ombudsman@opm.gov Good luck !
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Rank: Groupie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/26/2011(UTC)
Posts: 109
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Brooksey wrote: BTW, Boyers is the processing center handling my claim. (sorry for the omission)
Brooksey
How do you tell which processing center is handling your claim? I received a letter(RI 38-37) from OPM with the address Retirement Operations Washington DC 20415 on the letter head, but in the body of the letter it refers to the Boyers, PA office for address changes and how to contact OPM....
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Rank: Senior Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/1/2009(UTC)
Posts: 329
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DC2, Call the retirement services 1-888 number early in the morning (like 7:30am) when they open up in order to get through without a long wait. Ask the Service Rep who answers your call where your file is being processed, in Boyers or DC, and they should be able to tell you that and perhaps which branch has the file. Later on, (months usually) they can tell you if your file has been assigned to a processor, and their phone number--just don't put much hope in the processor answering your call.
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Rank: Newbie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/30/2012(UTC)
Posts: 3
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 I retired June 3rd and still have no idea when they will finalize me. Wasn't aware of any schedule.
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Rank: Groupie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/26/2011(UTC)
Posts: 109
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tigerseye wrote:
DC2, Call the retirement services 1-888 number early in the morning (like 7:30am) when they open up in order to get through without a long wait. Ask the Service Rep who answers your call where your file is being processed, in Boyers or DC, and they should be able to tell you that and perhaps which branch has the file. Later on, (months usually) they can tell you if your file has been assigned to a processor, and their phone number--just don't put much hope in the processor answering your call. I believe I have been finalized. When I logged into the OPM web site today it no longer says "Interim" on the Welcome to the Services Online Main Menu. I also have more Annuity Payment Actions available including Allotments to Organizations and checking and saving allotments and state income tax withholding. This just changed since yesterday and I don't have my blue book, yet. I don't want to call the 888 number because I don't want to bother them since the only reason I want to know is for statistical reporting on this thread. :) I was hoping there was an easy way to tell without calling. 
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Rank: Senior Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/12/2010(UTC) Posts: 604 Thanks: 2 times
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DC2 wrote: tigerseye wrote:
DC2, Call the retirement services 1-888 number early in the morning (like 7:30am) when they open up in order to get through without a long wait. Ask the Service Rep who answers your call where your file is being processed, in Boyers or DC, and they should be able to tell you that and perhaps which branch has the file. Later on, (months usually) they can tell you if your file has been assigned to a processor, and their phone number--just don't put much hope in the processor answering your call. I believe I have been finalized. When I logged into the OPM web site today it no longer says "Interim" on the Welcome to the Services Online Main Menu. I also have more Annuity Payment Actions available including Allotments to Organizations and checking and saving allotments and state income tax withholding. This just changed since yesterday and I don't have my blue book, yet. I don't want to call the 888 number because I don't want to bother them since the only reason I want to know is for statistical reporting on this thread. :) I was hoping there was an easy way to tell without calling. If you can take the actions you list, then you definitely are finalized. Congratulations. The blue book seems to lag by a couple of weeks.
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Rank: Senior Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/1/2009(UTC)
Posts: 329
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Well DC2, see what happens when you post here. Ha. If all that information was on the OPM website, then you should also look in your banking account for the catch up payment. You are final.
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