Our FERS pension calculator provides comprehensive retirement income analysis by combining all three pillars of the Federal Employees Retirement System. The calculator uses OPM formulas for the FERS annuity, applies standard TSP safe withdrawal rates, and estimates Social Security benefits to give you a complete picture of your retirement income.

FERS Survivor Benefit Options

The FERS survivor benefit provides continued income to your spouse after your death, but it comes at a cost during your lifetime. You can elect full survivor benefit (spouse receives 50% of your unreduced annuity) which costs 10% of your monthly payment, or partial benefit (spouse receives 25%) which costs 5%. If you're single or your spouse has independent income, you might choose no survivor benefit to maximize your monthly income.

• Full survivor benefit: Costs 10%, spouse receives 50% of unreduced annuity for life
• Partial survivor benefit: Costs 5%, spouse receives 25% of unreduced annuity for life
• No survivor benefit: No cost reduction, spouse receives nothing after death
• Survivor receives continued FEHB health insurance coverage
• Cannot change election after retirement except in limited circumstances
• Former spouse court orders can require survivor benefit coverage

Sources & References