Federal Retirement

[Anonymous]

Should I take a VERA/VSIP if offered again in two years? Will be 50yo with 30 years of service. TSP will be at 350k, lots of equity in my current home (can move somewhere cheaper) and my investment property ~1m. Kids will be 11 and 9. DH will be 60 and still working.

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

I would! Work is stressful and life is short. Get a part-time job and enjoy life.

[Anonymous]

You haven't shared very much with us to help you make that decision. But if I were you, I would focus on increasing the amount in your TSP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You haven't shared very much with us to help you make that decision. But if I were you, I would focus on increasing the amount in your TSP.

Yeah, that's a low TSP for so many years worked.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Choosing peace over financial gain is a wise decision. While money is important, it isn't everything, and the demands of the current fed culture will age you faster. Although your chronological age may not change, you may feel significantly older emotionally. The current work environment is toxic and unsustainable. If you have the opportunity, consider leaving.

[Anonymous]

Missing from this is what the DH makes, how much his 401k is and how much the pension will be. Cue OP coming in with how her DH is a biglaw equity partner making millions.

[Anonymous]

How do you only have 350 in TSP? I have far more with six years. If that’s how you save, no, no you should not VERA.

[Anonymous]

Just contributing the min 5% for the TSP match alone should be over 350k with the markets performance over the past 30 years. You need to figure out what happened before you consider retirement.

If you are contributing that little to TSP, it means you are living on closer to your salary. No way a 30% pension plus the 13k/yr from TSP replaces that. You probably need to work til 62

[Anonymous]

OP--DH will be drawing a military pension and working at the same time until 62 making ~180/190K a year. Both of us are government employees in a good employable field. His TSP will be about the same maybe more. My pension will be about 5K (pre-tax) a month plus other benefits like SSA supplement and another 1K per month from a prior employer. I plan to work somewhere part-time as well for groceries, discretional spending, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP--DH will be drawing a military pension and working at the same time until 62 making ~180/190K a year. Both of us are government employees in a good employable field. His TSP will be about the same maybe more. My pension will be about 5K (pre-tax) a month plus other benefits like SSA supplement and another 1K per month from a prior employer. I plan to work somewhere part-time as well for groceries, discretional spending, etc.

The SS supplement is in the current bill for removal. If it doesn’t happen in this bill, it will eventually get cut. I don’t think it’s a favorite for either political party; therefore you mihh by t not want to count on that as a sure thing. Sorry

[Anonymous]

The TSP is low.

[Anonymous]

That pension sounds high. Are you correctly calculating insurance cost, tax, and survivor benefit?

[Anonymous]

You have two years before you want to retire. Why not take your projected income and see if you can live on that now and see what that looks like? Maybe adjust for housing costs since you're not actually going to move now but otherwise see if you like what your lifestyle looks like on your projected income.

Also, I wouldn't count on a VERA being available in two years. Up until recently they were pretty rare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That pension sounds high. Are you correctly calculating insurance cost, tax, and survivor benefit?

Yes; insurance will be covered by DH; this is pre-tax. I plan on working, just not for the Government.