Federal Disability Retirement and Earnings Restrictions
On August 28, 2008, Charley Mapa, President, National League of Postmasters, wrote that Postal Headquarters informed him of approval "from ...OPM to offer Voluntary Early Retirement to Postmasters." Mr. Mapa's announcement has generated even more interest about VER versus disability retirement in the past few days than had existed. I will try to answer the three most common questions in the debate about which retirement is better:
- Should I use a retirement calculator to determine the more valuable annuity? Possibly, but a certified financial planner with CSRS/FERS retirement system experience will be able to answer questions about your specific situation - a calculator cannot give advice on insurance
- Can I file for disability retirement after accepting VER? An employee may file within one year of separating from service
- Should I file for the disability retirement if the monthly payment would be higher than VER? Not necessarily. The disability retirement comes with income restrictions - this may not be an issue today, but it may be in a year or two
If you are serious about early retirement, find a certified professional to help you plan for your financial future.