Retirement (FAQ)

[MJ]

High Three
Your “high-3” average pay is the highest average basic pay you earned during any 3 consecutive years of service.

• 1.7% of your high-3 average salary multiplied by your years of service which do not exceed 20, PLUS
• 1% of your high-3 average salary multiplied by your service exceeding 20 years

Computation (opm.gov)

LWOP
Non-Pay vs Pay Status: To be in non-pay status, you have to be not be in pay status for the entire pay period, but all that means is some benefits don’t get stopped. For example, you can’t contribute to tsp if you make no pay (non-pay status). If on pay status with non-paid hours, you and the gov't only contribute based on what you actually were paid. Except for pay/non-pay status, all non-pay hours are aggregate for the year.

Leave: LWOP accumulates on a revolving 80 hour basis for the leave year, regardless of when it’s taken. Every time 80 hours is accumulated, no leave is earned for that pay period. Note, if you cross the 80 hour mark in the last pay period of the leave year, and earn 6 hrs/pp, you will forfeit the entire 10 hours.
Example: 79 hrs LWOP / year = no leave lost. 40 hrs LWOP in first pay period, 40 hrs LWOP on 10th pay period; 10 pay period leave accumulation is forfeit.

Retirement/SCD time: As long as you work 6 months a year, there is no loss of time, like losing a year of creditable service for retirement.

Insurance: Life insurance continues for 12 months while in non-pay status without extra cost. Must be on 4 consecutive months of pay status to reset that timer. Health insurance is the same, except you owe the normal premium cost.

Effect of Extended Leave Without Pay (LWOP) (or Other Nonpay Status) on Federal Benefits and Programs (opm.gov)

5 U.S. Code Subchapter III - THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN
The laws governing TSP occasionally change. Below link is the section of USC governing the TSP.

5 U.S. Code Subchapter III - THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN

www.law.cornell.edu

 

[Spoony90]

MRA. I know what it stands for but what is it and how do I know what my MRA is?

 

[Dontbotherme]

MRA. I know what it stands for but what is it and how do I know what my MRA is?

When were you born?

 

[Spoony90]

When were you born?

Oct 1990

 

[Dontbotherme]

Oct 1990

Your MRA with 30 years of service is 57

 

[Move78]

Your MRA with 30 years of service is 57

I think his MRA is just 57. The 30 years is just for the qualification MRA+30 specific retirement option for ATC?

 

[DankVectorz]

Does military time count towards MRA? Seem to be getting mixed answers and haven’t found a reference anywhere

 

[MJ]

Does military time count towards MRA? Seem to be getting mixed answers and haven’t found a reference anywhere

No. There’s links in the faq about MRA

 

[Spoony90]

What exactly does my MRA mean if I’m forced out at 56 tho?

Also, when can I start cashing my TSP out without a penalty?

 

[Move78]

What exactly does my MRA mean if I’m forced out at 56 tho?

FERS MRA (Minimum Retirement Age)

 

[GMX]

What exactly does my MRA mean if I’m forced out at 56 tho?

I'm going to assume people posting here are all born after 1970...I think it means if you can get 30 years of actively controlling traffic by 56, then get any other federal job until 57, you'll get 1.7% high 3 pension for the ATC and the other 1% or whatever 'til 57. If you start at age 26 then you can get 1.7% for all 30 years, then 1% for that last year to 57. I started at age 30 so it won't work for me. I have other federal service but not ATC. I'll probably just retire at age 55 with 20 years ATC at 1.7% and 5 years other federal at 1%.

 

[Move78]

I'm going to assume people posting here are all born after 1970...I think it means if you can get 30 years of actively controlling traffic by 56, then get any other federal job until 57, you'll get 1.7% high 3 pension for the ATC and the other 1% or whatever 'til 57. If you start at age 26 then you can get 1.7% for all 30 years, then 1% for that last year to 57. I started at age 30 so it won't work for me. I have other federal service but not ATC. I'll probably just retire at age 55 with 20 years ATC at 1.7% and 5 years other federal at 1%.

It's also very important for everyone, who's considering trying to get to your MRA, to either do all the math or have a firm do it for you because there are some scenarios where the MRA+30 retirement option is actually worse than the normal ATC option. Sounded ridiculous to me at first but it's true.

 

[KnockKnock]

It's also very important for everyone, who's considering trying to get to your MRA, to either do all the math or have a firm do it for you because there are some scenarios where the MRA+30 retirement option is actually worse than the normal ATC option. Sounded ridiculous to me at first but it's true.

Any chance you recall one of these scenarios?

 

[Move78]

Idk

 

[rugbydog11]

Any chance you recall one of these scenarios?

Just my opinion, but I think if you can do 25 and retire before say 51, thats 6+ more years of drawing a pension, which would have to weigh against life expectancy. If my expectancy is 68, if rather have 18ish years of 40 percent retirement over 11 years of 52 percent. Its all in what you want. The way I look at it is the day I'm eligible, I and officially working for my salary-what my pension would be.

 

[jdatc]

Any chance you recall one of these scenarios?

I believe it has to do with cola adjustments as if you take the mra+30 you don’t get them for a bit (age 62). Therefore if you do the non mra +30, which would be 44% at 30 years and you get a decent cola (cost of living adjustment) for the years before you are eligible per the other one, you should be ahead.

 

[Move78]

I believe it has to do with cola adjustments as if you take the mra+30 you don’t get them for a bit (age 62). Therefore if you do the non mra +30, which would be 44% at 30 years and you get a decent cola (cost of living adjustment) for the years before you are eligible per the other one, you should be ahead.

This sounds familiar

 

[Homsar]

I recall reading in another thread here that high 3 includes your time at a facility even if you do not complete training there (Example: Training at a level 11 for a year but then NESTing out, the base pay you had during that time, assuming your salary never reached a high at that point again during the rest of your career, is counted as 1 of hour high 3). Is that true/is there any documentation on that?

 

[KnockKnock]

Where can I find the list of NATCA retirement seminars?

 

[Maintainvfr]

Where can I find the list of NATCA retirement seminars?

Go to the member center on the natca site and click on the link that says calendar. Then when you hit "show controls" you can choose to only show retirement seminars.

I have seen another list of them somewhere else but I'm not sure where to find that one.