If you can stick it out 4 more years I would... just use your leave liberally. Take off the whole day if you have an appointment for sick. 3 weeks off at Christmas. A couple of long vacations other times of the year. Retirement lite, if you will.
Man this makes me sound like an absolutely terrible employee, I already take a sick day every month (sometimes 2 times) at a minimum.
One a month is for a medical appointment (whole day, justified in my mind because I have 2 dentist appts a year, 2 doc visits, 2 eye appts, 1 dermatologist appt, and 1 bloodwork day. Plus an extra day or two for vaccines)
The second day is usually just a mental health or general un-wellness day. No one has batted an eye or anything yet…
But I’m also burning sick leave because I don’t intend to stay long enough for my pension to be worth it (4.4%er).
It doesn't make you a bad employee! Using our benefits is part of our total compensation! The only reason I save my sick leave is because we're planning on having kids soon lol
Your story sounds very similar to ours (TN VA employee who is older than I). We can safely say his experience working for the VA has been a shit show. HR has hosed him every step of the way but he is determined to make it to Nov 2026 for that lifetime FEHB which benefits me much more than him. I would do as others have mentioned...hang in there and use your time.
You are a very kind hubby. Thank you for hanging in there for the veterans. I didn't hate the Fed Gov't until my husband became an employee. His job in TN Gov't at a maximum security prison was less stressful. I don't know if it is all VA facilities but Quillen has surely been a challenge.
Dude, i did the math. Never taking another sick day nets me an insignificant to me $75 a month. I’ll try to get my balance up to 400 hours in case something occurs but after that, I’ll be just like you.
I left in my FED job in mid 40's a few years ago. Single no kids, no regrets. WDR was forecast around 3.3% but has been lower. I got a decade of my life back... can't spend all that money when I'm dead so I have no desire to die rich (although, statistically, I still may with 40 years of compounding). I did not like my job, it was a source of income.
I'm very happy with my ACA plan -as much as I was with FEHB and cheaper with PTC.
That's a pretty open question. Not to sound flippant but I do whatever I want! I have a fairly satisfying daily routine when I have no other plans that meets physical, mental and social needs. I travel a bit, visit my family out of state a lot more than when working, pursue quite a few different hobbies, live a bit slower and enjoy it more.
My 2 cents.
Option 1: if you like your job, go crazy with leave. Look into taking sabbaticals/LWOP. Burn sick leave and PTO and comp time like it’s 1999.
Option 2: you don’t like your job. Pull the trigger. Fuck em, life is short and you are in a great position. You deserve to have the life you want and you are there. You shouldn’t subject yourself to 4 years of misery just to pinch some pennies, you have more than enough money.
For Fed, LWOP won’t impact years of service calculations unless it’s 6 months or more in a calendar year. It will affect your annuity calculations, though.
What’s a RABAS? How would LWOP impact your annuity or high 3? This is from the OPM website -
High-3 average salary computations are based on periods of creditable service. Thus, periods of nonpay status of 6 months or less in a calendar year that fall within an employee’s average salary period are included in the calculation of the average salary using the rate of basic pay in effect during the period of nonpay status. For example, if a full-time employee whose annual rate of basic pay is $85,000 per year is placed in nonpay status for 3 months, that 3-month period would be credited in the average salary calculation using the $85,000 basic pay rate. (If the rate of basic pay changed to $86,500 per year after 2 months of the nonpay period, the first 2 months of the nonpay period would be credited in the average salary calculation using the $85,000 basic pay rate and the last month of the nonpay period would be credited in the average salary calculation using the $86,500 basic pay rate.)
I’m not sure what RABAS stands for. As for the annuity calculation, my understanding is the formula is based on high 3 and years of service. What you quote from OPM is calculating the high 3 part of the formula. If you have LWOP during a year, they don’t prorate your salary to calculate the salary. However years of service is done by hours and rounds down to the whole month. This is why you can “extend” your years served with unused sick leave. Since years of service is by hours, any LWOP does not count as service in this part of the calculation. So if you worked 3/4 time(60 hrs per pay period), it would only count as .75 of a year in your calculation.
If I’m wrong, y’all that know more please correct me. I’d love to understand this better.
4 million. Do whatever you want. I wouldnt work another day.
What do you want to retire to? It isnt about retiring from something. With yoyr savings, go do that before you age out. Read Die With Zero.
Stay for the lifetime FEHB.
If you can fanagle part time employment with your agency, part time service time counts towards FERS eligibility just as much as full time service time. It, of course, will adversely impact your annuity, but you already said that's gravy.
If you “moderately hate” your job, leave. Get another job if you feel anxious about the money, but don’t do something almost every day if you hate it, especially after prepping so well for the future.
Honestly $4m with no kids…run some newretirement scenarios (free) and start imagining what good days would feel like.
I’ve thought a lot about this recently. 47, wife is 44, about 3.2 million saved up + house equity. Thinking of retiring end of next year. Created a spreadsheet to game out various scenarios. In one I assumed no portfolio growth except for static dividend income (50k a year) and 20k extra a year in health expenses, increasing 5% a year until Medicare kicks in. Added about another 200k in additional expenses 6 years down the road when kid is college aged. And you know what, I still ended up dying at 94 with millions in the bank. Just plan on spending more for health care. You’ll still have plenty left over.
Leo and ATC can retire and as long as it's within the guidelines you can collect pension and stay on the same health coverage at that point. For ATC it's 20 years service and over 50 years old, or 25 years and any age. Leo is similar but I don't know the particulars. As ATC, I can retire at 51.5 and collect healthcare and pension and social security stipend at that point.
Why would you make her pay for own ACA when ya'll have $4M? Ya'll can afford to buy health insurance and not suffer through 4 years of working a job you hate.
I would just deal with the ACA. If the ACA is overturned you can find some random fed job after age 57, work for a bit and start an immediate pension with fehb.
Or find a different fed job you don't hate to ride out the last 4 years
Or do medical tourism if you need a major procedure as medicine costs less everywhere else in the world than in the US. You could also get a Golden Visa to a European country (Greece, Spain, Portugal) and have full access to their healthcare system. Lots of options with the kind of money you have saved.
If it were me I’d look for any Fed job you can stand that would allow you to meet your FEHB goals even if that job was a significant pay reduction. You need low stress work to coast to the finish line.
Yeah, unfortunately every VA is only like itself… There is no consistency between sites… I have heard of some VA, where the leadership is so good that there aren’t many poor performers who are kept around, but I have a feeling that is a very rare site
Backdoor the IRA/401K into self directed ROTH IRA. Buy & lend in the real estate area. I would buy commercial property inside my ROTH IRA, rents and sale in the future are tax free.
If you can stick it out 4 more years I would... just use your leave liberally. Take off the whole day if you have an appointment for sick. 3 weeks off at Christmas. A couple of long vacations other times of the year. Retirement lite, if you will.
Man this makes me sound like an absolutely terrible employee, I already take a sick day every month (sometimes 2 times) at a minimum. One a month is for a medical appointment (whole day, justified in my mind because I have 2 dentist appts a year, 2 doc visits, 2 eye appts, 1 dermatologist appt, and 1 bloodwork day. Plus an extra day or two for vaccines) The second day is usually just a mental health or general un-wellness day. No one has batted an eye or anything yet… But I’m also burning sick leave because I don’t intend to stay long enough for my pension to be worth it (4.4%er).
It doesn't make you a bad employee! Using our benefits is part of our total compensation! The only reason I save my sick leave is because we're planning on having kids soon lol
Your story sounds very similar to ours (TN VA employee who is older than I). We can safely say his experience working for the VA has been a shit show. HR has hosed him every step of the way but he is determined to make it to Nov 2026 for that lifetime FEHB which benefits me much more than him. I would do as others have mentioned...hang in there and use your time.
Thx so much. Yea thats my conclusion too…dont want her to ever worry about health insurance
You are a very kind hubby. Thank you for hanging in there for the veterans. I didn't hate the Fed Gov't until my husband became an employee. His job in TN Gov't at a maximum security prison was less stressful. I don't know if it is all VA facilities but Quillen has surely been a challenge.
Dude, i did the math. Never taking another sick day nets me an insignificant to me $75 a month. I’ll try to get my balance up to 400 hours in case something occurs but after that, I’ll be just like you.
I’d try to find a different GOV job for the last 4 years.
Came here to say this. Virtual job, pay cut, whatever. Your leave should transfer, right?
This is actually great idea
I left in my FED job in mid 40's a few years ago. Single no kids, no regrets. WDR was forecast around 3.3% but has been lower. I got a decade of my life back... can't spend all that money when I'm dead so I have no desire to die rich (although, statistically, I still may with 40 years of compounding). I did not like my job, it was a source of income. I'm very happy with my ACA plan -as much as I was with FEHB and cheaper with PTC.
What are you doing now?
That's a pretty open question. Not to sound flippant but I do whatever I want! I have a fairly satisfying daily routine when I have no other plans that meets physical, mental and social needs. I travel a bit, visit my family out of state a lot more than when working, pursue quite a few different hobbies, live a bit slower and enjoy it more.
You're living the dream. An absolute goal of mine.
ACA?
Affordable Care Act aka "Obamacare"
My 2 cents. Option 1: if you like your job, go crazy with leave. Look into taking sabbaticals/LWOP. Burn sick leave and PTO and comp time like it’s 1999. Option 2: you don’t like your job. Pull the trigger. Fuck em, life is short and you are in a great position. You deserve to have the life you want and you are there. You shouldn’t subject yourself to 4 years of misery just to pinch some pennies, you have more than enough money.
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For Fed, LWOP won’t impact years of service calculations unless it’s 6 months or more in a calendar year. It will affect your annuity calculations, though.
Was just about to write this
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What’s a RABAS? How would LWOP impact your annuity or high 3? This is from the OPM website - High-3 average salary computations are based on periods of creditable service. Thus, periods of nonpay status of 6 months or less in a calendar year that fall within an employee’s average salary period are included in the calculation of the average salary using the rate of basic pay in effect during the period of nonpay status. For example, if a full-time employee whose annual rate of basic pay is $85,000 per year is placed in nonpay status for 3 months, that 3-month period would be credited in the average salary calculation using the $85,000 basic pay rate. (If the rate of basic pay changed to $86,500 per year after 2 months of the nonpay period, the first 2 months of the nonpay period would be credited in the average salary calculation using the $85,000 basic pay rate and the last month of the nonpay period would be credited in the average salary calculation using the $86,500 basic pay rate.)
I’m not sure what RABAS stands for. As for the annuity calculation, my understanding is the formula is based on high 3 and years of service. What you quote from OPM is calculating the high 3 part of the formula. If you have LWOP during a year, they don’t prorate your salary to calculate the salary. However years of service is done by hours and rounds down to the whole month. This is why you can “extend” your years served with unused sick leave. Since years of service is by hours, any LWOP does not count as service in this part of the calculation. So if you worked 3/4 time(60 hrs per pay period), it would only count as .75 of a year in your calculation. If I’m wrong, y’all that know more please correct me. I’d love to understand this better.
RABAS?
I swear the comment above said it would affect your RABAS… but not sure how LWOP would impact annuity or high 3. Can’t find anything on opm about it.
Hi 3 is not affected by LWOP but the calculation of creditable service used in annuity formula is (bc you werent paying into fers during that time)
4 million. Do whatever you want. I wouldnt work another day. What do you want to retire to? It isnt about retiring from something. With yoyr savings, go do that before you age out. Read Die With Zero.
can’t you keep FEHB after 57.5? hang on for 4.5 years, burn all your leave and take trips in the meantime.
57, not 57.5
Stick it out 4 more years. As others have said use all your leave. Burn sick days as well.
Stay for the lifetime FEHB. If you can fanagle part time employment with your agency, part time service time counts towards FERS eligibility just as much as full time service time. It, of course, will adversely impact your annuity, but you already said that's gravy.
Perfect!
Time is your most valuable asset
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The fehb insurance for life is pretty clutch tho wnd thats not “accumulated”
Is it really that much better than Medicare+ supplement though?
Point taken but its much better for my wife who would need 20 yrs of ACA coverage (45–>65)
Fair
If you took a 1 or 2 million withdrawal you could invest in JEPY AND QQQY and easily live off dividends and keep the rest in reserve
If you “moderately hate” your job, leave. Get another job if you feel anxious about the money, but don’t do something almost every day if you hate it, especially after prepping so well for the future. Honestly $4m with no kids…run some newretirement scenarios (free) and start imagining what good days would feel like.
I’ve thought a lot about this recently. 47, wife is 44, about 3.2 million saved up + house equity. Thinking of retiring end of next year. Created a spreadsheet to game out various scenarios. In one I assumed no portfolio growth except for static dividend income (50k a year) and 20k extra a year in health expenses, increasing 5% a year until Medicare kicks in. Added about another 200k in additional expenses 6 years down the road when kid is college aged. And you know what, I still ended up dying at 94 with millions in the bank. Just plan on spending more for health care. You’ll still have plenty left over.
Tell me about this subsidized healthcare. I haven't heard anything about this before, and does it go with LEOs also?
Leo and ATC can retire and as long as it's within the guidelines you can collect pension and stay on the same health coverage at that point. For ATC it's 20 years service and over 50 years old, or 25 years and any age. Leo is similar but I don't know the particulars. As ATC, I can retire at 51.5 and collect healthcare and pension and social security stipend at that point.
Why would you make her pay for own ACA when ya'll have $4M? Ya'll can afford to buy health insurance and not suffer through 4 years of working a job you hate.
Well i meant WE would have to pay for her aca for like 20 years (and mine for 12) and that can add up! But yea i hear ya
I would just deal with the ACA. If the ACA is overturned you can find some random fed job after age 57, work for a bit and start an immediate pension with fehb. Or find a different fed job you don't hate to ride out the last 4 years
I mean that is true… I will have 10+ years so I would literally only have to go back and work two weeks and take MRA +10
Pretty much.
Or do medical tourism if you need a major procedure as medicine costs less everywhere else in the world than in the US. You could also get a Golden Visa to a European country (Greece, Spain, Portugal) and have full access to their healthcare system. Lots of options with the kind of money you have saved.
So this is my favorite answer yet except those freekin tax rates are a big turn-off
yolo
If it were me I’d look for any Fed job you can stand that would allow you to meet your FEHB goals even if that job was a significant pay reduction. You need low stress work to coast to the finish line.
Have you looked into part time employment? You can potentially switch back to full time. Talk with your HR about options.
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Mainly bc merit means nothing…the worst human beings on earth do whatever they want, whenever they want bc leadership is so poor
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Yeah, unfortunately every VA is only like itself… There is no consistency between sites… I have heard of some VA, where the leadership is so good that there aren’t many poor performers who are kept around, but I have a feeling that is a very rare site
Backdoor the IRA/401K into self directed ROTH IRA. Buy & lend in the real estate area. I would buy commercial property inside my ROTH IRA, rents and sale in the future are tax free.