FERS Retirement Income vs Salary: The Pay Cut Nobody Shows You |Ep 126

If you're a FERS federal employee making around six figures, you might assume your retirement income will feel "pretty close" to what you make now. In this episode of Confident Federal Retirement, I walk through a real case study of a federal employee who goes from a $103,000 salary to about $11,000 of spendable pension income in his first year of retirement. We unpack what actually lands in the checking account while you're working versus after you retire, and why the gap is so much bigger than most people expect.

You'll meet "Mike and Mary," a couple in their late 50s, and we'll compare Mike's last year of federal service to his first year of retirement line by line: FERS pension, the Special Retirement Supplement, FEHB, FEGLI, survivor benefits, taxes, and what it really takes to fill a $30,000+ income hole without guessing. You'll see exactly which levers you can still control in your 50s and early 60s, and how to think about your own "last paycheck vs first retirement check" comparison.

Watch the Video Version: https://youtube.com/TomPoltersdorf

When you're ready for one‑on‑one help, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request a personalized Federal Retirement Plan and schedule a call.

We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing.