FAQ
These answers are intentionally direct. FERSCalc is meant to be useful, free to use, and plain about its limits, but it is not presented as official, exhaustive, or risk-free.
FERSCalc is a free tool built by a federal employee for federal employees who want a practical view of retirement timing, income, taxes, and household cash flow. It is most useful when you are actively comparing retirement dates or pressure-testing whether a plan looks workable.
Yes. FERSCalc is free for federal employees, with no account or paid tier. If that ever needed to change, it would be communicated plainly first.
No. FERSCalc is an independent planning tool, not an official estimate from OPM or any federal agency. It is intended to help you understand scenarios and tradeoffs before you make final decisions.
Your scenario inputs and calculated results are not uploaded. FERSCalc stores them locally and performs the calculations in your browser. Exports are created locally, and a share link embeds a point-in-time scenario snapshot in the URL you choose to copy. The calculator sends only anonymous, allowlisted usage-event names and visit metadata — never names, dates, balances, input values, or calculated results.
You will get the best results if you have your birth date, service start date, target retirement date, high-3 salary, TSP balances, expected Social Security figures, FEHB details, and your filing state. You can still start with partial information and refine later.
FERSCalc estimates federal tax for all filers and includes a 2025 state income-tax planning baseline for all 50 states and DC, including no-income-tax states. These are not tax filings or independently certified state rules; future-law estimates and state edge rules remain simplified. For per-state FERS, TSP, and Social Security treatment, use the State Tax Guide. For model scope and assumptions, use Assumptions & Coverage.
Yes. The calculator supports adding a second person for household planning, survivor-benefit considerations, combined income, and joint tax effects.
FERSCalc separates monthly benefit timing at retirement from annual planning cash flow. The retirement timeline shows when the FERS annuity, FERS Supplement, and Social Security begin; annual results show gross income, taxes, TSP drawdown, premiums, and net cash flow. Scenario comparison and the optional Results → Stress historical replay add context without turning annual planning figures into a monthly payment estimate.
No. FERSCalc provides planning output based on your inputs and built-in assumptions. It should support decision-making, not replace professional advice or official benefit confirmation.
