You’ve dedicated your career to protecting America’s frontline. Now, here’s what you need to know about your retirement options.
As an LEO employee, you are able to retire under the following early retirement provisions:
- Age 50 with 20 years of covered LEO services
- Any age with 25 years of covered LEO service
Your mandatory retirement date is the last day of the month in which you meet BOTH of the following requirements:
- Age 57, and
- 20 years of covered LEO service
Example: “Border Patrol Agent Smith” will reach 20 years of service in June 2020 but will only be 55 years old at that time. His 57th birthday will be on January 15, 2022. “BPA Smith’s mandatory date will be January 31, 2022 because that will be the last day of the month in which he/she meets BOTH age and length of service requirements.
No. Your LEO service has to total 20 years in order for your LEO service to count toward the increased retirement benefit.
Example 1:
“Mr. Smith,” a Border Patrol Agent (BPA) covered under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) at his Minimum Retirement Age (MRA), worked for 5 years as a BPA in a LEO covered position and then moved to a non-covered mission support position where he worked for 25 years. When he retires, his entire career of 30 years will be credited under the normal FERS retirement formula.
Example 2:
“Mr. Smith,” a FERS employee at his MRA, worked for 20 years as a BPA in a LEO covered position and then moved to a non-covered mission support position where he worked for 5 years. When he retires, 20 years of his career will be credited under the higher LEO formula and the remaining 5 years will be credited under the normal FERS retirement formula.
FERS:
1.7% * (High 3) * (up to the first 20 years of 6c service) PLUS 1% * (High 3) * (all years of service over 20 years)
What is "High 3"?
High 3 is your highest rate of basic pay in effect over any three consecutive years in service.