Planning for retirement is a career long endeavor. It starts the day you accept Federal employment and ends the day you submit your retirement application. Some researchers estimate that to retire comfortably, the average employee will require 80% of their salary in retirement. Decisions you make, such as how much you will contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan and whether you will enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, will ultimately affect how well prepared you are for retirement.

Department of Defense (DOD) recognizes the importance of retirement planning and works with DoD Components and Agencies to ensure that the our civilian employees have access to timely and relevant guidance, as well as the tools needed to make life-long retirement and benefits decisions. Many of these resources are designed to simplify retirement planning and to streamline the retirement process.

The resources and links below contain a variety of information such as employee benefits guides, fact sheets, checklists and other documents to assist with retirement planning. We hope you will take advantage of this information as you plan your journey to retirement.

The Planning for Retirement and Retired Already pages provide a general overview of the federal benefits available to active and retired employees. Whether new to an organization, eligible for retirement or retired already, visitors will find the information and resources needed to make informed decisions about their benefits and retirement planning.

Employees and annuitants should contact their respective personnel office for more detailed information on benefits, retirement preparation, and annuitant services. Click here for the list of DOD Benefits Service Centers by component/agency for active employees, and for the OPM contact information for annuitants.