Table of Contents

Introduction

Overview

Social Security Benefits

Basic Benefit Plan

Thrift Savings Plan

Special Groups of Employees

Enrolling in FERS

Examples

For More Information

Previous editions are not usable.
RI 90-1
Revised April 1998

This booklet contains highlights of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). It is not meant to provide a detailed explanation of all the plan provisions. The information is based on the law in effect at the time the booklet went to publication.

Under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Public Law 105-33 for fiscal year 1998, employee retirement contributions will increase as follows. Deductions for the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees Retirement System would be increased by 0.25% in January 1999, by an additional 0.15% in January 2000, and by 0.1% more in January 2001, for a total increase of 0.5%. These higher contribution rates would be in effect through 2002.

Additional retirement information and all publications of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management listed in this pamphlet are available on the Internet. OPM Website -- http://www.opm.gov/asd/.

For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328
ISBN 0-16-045533-2

Updated 14 May 1998