Plan now for Retirement

If you’re like most of us, you probably believe that retirement planning is something that you start thinking about when the end of your career is in sight. Nothing could be further from the truth. The secret to a successful retirement is getting started early: it’s never too early to start planning and saving for your retirement. 

2. Getting Ready to Retire

A. Introduction

This section addresses common questions about service retirement for individuals nearing retirement, those in the process of retiring, and those who have recently retired and have questions about their benefits.

If you’re beginning your career with the department or catching up on your retirement planning, read “The Road to Retirement” section. It includes helpful checklists you can use throughout your career to ensure you’re continuously building toward the retirement you envision. 

If you’re ready to inform the department of your decision to retire, the “At Retirement” section will walk you through your retirement from the service, help you choose and use your health care benefits, and use the other benefits you’ve earned.

We’ve also included a glossary and a list of contact information for our primary retirement-related benefit providers.