The only decision left for me to make in this retirement drama… to pay or NOT to pay.
If I choose NOT to pay, it affects nothing. Not yet. If I choose TO pay, it affects nothing. Not yet. My retirement pension will be the same no matter WHAT I decide.
Until January 4, 2017.
On the day I turn 62, the government will refigure my pension. This strikes me as unpatriotic, but I get NO CREDIT for the 8 years, 8 months and 24 days I spent in the Navy when they figure my retirement pension — unless I pay a deposit of 3% of all the base salary the Navy paid me during my years in the service.
This is just me, venting, but I think if you’re a Federal Employee, ALL your service to the government should be credited, both civilian and military. And it used to be that way, until EISENHOWER (that radical Republican) signed a bill that changed that in 1957. Now, if you want your service to count, you pay the deposit.
First of all, I have no idea how much I actually made in base pay for the years 1973-1977 and 1981-1985. I have my yearly Social Security statement, which tells me I was actually paid a certain amount during those years, but my HR department has given me a form to mail to the Military to tell me EXACTLY what I was paid.
By my estimates, I’m figuring that deposit will be somewhere around $2,100 — and it has to be paid BEFORE I can retire.
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