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Start with the question on your mind.

Federal benefits, retirement and insurance decisions often connect. Choose a topic to find related questions, our guides and a place to check the official information.

Explore the connections

A pension decision can raise a health coverage question. A family change can prompt several beneficiary updates. These starting points help you organize the questions and find the right source.

For an unfamiliar term, use the federal benefits and insurance glossary. You can also read how we prepare and check our guides.

Federal retirement: eligibility and timing

Start with your retirement system, service record and the dates you are considering. Pension eligibility, payment timing and insurance continuation need separate attention.

Questions to work through

  • What changes if I leave before retirement age?
  • Which date affects my pension and insurance?
  • Where can I verify my service record?

Related guides

Check the source

Spouses, survivors and beneficiaries

Review how pension elections, health coverage and beneficiary records fit together. Keep a separate question list for each program.

Questions to work through

  • How do survivor elections relate to health coverage?
  • Are pension and life insurance beneficiaries separate?
  • What should a surviving family member prepare?

Related guides

Check the source

TSP savings and withdrawal questions

Understand the language used for retirement accounts before comparing ways to use them. We link to official information and keep investment and tax decisions with the appropriate professionals.

Questions to work through

  • How do account withdrawals differ from a pension?
  • Where can I check current TSP rules?
  • Which questions belong with a qualified tax professional?

Related guides

Check the source

FEHB, PSHB and health coverage in retirement

Federal and postal health coverage have their own rules. Identify the program and people involved before comparing enrollment, retirement and Medicare questions.

Questions to work through

  • How do FEHB and Medicare decisions fit together?
  • Which PSHB rules apply to postal retirees?
  • What changes when spouses retire at different times?
  • How do FEDVIP dental and vision enrollment rules differ from FEHB?
  • Which FSAFEDS or HSA questions should I review before retiring?

Related guides

Check the source

Medicare and Social Security

Retirement benefits and health insurance involve different agencies and decisions. Use each program's official tools to understand the next steps that apply to you.

Questions to work through

  • Which retirement ages belong to which program?
  • What should I check before enrolling in Medicare?
  • Where can I get my official Social Security estimate?

Related guides

Check the source

Retirement income and household planning

Bring income dates, ongoing expenses and family responsibilities into one practical checklist. An insurance conversation is one part of that preparation.

Questions to work through

  • What income starts when?
  • Which costs continue in retirement?
  • What changes after a spouse dies?

Related guides

Check the source

Life insurance: choosing and reviewing coverage

Compare the purpose, ownership and terms of a policy alongside the people and obligations you want to protect. Revisit those questions when your circumstances change.

Questions to work through

  • How much protection should I review?
  • What differs between term and permanent coverage?
  • Who owns a policy and who receives its benefit?

Related guides

Check the source

FEGLI elections, costs and retirement

Check the coverage you have before considering changes. Federal life insurance questions include elections, family coverage, beneficiaries and retirement.

Questions to work through

  • What coverage have I elected?
  • How can coverage change in retirement?
  • When should I update a beneficiary designation?

Related guides

Check the source

Paid leave and disability income protection

Compare leave arrangements and insurance provisions carefully. Federal disability retirement, private disability insurance and other benefit systems should be considered separately.

Questions to work through

  • How does paid leave fit with disability insurance?
  • Which waiting periods and benefit limits should I compare?
  • How do private coverage and federal disability retirement differ?

Related guides

Check the source

Critical illness and supplemental coverage

Begin with the definitions, exclusions and payment conditions in the applicable policy. Supplemental products serve different purposes from comprehensive health coverage.

Questions to work through

  • Which diagnoses and definitions trigger benefits?
  • How does supplemental coverage differ from health insurance?
  • Which exclusions and claim documents matter?

Related guides

Check the source

Annuities: income, access and contract terms

Separate an insurance annuity from a federal pension or a retirement account. Ask what a contract is designed to do and which conditions affect income and access to money.

Questions to work through

  • When does income begin?
  • How do liquidity and surrender provisions work?
  • Which values represent money I can actually access?
  • How do index crediting and multi-year guarantees (MYGAs) differ?
  • How do surrender charges and market value adjustments (MVAs) affect cash access?
  • How do income benefit bases, bonuses and replacement change the comparison?

Related guides

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Marriage, family changes and job transitions

Use a life event as a prompt to review the relevant records and coverage questions. One change can involve several separate programs or policies.

Questions to work through

  • What should I review after marriage or a new child?
  • What changes when I leave a job?
  • Which beneficiary records need separate updates?

Related guides

Check the source

Preparing questions and checking the source

Prepare a useful conversation without sending private records through a general website inquiry. Know whether your question belongs with an insurance agent, your agency or another specialist.

Questions to work through

  • Who can confirm an official benefit election?
  • How do I verify an insurance license?
  • What can I prepare without sending private documents?

Related guides

Check the source

Keep your own records private

You can read these guides without sending financial, medical or employment documents. For an official benefit election or eligibility determination, use your agency's benefits office or the program administrator.

Looking for filming topics? Read our film and production guides. For a personal insurance question, request a conversation with our agency.