Retirement Planning for Federal Employees in Maryland and the DC Metro
Federal retirement is a set of decisions with deadlines: when to retire under FERS, what to do with the TSP, whether to keep FEGLI, when to claim Social Security, and how Medicare fits with FEHB. Most of them are irreversible once the paperwork is in, and the guidance from the agency benefits office stops at "here are your options."
Start with the decision in front of you:
- How much you need to retire as a federal employee
- The five mistakes that cost federal retirees the most
- The FERS supplement and its earnings test
- TSP Roth in-plan conversions
- TSP beneficiary rules
- Medicare Part B with FEHB
Two Maryland-specific pieces belong on this list: how Maryland taxes a FERS annuity and TSP withdrawals (the $40,600 pension exclusion covers the TSP but not a rollover IRA), and long-term care planning while FLTCIP is suspended.
Written for federal employees and annuitants at NIH, FDA, SSA, NIST, and the agencies across Maryland and the DC metro by Shuo Li, CFP®, CIMA®, ChFC®, and Danni Shen, CFA®. Federal benefits planning is part of our retirement planning service; if you have a retirement date within two years, book a call.
The 5 Biggest Federal Retirement Mistakes And How to Avoid Them
The five mistakes FERS retirees make: planning for 20 years, keeping FEGLI after 65, a working-years TSP mix, market timing, and uncoordinated Social Security.
How Much Money Do I Need to Retire as a Federal Employee? (FERS + TSP + Social Security) — 2026 Guide
Federal retirement math: estimate your FERS pension (1% or 1.1%), add Social Security, find the income gap, and set your TSP target with three worked scenarios.
TSP Beneficiary Rules: How to Keep Your Heirs From a Lump-Sum Tax Bill
TSP beneficiary rules: what a spouse can keep, the non-spouse 90-day deadline, why a beneficiary participant's heirs get a taxable lump sum, and Maryland taxes.
TSP Roth In-Plan Conversions Are Live: Should You Be Excited?
TSP in-plan Roth conversions are live: the rules ($500 minimum, no tax withholding, RMD first), who benefits, and the IRMAA and five-year traps to check first.