Thread: Zebra's Story

I can't believe I am approaching one year since I retired from Civil Service! Where has the time flown to? Best decision I have ever made and my wife thinks it is great too! Retirement is so good; especially after OPM gets their act together and starts paying you correctly. Have I ever told you I think OPM sucks canal water?

Key to retirment is good planning and preparation! Max out that TSP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, had to scrape off the frost this morning. Looking forward to June 1st. Zebra welcome back. Maybe this extended pay freeze will let OPM to get the calculations done faster. Yeah right.

Ditto, heavy frost here in north Alabama this morning as well, we had a bit of snow first part of the week and below freezing temps;.........winter is here!

It has been a year for me, too, or will be on the 31st. OPM got me squared away after 9 months and the $7k in backpay worked out well. Awesome is the word for being retired, alright.

Even though I am essentially on half-pay I am in good shape because my IRA pays the mortgage out of its earnings, which used to eat up 3/8ths of the total anyway. The missing 1/8th used to go for things like the kid's wedding or college tuition which are all in the past now so no problem.

Zebra, how are you adjusting to getting paid but once a month? It is taking me some getting-used-to. The first week of the month I now make a big buy at the grocery store, liquor store, cig store, gas up the cars, grab a few hundred in cash and then reckon how much remains. I keep a thou in reserve and try to spend a couple hundred less than I have on hand 'above the line'. It's different, knowing there is no paycheck coming next week!

Congrats to you all enjoying your retirement and I now begin to sink in the idea without going to the office to work every day.

Jimi,

Glad to hear that you finally got it done in 9 months. I am now 3 months into my retirement and getting partial payment on the first day of the month. My paid unused vacation definitely comes in handy now. I guess I have to wait another 6 months to get my normal pay then.

Well I was in the military for 22 years and when I was overseas I got paid once a month, so I am use to it somewhat. But I am getting different pay all the time, military, OPM, SS and TSP, so it works good for me. It took OPM 9 months to get me finalized too! Retirement is too GOOD! Preplanning help out too! Thanks to this forum and others I was in super shape to ride out OPM etc.! OBTW I seem to have more take home pay, being I am not paying SS taxes, retirement, TSP and other thingys!

Originally Posted by jimijr

It has been a year for me, too, or will be on the 31st. OPM got me squared away after 9 months and the $7k in backpay worked out well. Awesome is the word for being retired, alright.

Even though I am essentially on half-pay I am in good shape because my IRA pays the mortgage out of its earnings, which used to eat up 3/8ths of the total anyway. The missing 1/8th used to go for things like the kid's wedding or college tuition which are all in the past now so no problem.

Zebra, how are you adjusting to getting paid but once a month? It is taking me some getting-used-to. The first week of the month I now make a big buy at the grocery store, liquor store, cig store, gas up the cars, grab a few hundred in cash and then reckon how much remains. I keep a thou in reserve and try to spend a couple hundred less than I have on hand 'above the line'. It's different, knowing there is no paycheck coming next week!

Ocean, hang in there it will work out for you!

Originally Posted by Zebra

Ocean, hang in there it will work out for you!

Thanks Zebra. I am happy to report that my retirement pay process has been completed. On the OPM retirement site, it stated that my full payment and supplement will begin on Jan 1, 2012 (I am retired under FERS). All the numbers were within my expectation and I also received the retro pay on my direct deposit account last Friday. I am glad that it took less than 3 months for OPM to get it done and I am satisfied with their progress for my case. Hope they will continue to be this way for future retirees.

ocean congratulations. There is an article in the Washington Post (I saw it posted on the Union bulletin board) that says the retirement backlog for OPM is 41,000 retiree's (down from 60,000) waiting for their first full retirement check. The article also said that each retirement specialist is averaging 3-4 files a day. I tried to pull up the article but they didn't have it in the archives yet. It was dated somewhere around the 5th of December.

Thanks nasa, that may be the reason that mine was done so fast relatively speaking.

WOW, only three months!!!!!!!! Makes me want to try it all over again...........................................NO T! Happy retirement. Retirment is rough, fishing and hunting all week, going up to Tenn for some Frog legs, visiting with family, parties just about every weekend, Christmas almost here..........and getting ready for the National Championship game Jan 9th; Oh yeah retirement is good!

Have I mentioned OPM still sucks canal water? Maybe they are getting better, looks like Ocean was treated right!