Federal & Postal Employee Retirement Services
For over a decade, we have helped hundreds of U.S. federal and postal employees achieve a smooth retirement through workshops and personalized guidance.
Don't worry, we've got you. We help you organize, complete, and file the documents your retirement requires. Contact us today to get started.
Schedule onlineAdvisory services offered through Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC (HTK), Member FINRA/SIPC.
01 · The outcome
Federal and USPS retirement applications prepared for OPM’s Online Retirement Application, or ORA. We help organize your benefit elections, required information, and supporting documents for a complete and accurate digital submission.
We explain complex federal retirement options in clear, simple steps. This helps you review your choices, complete the ORA process, and move forward with greater confidence.
02 · Why Life Capitalized
For more than 13 of his 18 years in financial services, Troy Barrow has worked with USPS and federal employees navigating retirement decisions, benefit elections, and the transition from a paycheck to retirement income.
Troy brings a straightforward approach to a process that often feels paperwork-heavy and unclear. The focus is not a generic retirement conversation. It is helping you organize the information, review the timing and tradeoffs, and prepare your retirement application with greater confidence.
Meet Troy03 · Services
A simple first step before you file.
In this free 15 to 20 minute conversation, we help you review your retirement timeline, what documents you may need, and any obvious benefit elections worth slowing down to understand before submitting through ORA. Nothing is filed during this call. The goal is simple: help you know where you stand and what may need a closer look.
A written review before you make final retirement decisions.
This review helps you look at the major choices that can affect your retirement, including your retirement date, FERS estimate and SRS, survivor benefit election, FEHB/PSHB or Medicare timing, FEGLI life insurance, TSP bridge income, tax considerations, and your ORA checklist. You leave with a clearer written summary of the items to review before moving forward.
A bigger-picture plan for turning benefits into income.
Retirement is more than filing an application. This planning engagement looks at your full household income picture, including your pension, TSP or IRA accounts, Social Security timing, tax strategy, insurance needs, risk level, and long-term income planning. The goal is to help you build a retirement income plan that fits real life, not just the paperwork.
Start with a Free ORA Readiness Check.
Talk to an advisor04 · Decision guides
Short guides for the moments where one timing detail can change the plan.
Plan for the gap before your finalized pension check arrives.
Review the health coverage details before you leave service.
Weigh the early-out deadline against income, benefits, and timing.
05 · Common questions
Many retirees do not receive their full finalized pension check right away. OPM often starts retirees on interim pay while it finishes processing the retirement file.
That means you may receive a temporary amount before your full benefit is finalized. The timeline can vary, which is why it helps to plan ahead and know what income to expect during the gap. We can help you prepare for that transition.
The Thrift Savings Plan is a defined-contribution retirement account, similar to a 401(k), available to federal and postal employees. FERS employees receive automatic and matching agency contributions on top of their own contributions, up to certain limits set annually by the IRS. TSP offers a small set of low-cost index funds (G, F, C, S, I) plus lifecycle funds.
This is educational information, not personal advice. Contribution limits change each year — check TSP.gov for current figures. Your contribution strategy should reflect your own timeline and risk tolerance.
In many cases, yes. Federal and postal employees can often keep their coverage in retirement if they meet the eligibility rules before they leave service. The details can depend on things like how long you were enrolled and when you retire.
This is one of those areas where a small detail can change the answer. If you want to know where you stand, we can walk through the rules with you.
Read the FEHB and PSHB retirement guide.
This is educational information, not personal advice. Confirm your coverage with OPM before making retirement decisions.
FERS offers several early retirement paths, including MRA+10 (minimum retirement age with at least 10 years of service, with a reduced annuity) and, in some cases, VERA (Voluntary Early Retirement Authority) during agency reorganizations. Retiring before your minimum retirement age or with fewer years of service typically means a reduced pension and gaps in health and life insurance continuation rules. There are real trade-offs between retiring early and maximizing your annuity.
Read the VERA and VSIP decision guide.
This is educational information, not personal advice. Review your options with OPM and a qualified advisor before deciding.