Leaving early
Can I leave now, and what do I lose?
Early outs, buyouts, MRA+10 and deferred retirement all let you leave before 62, but each one treats your pension, supplement and health coverage differently.
What you need to know
The short answer
Your Minimum Retirement Age (MRA)
Your MRA is between 55 and 57 depending on the year you were born. With 30 years of service at your MRA, you can retire with no age reduction.
MRA+10 comes with a reduction
With 10 to 29 years, you can retire at your MRA, but your pension is reduced 5% for each year you are under 62, unless you postpone it.
Early outs (VERA)
If your agency offers it, you can retire at 50 with 20 years, or at any age with 25 years, with no age reduction. A FERS supplement, if you qualify, starts at your MRA.
Deferred retirement
If you leave with at least 5 years of service but don't qualify to retire, you can collect a pension later, but you lose FEHB and FEGLI.
Avoid these
Mistakes we see most
Leaving under deferred retirement by accident
A few months or a year of service can be the difference between keeping FEHB for life and losing it.
Taking a refund of your contributions
You give up the pension for those years.
Expecting the supplement right away
Under an early out, it doesn't start until your MRA.
Not postponing an MRA+10 pension
Postponing can shrink or remove the age reduction while keeping FEHB eligibility.
Go deeper
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Educational information only, based on rules in effect as of October 2026. Benefit rules change. Confirm details with OPM, your agency or the TSP before making decisions.