FERS Retirement Countdown — Count Down to Your Annuity Date
A countdown for federal employees under FERS: days, work days and pay periods left until your retirement date — and the rules that make some dates worth more than others.
Federal retirement runs on rules, not vibes — and that makes your date a decision with real numbers attached.
Saved on this device only (no account, nothing sent anywhere).
Why the date matters more in government
Three official rules turn one weekday into money: the month-end rule, the leave-period rule, and the year-end cluster. Pick wrong and you leave a pay period half-accrued; pick right and the annuity starts clean.
The three FERS rules
1. End of the month. Your annuity starts the first day of the following month — retire on the 31st, not the 15th (Interior Business Center, ibc.doi.gov).
2. End of the pay period. Retire on the last day of a pay period to complete your accrual — no partial hours left on the table.
3. End of the year. Roughly 40% of federal retirements happen in the year-end holiday period: the leave lump sum plus a January annuity start line up perfectly.
Best FERS dates 2026 (per DOI/IBC)
| 2026 date | Why |
|---|---|
| May 30 | Saturday end of pay period before month end |
| June 27 | Pay-period end, annuity July 1 |
| October 31 | Month end, pay-period end |
| November 28 | Pay-period end before December |
| December 31 | The classic: holiday period + lump sum + January annuity |
Best FERS dates 2027 (per Federal News Network)
| 2027 date | Why |
|---|---|
| January 9 | Pay-period end near year start |
| April 30 | Month + pay-period end |
| May 29 | Pay-period end before June |
| October 30 | Month + pay-period end |
| December 31 | Holiday period, lump sum, January 2028 annuity |
The leave payout
Your unused annual leave is paid as a lump sum roughly 45 days after retirement — and long-tenured employees can carry 400+ accrued hours into that payout. It's the biggest single check most feds ever see from a paycheck system.
Walking out the door? Don't miss our last-day-of-work checklist.
Questions people ask
What's the best time of year for a FERS employee to retire?
For most FERS employees, the last day of a pay period in the last third of the year — ideally December. You complete the leave period, the annuity starts the first of the next month, and you bank the holiday-period payout.
Why do about 40% of federal retirements happen at year end?
The end-of-year cluster combines three payoffs: the holiday period (paid leave), the annual-leave lump sum paid out after separation, and a clean January annity start. OPM data consistently shows the spike.
What are the best FERS retirement dates in 2027?
Per Federal News Network (September 2026): January 9, April 30, May 29, October 30 and December 31 — each lands on a pay-period end plus a month-end bonus.
When does my FERS annuity start?
The first day of the month after you retire — retire January 31, annuity starts February 1. That's why retiring on the last day of a month is the baseline FERS rule (DOI/IBC).
When do I get my annual leave payout?
Roughly 45 days after retirement, as a lump sum in your final paycheck cycle — long-tenured employees can see 400+ hours of accrued leave paid out.
More from retiree.bond
Work days until retirement · Paychecks until retirement · 100 days left · Best dates to retire · Last-day checklist · Retirement countdown gifts · Home