Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge clarified for a questioner at his first town hall meeting that "we're not going to change the retirement system." An employee fact sheet provided at the town hall noted, among other things, that "current benefits will remain as they are."

The good news is that as a federal employee, you have already got a lot going for you compared to those in private industry. Your current benefits include an excellent retirement plan - the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) - both provide exceptional benefits and should take care of a big chunk of what you need to retire. Whether you are a CSRS/CSRS Offset or FERS employee, prior to retirement, you can contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) - see sidebar. You will also have first-rate health insurance benefits into retirement, assuming you have been continuously covered under the Federal Employees Health Benefits program (FEHB) for 5 years immediately before retiring, and the government will continue to pay the lion's share of the premium. You also have the option to continue your Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) coverage, provided you participated in FEGLI for the 5 years before you retired. Another perk is the option to sign up for Long Term Care insurance. Think of these benefits as a solid foundation for retirement, but there's much more you will need to be financially prepared.

Plan ahead for retirement housing
The amount of annuity that retirees spend on housing is one of the biggest variables in a retirement budget. Whether you rent or own your home, as retirement nears, you should become knowledgeable about the range of available housing options and potential locations. The costs of living vary dramatically across the U.S. The salary calculator at www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html will give you an idea of just how wide the differences are. There are also a wide variety of books available that rate retirement locations.

Save regularly
Of course, you also need to be saving toward retirement. Whether you are in the CSRS or FERS retirement plans, one of your best savings options is to contribute to the tax-deferred Thrift Saving Plan (TSP). If you're concerned about the fluctuating stock market, you can opt to put your contributions in the conservative "G" or moderately conservative "F" funds.

Contributing to TSP is essential for FERS employees whose retirement consists of three key elements: (1) the FERS annuity, (2) the social security monthly benefit, and (3) the various benefit options available from TSP contributions. Unlike the CSRS benefit, the FERS benefit consists of all three of these elements. Will aggressive saving under TSP be enough? Additional savings beyond the maximum contributions to TSP will almost certainly be required to approach that magic 60-80 percent number. Without a very aggressive savings plan, you may still be able to retire, but at a reduced standard of living. (CSRS employees should read the accompanying article about Voluntary Contributions.)

Getting retirement annuity estimates
Contact your personnel office which provided services prior to, and after, your transfer to CBP:

Legacy APHIS-AQI Employees	Legacy INS / Border Patrol Employees	Legacy Customs Employees
If you are within 3 years of retirement, you may obtain a review of service and a retirement estimate by contacting Linda Schaeffer at 612.336.3286	If you are serviced by HQ Employee Labor Management Relations (ELMR), contact 202.514.3245 If you are not serviced by HQ ELMR, contact your Servicing Human Resources Office (SHRO)	Call Pathfinder at 800.944.7725 and choose the Retirement Express self-service option If you are within 1 year of retirement, contact a retirement specialist at 202.927.3300

Employees also receive several statements in the mail each year that include retirement estimates. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's "Your Personal Benefits Statement," mailed each spring to employees' residences includes a retirement estimate of the CSRS or FERS annuity. The Thrift Saving Plan sends statements each May and November during the year to participants that project balances at retirement and their monthly annuity value. The Social Security Administration's "Your Social Security Statement" is sent to participants each year near their birthdays and includes social security retirement benefit estimates. Remember that FERS employees need to combine their FERS, TSP, and social security benefits to determine their total projected retirement package.

Calculating what you will need
You can use one of the many calculating tools available on the Internet to get an idea of how much you will need to have set aside by the time you retire and how much annuity you will need each month. The calculators ask you to input a variety of salary data, and then do the rest. Check out the retirement calculator on the Office of Personnel Management's web site at www.opm.gov/retire and the Social Security Administration's at www.ssa.gov.

The American Savings Education Council includes information about saving as well as tools to identify how much to save for retirement. Try a ballpark estimate at www.asec.org/toolshm.htm. Financial planners say longevity calculators can be useful guides when mapping out a long-term saving plan. At www.money.cnn.com/2000/04/10strategies/q_retire_calculator, you can take a 5-minute quiz to determine one view of your projected life expectancy.

"Short-timers"
For employees who are planning to retire in the next year, there are some very important steps you'll need to take. First, confirm your retirement eligibility by calling a retirement specialist (see sidebar). Next, decide on a date. Get a retirement annuity estimate and review the other sources of income you will be relying on, like social security, to make sure they will be available when you need them. Seriously consider living on about 70 percent of your annual income a year or more before you plan to retire to help smooth the financial transition. If you are planning to relocate, begin to firm up your plans.

New FERS employees with a long way to retirement
If you are just starting your professional career, you may be thinking that you "should" save, but since retirement is so far away you have better things to do with your income. Saving a little now will relieve the financial pressure of planning for retirement when you reach the mid career point.

As a federal employee, one of the best ways to save is to begin contributing to a tax-deferred TSP account. You decide how much of your paycheck each week will be automatically deducted up to 13 percent. For instance, if you save 5 percent each pay period, the government will "match" and kick in an additional 5 percent (see sidebar). Even if you don't put money into a TSP account, you will automatically get a 1 percent contribution, courtesy of the government. And you can choose to invest in the no risk government securities investment "G" fund or low risk "F" fixed income securities fund if you are concerned about putting money in a stock market fund. This is an important part of your retirement, so don't delay. The earlier you start saving in your career, the greater the chance for growth.

Thrift Savings Plan Advantages for FERS employees Agency contributes 1 percent of basic pay. Contributions are tax-deferred. Agency matches the first 3 percent of your contributions. Agency matches 50 cents on the dollar for the next 2 percent. You can contribute up to 13 percent of basic pay (to IRS limit). Advantages for CSRS/CSRS Offset employees You can contribute up to 8 percent of basic pay. Contributions are tax-deferred. Signing up or making changes to TSP To sign up or make changes during the TSP open seasons of April 15-June 30, and October 15-December 31, call Employee Express at 888.397.2551 or 478.757.3012. You will need your current EE PIN and SSN to access the system. Another option is to visit www.employeeexpress.gov.

Effective April 1, 2003: New Employee Express Phone Numbers (for former Agriculture, Justice, and Treasury employees, now part of DHS) 888.397.2551 478.757.3012 Or visit www.employeeexpress.gov. You will need your current EE PIN and SSN to access the system to change your benefits and payroll information.