To help you plan, you can access Customs Pathfinder Retirement Express and other resources to obtain retirement estimates. These sources also allow you to obtain answers well in advance of your projected retirement date to a wide range of retirement benefits information questions that you may have (see sidebar).

Employees can obtain information that will help them make retirement decisions by visiting the Office of Personnel Management Web site at www.opm.gov/retire and TSP's Web site at www.tsp.gov. Employees who are thinking of retiring soon should arrange for a counseling session by calling the Customs Retirement Operations Center staff at 202.927.3300. Counseling sessions allow employees to ask specific questions about their individual situations.

Once an employee has made the big decisions that impact retirement, the next step is to complete a retirement application package, which is available from the Customs Retirement Operations Center at Headquarters. The package should be completed and returned 60 days or more before retirement. The key form in the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) retirement package is the SF 2801, Application for Immediate Retirement. The key form under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) is the SF 3107, Application for Immediate Retirement.

By completing the appropriate retirement application forms, employees make important decisions that will affect their annuity, life insurance, health insurance, and survivors.

A sizeable number of Customs employees retire in January so they can take advantage of the tax benefits of reporting lump-sum payments during a year when their income will be reduced.

Decisions, decisions
The amount of the annuity will depend, in part, on the survivor's benefit chosen by the employee and his or her spouse. Options for a spouse, former spouse, or other insurable interest may include the maximum survivor annuity, a partial annuity, or an annuity to the retiree only.

Veterans have another important decision to make. And that is whether to elect what is commonly referred to as the "post-military deposit." If an employee was previously in federal service but withdrew his or her retirement, he or she should decide whether or not to pay this back to increase the retirement annuity. If either applies, it's recommended that the redeposit process begin one year or more before the projected retirement date.

Other important decisions include whether to continue government life insurance and maintain enrollment in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program.

Employees who have Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) accounts must choose among several options to begin withdrawing their funds. The Withdrawal Request (TSP-70) form included in the retirement package, which the retiree sends to TSP, will firm up withdrawal decisions.

Employees must decide when they want their Social Security Administration (SSA) annuity to begin and should apply directly to the SSA when they become eligible for those benefits and meet the minimum age requirements.

Getting Retirement Estimates . . . To get a retirement estimate, access Customs Pathfinder Retirement Express any of the following sources: Employees need their social security number and Employee Express Personal Identification Number (PIN) to obtain an estimate by phone and/or mail. If an employee does not have a PIN or has lost it, a new PIN can be obtained within one week by calling Customs Pathfinder Employee Express at 800.944.7725 or OPM at 478.757.3030. Customs Pathfinder Retirement Express can then be contacted at 800.944.7725 for the following information: CSRS and FERS eligibility "High 3" calculations Life and health insurance options Service credit information Personalized annuity estimates (by phone and/or mail) Retirement packages TSP withdrawal packages USDA's "Your Personal Benefits Statement" This statement, mailed each spring to employees' residences, provides key retirement information. Employees can also go to www.nfc.usda.gov to obtain personal retirement information or access their TSP information at www.tsp.gov or by calling the TSP ThriftLine at 504.255.8777. Projected CSRS annuity and survivor annuity/life and health insurance benefits Projected FERS annuity and survivor annuity/life and health insurance benefits TSP balance/projected retirement annuity SSA's "Your Social Security Statement" If employees have contributed in the past or are currently contributing to social security, they can call 800.772.1213 or access www.ssa.gov for information on social security benefits. Your Social Security Statement is mailed annually to all account holders and provides: Record of earnings Estimate of retirement and survivors' benefit