Best Month to Retire Calculator (Federal Employees)
Find the optimal month to retire from federal service. Compare leave payouts, FERS annuity timing, COLA eligibility, and total financial value for each month of the year.
Retirement Timing
Salary & Pay
Leave Balance
Retirement Timing Optimization
Retiring in December maximizes your financial benefit. The difference between the best and worst month is $10,928.
Best Month
December
Rank #1 of 12 months
Total Financial Value
$63,203
$10,928 more than worst
FERS Annuity
$2,380/mo
$28,560/yr base
Leave Payout (Best)
$33,616
400+ hrs balance
Monthly Retirement Value Comparison
Total financial value by retirement month
Financial Value Breakdown by Month
Leave payout, first-year annuity, and COLA benefit
December Retirement Breakdown
Financial components of the optimal retirement month
Total
$33,616
Leave Payout
100%$33,616/yr
Month-by-Month Comparison
Detailed financial analysis for each retirement month
| Month | Rank | Leave Payout | 1st Yr Annuity | COLA Benefit | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | #12 | $23,001 | $26,180 | $714 | $52,275 |
| June | #7 | $27,866 | $14,514 | $726 | $57,619 |
| November | #2 | $32,732 | $2,458 | $737 | $62,962 |
| December ★ | #1 | $33,616 | $0 | — | $63,203 |
Personalized Insights
Actionable recommendations based on your numbers
Best Month: December
Retiring at the end of December 2026 provides the highest combined financial value of $63,203. This is $10,928 more than the least optimal month (January).
Annual Leave Payout
Your leave payout is highest in December at $33,616. Federal employees receive a lump-sum payment for unused annual leave upon separation. Retiring later in the year means more accrued leave.
COLA Eligibility
FERS COLAs take effect in January. To receive the next January COLA sooner, retire early enough in the year so your annuity is established. Retiring in December means waiting longer for your first COLA adjustment. Estimated annual COLA: 2.5%.
End-of-Month Rule
Always retire on the last day of the month. Your FERS annuity begins the first day of the month after separation. Retiring even one day before the end of the month means losing credit for that entire month of service.
Sick Leave Service Credit
Your 1,200 hours of sick leave converts to approximately 0.5 additional years of service credit, increasing your FERS annuity. Unlike annual leave, sick leave is not paid out but adds to your service computation.
FEHB Continuation Eligible
With 20 years of FEHB enrollment, you meet the 5-year requirement to continue federal health insurance into retirement. Your retirement date does not affect FEHB eligibility.
High-3 Salary Timing
Your high-3 average of $112,000 is used to calculate your FERS annuity. If you expect a pay raise during 2026, retiring after the raise takes effect could increase your high-3 and boost your annuity permanently.
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