Small assumptions about FERS, TSP, FEGLI, and Social Security can add up to real money over a career. Here are five of the most common ones.

Most federal employees are diligent, careful people — and most still walk into retirement carrying at least one of these misunderstandings. None of them are your fault. The system is complex, and nobody hands you a manual on day one.

Here are five worth checking against your own situation.

1. Thinking FERS Alone Will Be Enough

Your FERS pension is one leg of a three-legged stool — pension, Social Security, and TSP. Treating the pension as the whole retirement plan usually leads to an unpleasant surprise around age 60. It’s designed to work with the other two pieces, not instead of them.

2. Leaving TSP Contributions on Autopilot for Decades

Contributing is a great habit. Never revisiting the fund allocation is where things go wrong. A mix that made sense at 28 rarely still makes sense at 55. Life stage should drive the allocation — not inertia.

3. Keeping FEGLI Options Without Checking the Cost Curve

FEGLI premiums, especially for optional coverage, increase in steps as you age — and the increases can get steep in your 60s. Coverage that was a bargain at 35 can become one of the more expensive line items on a fixed retirement income. It’s worth reviewing, not assuming.

4. Claiming Social Security on Autopilot at 62

Claiming early feels like the safe move, but it locks in a permanently smaller monthly check. Depending on your full financial picture, waiting even a few years can mean meaningfully more income for the rest of your life. The right age to claim depends on the full picture — not a rule of thumb.

5. Waiting Until the Year of Retirement to Look at Any of This

Every one of these decisions works better with lead time — three to five years out, not three to five months. That’s enough time to adjust a TSP allocation, rethink FEGLI coverage, or model different Social Security claiming ages before it’s a live decision instead of a theoretical one.

The Common Thread

None of these are dramatic mistakes. They’re small defaults that quietly compound over a 20 or 30-year career. Catching even one or two early can change the shape of your retirement.

If you’re not sure where you stand on any of these, a second set of eyes helps.