Help & Information

What FedFuture Tools Do

• Annual Estimated Salary: Estimates your annual salary between now and retirement based on your current grade/step and projected federal pay raises.
• Estimated Retirement Annuity: Calculates your estimated annuity based on the average of your high-3 salary divided by 100, multiplied by years of service. A 1.1% multiplier applies for retirees age 62 or older. LEO retirement annuity uses 1.7% for the first 20 years and 1% thereafter.
• TSP Balance Estimate: Projects your TSP balance each year to retirement, combining employee contributions, agency matching, and compounded growth at your chosen return rate.
• Career Scenario Simulation: Edit future grades and steps to simulate different career paths and see how they affect salary and retirement benefits.

What Our Tools Don't Do

• Determine Retirement Eligibility: The tool assumes you have reached your minimum retirement age and applies the appropriate multiplier.
• Guarantee Exact Figures: While we strive for accuracy, FedFuture provides estimates, not guaranteed figures. Always verify with official OPM resources.

Calculation Details

• Future Salaries: Each year, your salary is compounded by the estimated annual federal pay raise set on the assumptions page.
• "Today's Dollars" on the Dashboard: Future amounts are decreased by the same pay raise rate to show purchasing power in current terms.
• Grade/Step Progression: The tool follows normal step progression, only advancing to the next step in the year you'll hold it for the full year. You can override grades and steps for any year.
• TSP Contribution Options:
  • Max: Adjusts each December to meet the next year's IRS maximum contribution limit.
  • Percent: Automatically increases contributions as your salary rises with promotions and raises.
  • Dollar Amount: Fixed dollar amount each year — useful if you manually adjust contributions.
• ROTH vs. Traditional: This tool makes no assumptions about the tax implications of ROTH vs. traditional TSP contributions.
• Paycheck Calculator: Uses federal and state tax modifiers. Adjust until the estimates match your LES. Keep in mind tax brackets change as income rises — use for estimates only.