Welcome to the retirement services section of AFSA's website. AFSA is devoted to responding to a full range of retirement-related issues. Below you will find a wealth of information geared for those who are about to retire and also to those who already have taken the leap.
Getting Ready for Retirement
- AFSA Video: Certified Financial Planner Dwayne A Jackson, Principal of RPJ Advisors, Falls Church, discusses "Lifetime Financial Success; A Simple Model to Keep You on Track," March 2019 - NEW!
- AFSA Video: AFSA Retiree Vice President John Naland discusses "Retirement Planning 5 to 10 Years Out," February 2018
- Foreign Service Journal article: Retirement Planning 101 by AFSA Retiree Vice President John Naland, May 2016
- AFSA Tool: Foreign Service Pre-Retirement Checklist, April 2019
- AFSA Tool: Retirement Planning – One Year Out, April 2019
- Department of State Transportation & Travel Management Division A/LM/OPS/TTM Power Point Presentation: Retirement Transportation and Travel Briefing, January 2019
- Department of State ALDAC: Mandatory Retirement for Age (19 State 37982)
- Department of State ALDAC: Retirement Planning Shortfalls (13 State 54796)
- Department of State ALDAC: Divorce and Foreign Service Retirement Benefits (19 State 53266)
- Department of State ALDAC: Retirement Credit for Prior Service (15 State 44466)
- Department of State ALDAC: Retirement Planning 1 Year Out (19 State 35376)
- Department of State ALDAC: Retirement Planning 5 Years Out (15 State 35130)
- Foreign Service Journal article by AFSA Retirement Benefits Counselor Dolores Marie Brown: “10 Things I Wish I Had Known: Confessions of a Recent Retiree”, October 2018
Now That You're Retired: The Benefits of Your AFSA Membership
General Information on Retirement Issues
Annuities
Social Security
The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB)
Medicare
Long Term Care and Life Insurance
Thrift Savings Plan
Taxes
What Surviving Spouses and Children Need to Know
Post Employment Information
Re-Employed Annuitant (REA) Program (formerly WAE)
Useful Links and Websites
From the State Department
AFSA’s retirement services division is here to support retired members and to offer guidance to both active duty and retiree members on a full range of retirement-related issues.
We produce the bi-monthly AFSA Retirement Newsletter, which provides up-to-date information on retirement benefits issues and activities and programs geared towards retirees. We work with local retiree associations across the country and are the institutional home of the Speakers Bureau. By joining the latter you can share your expertise and highlight the importance of diplomacy in your local community. The division also organizes an on-going speaker series on federal benefits and produces the “Next Stage” series, which highlights career options and activities post-Foreign Service. Finally, we produce AFSA’s Retiree Directory, which connects friends and colleagues and contains a resource section, which is a kind of “All You Need to Know” for retirees.
Contact Us!
Your Elected Representatives
The AFSA Governing Board has three elected members who represent the retiree constituency. The Vice President for retirees is John K. Naland; you may get in touch with John here. John writes a regular column for the AFSA News section of The Foreign Service Journal; click here to read his latest writings. Ably assisting John as retiree representatives on the 2019-2021 Governing Board are Mary Daly and Philip A. Shull.
Get Involved!
We encourage you to stay connected to AFSA in retirement, whether you live in the Washington, D.C. area, anywhere in the U.S. or even abroad. AFSA offers many events here at our headquarters building; even if you can't attend in person we record all events and make them available for viewing on our website. We also hope you will consider offering your expertise as a speaker on issues related to foreign affairs and the Foreign Service. You can sign up for AFSA's speakers bureau, or volunteer to speak at an AFSA Road Scholar program. We also encourage you to get involved with your local foreign affairs or Foreign Service retiree association, or attend some of their local events. There are so many ways to stay involved in the career that shaped your life.
Not Yet an AFSA Member?
No worries. If you recently (or not so recently) retired and did not fill out a form to change from active-duty to retiree membership, you can download the necessary forms by clicking here. If you choose not to apply online, please mail the completed membership and automatic annuity deduction forms to AFSA at 2101 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037, or fax them to (202) 338-6820. We look forward to welcoming you as a member.
Honoring Your Service
AFSA is pleased to offer two new ways to remember and commemorate the lifelong Foreign Service career of our members, their spouses or partners. Our Foreign Service Medallion is a beautiful keepsake that can be used for multiple occasions, including being affixed to grave markers. The Foreign Service Commemorative Coin is similar to those long used by the many branches of the military; the silver-finish, 1.75” diameter coin has the Great Seal on the obverse and the AFSA logo and slogan on the reverse. Both are available for purchase through the AFSA website.