80 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL RETIREMENT SUPPLEMENT AFSA membership qualifies you to be assisted by AFSA’s Counselor for Alumni and Retirees if you have questions or concerns about retirement benefits. 5. Divorce. Foreign Service exspouses enjoy a default statutory entitlement to retirement benefits under the Foreign Service Act if they meet certain requirements. The default entitlements can be altered through a court order or spousal agreement. The order or agreement, however, must include specific language to be valid. Many divorce attorneys are unaware of this and unknowingly draw up divorce paperwork that the State Department’s Office of Retirement cannot accept. An explanation of the rules is in ALDAC cable 19 State 53266, “Divorce and Foreign Service Retirement Benefits,” at www.afsa.org/retirement. If applicable, submit divorce documentation to the Office of Retirement for review at least several years before you plan to retire. 6. Retirement Planning. If you have not taken the Foreign Service Institute’s retirement planning seminars, you owe it to yourself to do so. Watching in-depth presentations by subject matter experts may help you avoid major oversights in your retirement planning. The courses are RV105 (2-day; early and midcareer) and RV101 (4-day; late career). RV101 has two subcomponents that can be taken individually: RV103 (1-day; financial planning and estates) and RV104 (1-day; annuity, TSP, and Social Security). Upcoming course dates can be seen at https://www.state.gov/retirementplanning-and-job-search-transition. Email FSICTC@state.gov for registration information. 7. Short-Career Retirement. While most Foreign Service members serve at least 20 years before retiring, it is possible to retire after five to 19 years. If you are considering this, be aware that most such options come with substantial financial penalties. For example, most pensions based on less than 20 years of service are calculated at a 41 percent lower rate (1 percent instead of 1.7 percent per year of your high-3 salary, the average of your three highest years of pay). Exceptions include FS-1s or above who TIC out (time-in-class limit reached) prior to attaining 20 years of service and employees with less than 20 years of service who retire on the last day of the month in which they reach age 65. Also, retirements after 10 to 19 years of service under Minimum Retirement Age provisions prior to age 62 are subject
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