Retiring in 2027? Picking the right date could pay off

Download the 2027 Best Dates to Retire Calendar 

If you’re thinking about retiring from federal service in 2027, you’ve probably spent plenty of time figuring out when you’ll be eligible and whether you’ll have enough money to make the jump. But there’s one more decision worth giving some thought to: exactly when to walk out the door.

Picking a retirement date isn’t just about choosing a Friday that feels right. The date you choose can affect when your retirement annuity begins, how much you receive in your lump-sum payment for unused annual leave and how much of that leave you’re able to cash out at your current salary rate.

There are some dates that are especially attractive for federal employees, depending on whether you’re covered by FERS, CSRS or CSRS Offset. The timing of the end of a pay period, the end of the month and the end of the leave year can all come into play. And because those calendars don’t always line up neatly, choosing a retirement date can be a little more complicated than it might seem.

For example, a FERS employee generally wants to retire at the end of a month if they want their annuity to begin as soon as possible. But the rules governing the payment of unused annual leave can make the end of the leave year especially important, too. For CSRS employees, some of the timing rules are different.

That means there isn’t necessarily one magic retirement date that works for everyone. The best date depends on your retirement system, your leave balance and what you’re trying to maximize.

As we do every year, we’ve gone through the 2027 calendar to identify the dates that can give retiring federal employees the best financial advantages. Here's our annual "Best Dates to Retire" calendar to help you plan for retirement in 2027.