The best dates to retire in 2027
FERS: October 30, November 27, May 29. CSRS: add April 3, May 1, October 2.
CSRS adds three more: April 3, May 1 and October 2 — each a pay period end inside the first three days of a month. Maximum leave payout: January 8, 2028.
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1. The three rules that make a date good
Only three things about a date affect your money, and the best dates are the ones where all three line up.
| Rule | What it does | What it costs to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| End of a month | A FERS annuity begins the first day of the month after you separate | Retire on the 1st and you wait a full extra month for the annuity to start |
| End of a pay period | Annual and sick leave are credited only at the end of a full period | 4 hours of annual leave and 4 of sick leave, forfeited |
| End of the leave year | Everything above the carryover cap is paid out instead of forfeited | Any hours above 240 that you did not schedule and use |
Rules one and two conflict about half the time, because pay periods end on Saturdays and months do not. In 2027 they line up cleanly three times.
2. The full shortlist
Every date worth considering in 2027, with what each one buys and who it suits.
| Date | Day | Why | Annuity begins | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2027 | Sat | Pay period end, 2 days from month end | June 1 | FERS |
| Oct 30, 2027 | Sat | Pay period end, 1 day from month end | Nov 1 | FERS — best of the year |
| Nov 27, 2027 | Sat | Pay period end, 3 days from month end | Dec 1 | FERS |
| Dec 31, 2027 | Fri | Month end and calendar-year end — but mid-pay-period | Jan 1, 2028 | FERS, with a catch |
| Jan 8, 2028 | Sat | End of leave year and pay period | Feb 1, 2028 | Maximum leave payout |
| Apr 3, 2027 | Sat | Pay period end, within the first 3 days | Apr 4 | CSRS only |
| May 1, 2027 | Sat | Pay period end, within the first 3 days | May 2 | CSRS only |
| Oct 2, 2027 | Sat | Pay period end, within the first 3 days | Oct 3 | CSRS only |
3. The December 31 catch, specific to 2027
December 31 is the most popular federal retirement date in any year, and in most years it is also a pay period end. In 2027 it is not. December 31, 2027 is a Friday. The pay periods around it end on Saturday, December 25 and Saturday, January 8.
So a December 31, 2027 retirement separates you six days into a pay period. You forfeit the four hours of annual leave and four hours of sick leave you were part-way toward earning. That is roughly $200 of leave on a GS-13 salary, plus a little under a day of sick-leave service credit.
It is a small loss and December 31 still has the two things people choose it for: the annuity starts January 1, and the calendar year breaks cleanly for tax purposes. But if the only reason you picked it was "end of the year," compare it against December 25 and January 8 before committing.
Both produce an annuity starting January 1, 2028, because both fall in December. December 25 is a pay period end, so you keep the leave accrual; December 31 gives you six more days of salary. On a GS-13, six days of pay is roughly $1,800 against about $200 of leave. December 31 wins on cash — but know that is the trade you are making, rather than assuming the 31st is automatically optimal.
4. Every pay period end date in 2027
The 2027 leave year runs January 10, 2027 through January 8, 2028. Twenty-six pay periods, all ending on a Saturday.
| Month | Pay period ends | Days to month end | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Jan 23 | 8 | — |
| February | Feb 6, Feb 20 | 22, 8 | — |
| March | Mar 6, Mar 20 | 25, 11 | — |
| April | Apr 3, Apr 17 | 27, 13 | Apr 3: CSRS |
| May | May 1, May 15, May 29 | 30, 16, 2 | May 29: FERS · May 1: CSRS |
| June | Jun 12, Jun 26 | 18, 4 | Jun 26: workable |
| July | Jul 10, Jul 24 | 21, 7 | — |
| August | Aug 7, Aug 21 | 24, 10 | — |
| September | Sep 4, Sep 18 | 26, 12 | — |
| October | Oct 2, Oct 16, Oct 30 | 29, 15, 1 | Oct 30: best of 2027 · Oct 2: CSRS |
| November | Nov 13, Nov 27 | 17, 3 | Nov 27: FERS |
| December | Dec 11, Dec 25 | 20, 6 | Dec 25 or Dec 31 — see section 3 |
| January 2028 | Jan 8 | 23 | End of leave year |
5. The leave-year decision
Retiring on January 8, 2028 captures the most annual leave: it is the last day of the leave year and the last day of a pay period, so every hour you have banked, including anything above the carryover cap, is paid as a lump sum.
The cost is a month of annuity. A FERS annuity that would have started January 1 now starts February 1. On a $40,000 annuity that is about $3,333 given up.
| Dec 31, 2027 | Jan 8, 2028 | |
|---|---|---|
| Annuity begins | Jan 1, 2028 | Feb 1, 2028 |
| Extra salary | — | ~5 workdays |
| Extra leave accrual | None (mid-period) | 1 full pay period |
| Leave above the cap | Paid out | Paid out |
| Lump sum taxed in | 2028 | 2028 |
| Net, $40,000 annuity, GS-13 | Better by roughly $1,800 | — |
In a year with a January pay raise the answer flips, because leave projected into January is paid at the new higher rate. For January 2028 that depends on the pay executive order signed in December 2027. If a raise lands, rerun this; if pay is frozen again, December 31 holds.
6. CSRS is a different calendar
A CSRS or CSRS Offset employee who separates on the first, second, or third day of a month has the annuity begin the next day, rather than waiting until the following month. That opens three dates FERS employees cannot use: April 3, May 1, and October 2, 2027 — each a pay period end falling within the first three days.
CSRS retirees also receive the full COLA at any age, where FERS retirees receive nothing until 62 and then a reduced formula. That makes the January timing slightly more valuable under CSRS, since a December or early-January retirement gets a prorated COLA sooner.
7. What the pay freeze changes
Base and locality pay are frozen at 2026 rates for 2027 under the alternative pay plan. Two consequences for date selection:
- No January leave-rate bump. Your lump sum is paid at the rates in effect when the leave would have been used. Normally that rewards pushing into January; in 2027 the rate is identical either side of New Year’s Day.
- Your high-3 does not grow by waiting. Staying later in 2027 adds service credit but no salary growth, unless you have a within-grade step increase or a promotion. Check your step date before assuming a later date buys you anything. The full math is in the pay freeze guide.
8. What actually decides your date
Everything above is worth a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. These are worth far more, and they override the calendar:
- Eligibility. MRA with 30, 60 with 20, or 62 with 5. One day short and the whole plan changes.
- The 1.1% multiplier. Retiring at 62 or later with 20+ years raises your multiplier on every year of service — a permanent 10% increase. Worth waiting months for.
- The FEHB five-year rule. Five years of continuous enrollment immediately before retirement, or you lose coverage for life. See the five-year rule.
- Filing lead time. OPM wants 60 to 90 days; agency certification adds weeks. An October 30 date means filing in August.
Pick the milestone first, then pick the nearest optimal date after it. Never the other way around.
9. Frequently asked questions
What is the best date to retire in 2027 under FERS?
For most FERS employees, Saturday, October 30 or Saturday, November 27, 2027. Both fall on the last day of a pay period and within days of the end of a month, so you receive credit for every hour of leave earned in that period and your annuity begins on the first of the next month with no wasted days. May 29 is the same shape earlier in the year. December 31, 2027 still works for anyone who wants a clean calendar-year break, but it is a Friday in the middle of a pay period, so you forfeit the leave accrual for that period.
When does the 2027 leave year end?
Saturday, January 8, 2028. The 2027 leave year runs from January 10, 2027 through January 8, 2028. Retiring on January 8, 2028 captures the maximum annual leave payout because it is both the end of the leave year and the end of a pay period, but a FERS annuity would then not begin until February 1, 2028, so you trade a month of annuity for the larger lump sum.
Why does the end of a pay period matter for a retirement date?
Annual leave and sick leave are credited at the end of each full pay period, not day by day. Separate in the middle of a pay period and you forfeit the four hours of annual leave and four hours of sick leave you were part-way toward earning. On its own that is small, but combined with the end-of-month rule it costs nothing to capture, which is why the best dates are the ones where both line up.
Does the date change how my FERS annuity starts?
Yes. A FERS annuity begins on the first day of the month after you separate. Retire on October 30 and it begins November 1; retire on November 1 and it still does not begin until December 1, so you would have given up nearly a full month of annuity for one day of salary. CSRS is different: a CSRS employee who separates on the first, second, or third day of a month has the annuity begin the next day.
Does the 2027 pay freeze change the best dates?
It removes one factor. In a year with a January pay raise, leave projected into January is paid at the new, higher rate, which strengthens the case for retiring at the end of the leave year in January. Base and locality pay are frozen at 2026 rates for 2027, so that advantage does not exist for a date in early 2027. Whether it returns for January 2028 depends on the pay executive order signed in December 2027.
- OPM, leave year beginning and ending dates
- OPM, lump-sum payments for annual leave
- OPM, FERS annuity computation and commencing dates
- OPM, CSRS computation and the first-three-days rule
- OPM, annual leave accrual and carryover limits
- House Document 119-189, Alternative Plan for Pay Adjustments, January 2027