AI for Federal Employee Retirement
IDTECH8050

Module 1: Understanding AI — What It Is and How to Use It Responsibly (~45 min)

• Define AI, machine learning, and large language models in non-technical terms.
• Distinguish between what AI can and cannot reliably do for federal retirement research.
• Identify the federal policies governing responsible AI use (EO 14179; OMB M-25-21 and M-25-22; agency AI policies).
• Explain why PII (such as SSN, date of birth, and service history) must never be entered into public AI tools.
• Recognize AI hallucinations and apply strategies to verify outputs, including why retirement rules change over time.
• Survey AI tools currently available to federal employees and typical agency usage rules.

Module 2: Using AI to Understand FERS & CSRS Eligibility and Annuity Computations (~60 min)

• Use AI to identify retirement types and eligibility under FERS and CSRS and to apply Minimum Retirement Age rules.
• Apply AI to interpret creditable service, the high-three average salary, and how the basic annuity is computed under each system.
• Explore how AI can help estimate an optimum retirement date and model the effect of different separation dates.
• Distinguish how FERS and CSRS computations, cost-of-living adjustments, and special-provision rules differ.
• Verify AI-generated estimates against OPM.gov, the OPM retirement calculators, and your own service records.

Module 3: Using AI for TSP, Survivor Benefits, Social Security, Medicare & Taxes (~60 min)

• Use AI to compare TSP withdrawal options, including installments, annuity purchase, and partial and lump-sum withdrawals.
• Investigate survivor-benefit elections under FERS and CSRS and how court-ordered annuities can affect them.
• Use AI to think through Social Security claiming timing, including the repeal of WEP and GPO under the Social Security Fairness Act.
• Coordinate Medicare enrollment timing with FEHB and PSHB coverage in retirement.
• Use AI to summarize how federal annuities, TSP payments, and Social Security benefits are generally taxed.
• Verify AI outputs against tsp.gov, SSA.gov, Medicare.gov, and OPM.gov.

Module 4: Practical Application Workshop — Putting AI to Work on Your Retirement (~60 min)

• Apply AI tools to scenario-based retirement exercises (near-term retirement, mid-career planning, survivor planning).
• Practice crafting effective, PII-free prompts for retirement questions.
• Compare AI-generated outputs against official OPM, TSP, and SSA resources.
• Evaluate AI responses for accuracy, completeness, and appropriate limitations.
• Recognize when to bring in an Agency Benefits Officer, HR specialist, or licensed financial professional.
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