# AI for Federal Employee Retirement

Canonical URL: <https://www.graduateschool.edu/courses/ai-for-federal-employee-retirement>

## Overview

Federal retirement is one of the most valuable and most complicated parts of a federal career. Eligibility rules, annuity formulas, TSP withdrawal choices, survivor elections, and the timing of Social Security and Medicare can be overwhelming. This four-hour course shows you how to put artificial intelligence to work as a research assistant, one that helps you estimate your FERS or CSRS annuity, weigh survivor-benefit elections, model TSP withdrawals, and coordinate Social Security and Medicare, without ever putting your personal information at risk.

You will start with a plain-language foundation in what AI can and cannot reliably do, along with the federal rules that govern responsible AI use. From there, every module is built around real retirement tasks: the instructor demonstrates AI tools in action while you learn to interpret, question, and verify the results against authoritative sources such as OPM.gov, tsp.gov, and SSA.gov. By the end, you will have a repeatable, government-appropriate workflow for using AI to make smarter retirement decisions, plus a personal action plan you can carry into your retirement application and the Online Retirement Application (ORA). No technical background or prior AI experience is required.

## What you'll learn

- Explain what AI, machine learning, and large language models are in plain, non-technical terms.
- Apply federal policy and agency guidance for responsible, PII-safe AI use to everyday retirement research.
- Use AI tools to research FERS and CSRS eligibility, annuity computations, and optimum retirement dates.
- Model TSP withdrawal options and coordinate Social Security and Medicare timing with AI assistance.
- Evaluate AI-generated retirement information for accuracy, completeness, and appropriate limitations.
- Verify AI outputs against authoritative sources, including OPM.gov, tsp.gov, SSA.gov, and Medicare.gov.
- Construct effective, PII-free prompts for common retirement questions and decision scenarios.
- Recognize when AI research should be supplemented by an Agency Benefits Officer, HR specialist, or licensed professional.
- Develop a personal, AI-assisted retirement action plan.

## Curriculum

#### 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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## Schedule
- Jul 29, 2026 1:00pm–5:00pm — Live Online
- Aug 28, 2026 8:00am–12:00pm — Live Online
- Sep 28, 2026 8:00am–12:00pm — Live Online
- Oct 28, 2026 1:00pm–5:00pm — Live Online
- Nov 19, 2026 1:00pm–5:00pm — Live Online
- Dec 10, 2026 8:00am–12:00pm — Live Online

## Pricing

**Tuition:** $675