The Federal Employee’s Guide to Survivor Benefits
One Decision. Permanent Consequences.
Most federal employees make the survivor benefit election without fully understanding what’s at stake. This guide changes that.
Your pension may be worth more than $1 million in retirement savings. Declining survivor benefits leaves that asset uninsured — and could cost your spouse their health insurance, their guaranteed income, and their financial security.
This free guide walks you through exactly what the decision means, what it costs (after tax), and why getting it right matters more than almost anything else in your retirement plan.
Here’s What You’ll Learn
Eight pages. No fluff. Just the information you need to make a confident decision.
- The three FERS survivor benefit options — and what each one actually means for your spouse
- How CSRS survivor benefits work, including the cost formula
- Why “it’s too expensive” is almost always calculated wrong (and the formula to find your real after-tax cost)
- What happens to household income when a federal retiree dies without survivor benefits
- Why life insurance is not a substitute — and what Mason & Associates has seen go wrong
- The behavioral difference between retirees who elect survivor benefits and those who don’t
Built on Four Decades of Experience
Mason & Associates has spent more than 40 years helping federal employees and their families navigate retirement decisions. We have sat across the table from couples facing this exact choice — and we have never had a surviving spouse regret electing full survivor benefits.
This guide reflects what we have learned from real client outcomes, not theory.
Fee-Only. Fiduciary.
Mason & Associates is a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor specializing exclusively in financial planning for federal employees. Our team includes CFP®, CPA, and Enrolled Agent credentials with more than 100 years of combined experience.
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