FERS COLA Calculator
Estimate How Cost-of-Living Adjustments Will Grow Your Pension Over Time
Enter Your Retirement Information
Enter your estimated first-year FERS pension before any COLA adjustments
Your age when you plan to retire from federal service
Historical average is 2-3%. Leave at 2.5% for default estimate
How many years into retirement you want to project
Disability retirees receive different COLA treatment before age 62
What Is FERS COLA?
The Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) is an annual increase applied to FERS pensions to help retirees keep pace with inflation. Without COLA, your purchasing power would decline every year as prices rise.
How FERS COLA Differs From CSRS COLA
| Feature | FERS Retirees | CSRS Retirees |
|---|---|---|
| COLA Rate | Reduced (see formula below) | Full CPI-W increase |
| If CPI-W is 2% or less | Full amount | Full amount |
| If CPI-W is 2-8% | 2% + (CPI-W - 8%) | Full CPI-W |
| If CPI-W is above 8% | CPI-W - 1% | Full CPI-W |
When Do FERS Retirees Receive COLA?
- Regular FERS retirees: COLA begins at age 62, regardless of when you retire
- Disability retirees: COLA begins at age 62, but only on the portion calculated using the regular FERS formula
- Special category (LEO/Firefighter/ATC): Same rules as regular FERS - COLA starts at age 62
- MRA+10 postponed retirees: COLA begins when you start receiving annuity payments
Historical FERS COLA Rates
Over the past 20 years, FERS COLA rates have averaged approximately 2.3% annually, ranging from 0% (during deflation periods) to 8.7% (during high inflation periods like 2022).