The OPM Decoder
Plain-English decodes of the words, letters, and waits in OPM’s retirement process: what each screen and mailing actually means, and what’s normal at each step. Built from OPM’s own published language where it exists, with community-reported experience clearly labeled as such.
The wait, start to finish
Before You Hit Submit in ORA: What Submit Actually Does
Submit in ORA starts your agency’s review; nothing goes to OPM until after you separate. What to audit before you certify, the one deposit OPM says must be paid first, and why the fix-it window is now, with your HR specialist.
What Is a CSA Number? The Two OPM Letters It Comes In
A CSA number is the claim number OPM assigns you as an annuitant. It arrives in two letters, the welcome letter and the Services Online password letter. Which comes first, and why you can’t log in until both are in hand.
What Is OPM Interim Pay, and Why Are the First Checks Smaller Than You Expected?
OPM quotes interim pay at 60 to 80% of your estimated net annuity, but the estimate leaves out your FERS supplement and takes no insurance premiums yet. What corrects at finalization, and the one part that stays yours.
What Does Adjudication Mean at OPM? Adjudication vs. Review, Then Finalized
Adjudication is stage 3 of 5 at OPM: the adjudicator makes the decision, then Review checks it, then Finalized. What each case stage means in OPM’s own words, why the “as of” date moves on its own, and why cases go backward.
How Long Does OPM Retirement Take in 2026? The Published Average, and the Two Lanes Inside It
OPM’s own target is 3 to 5 months end to end. Retirees report most 2026 cases at 3.5 to 6 months, with a stuck 2025 tail at 9 to 11 months. What OPM’s published average actually measures, why the backlog number you saw is stale, and what you control.
“Retirement Finalized” But Not Paid Yet? What Finalized Actually Triggers
OPM marked your retirement finalized but the money hasn’t caught up. What finalization actually triggers, when the first full payment and back pay arrive, and what to read closely when they do.
OPM Retirement Pay Dates: When the Deposit Lands, and Why It Moves
OPM pays the annuity on the first business day of each month, for the month before. The pay dates and payment schedule for this year worked out from OPM’s rule, why a weekend 1st moves your deposit, when the first payment and the catch-up land, and what to do if one doesn’t come.
When it’s not that simple
OPM Not Responding About Your Retirement? What to Do Next, in the Right Order
What the OPM retirement line can and can’t do, why email is a dead end for status, when a congressional inquiry is warranted and when it’s premature, and how the inquiry really works. The escalation ladder, in order.
How Do I Get My SF-50 After I Retire? OPM’s Document Request Service at myOPF
You lose eOPF access the day you separate. Starting 30 days later, OPM’s Documents Request Service lets you pull your whole eOPF online, final SF-50 included. How it works, the real frictions, and the fallback when a record is missing.
Court Orders and Your Federal Retirement: The Two-Track Process
When a court order divides a federal annuity, OPM handles it on a separate track that begins after the main retirement claim is adjudicated. The two-track design, the former spouse’s own application, and why no timeline is published.
Can’t get OPM on the phone? Start with the phone line, decoded from real calls. It’s free.