FEGLI Calculator: How to Use It
Federal Employees Group Life Insurance has a deceptively simple structure. The math on the Basic coverage is easy. Option B is where the costs compound in ways most employees don't see coming.
What this calculator does
The FEGLI Calculator computes your coverage amounts and biweekly premiums across all four coverage types: Basic, Option A, Option B, and Option C. Enter your salary, age, and coverage elections and it returns your current biweekly and annual premium, a five-year and ten-year projection that accounts for age-band rate increases, and your post-retirement coverage under each of the three Basic reduction choices.
The ten-year projection matters because FEGLI Option B rates reset upward at every five-year age boundary. The premium you pay at 48 is not the premium you'll pay at 52. The calculator shows you both.
What each input means
Annual salary
Used to calculate Basic coverage and Option B coverage. The calculator rounds your salary up to the nearest $1,000, adds $2,000, and that becomes your Basic coverage amount. Option B multiples (1x through 5x) are applied to your actual annual salary, not the rounded figure. Use your current base pay, which for most GS employees includes locality pay but excludes bonuses, overtime, and awards.
Age
Determines which FEGLI age band applies. The bands are: under 35, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, and 60 and older. Premium rates increase at each band. The jump from 50-54 to 55-59 is substantial for Option B: the rate roughly doubles. The jump from 55-59 to 60-64 more than doubles again. Enter your current age; the ten-year projection will apply the correct band changes automatically.
Option B multiples
You can elect 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x your annual salary in additional life insurance through Option B. The election happens at hire or during qualifying life events. Increasing coverage later requires a qualifying event or a FEGLI open season (which OPM has offered infrequently). If you need more coverage and an open season isn't available, you may be limited to your current election.
Option C units
Option C covers family members. Each unit provides $5,000 of coverage for a spouse and $2,500 per eligible child. You can elect 1 through 5 units. Five units gives a maximum of $25,000 for a spouse and $12,500 per child. The rates follow the same age-band structure as Option B but at lower per-unit costs.
Basic reduction choice at retirement
This field controls the post-retirement section of the output. Select the 75% Reduction (free, coverage drops to 25% of original after 65), the 50% Reduction ($0.32 per $1,000 biweekly until 65, then coverage settles at 50%), or No Reduction ($1.20 per $1,000 biweekly for life). The calculator shows what the premium looks like under each option and what coverage you'd retain.
Understanding the outputs
The biweekly premium is what comes out of your paycheck each pay period. There are 26 pay periods per year, so the annual premium is biweekly times 26. At younger age bands the numbers look modest. At the 60-64 band, Option B at 5x on a $90,000 salary runs over $180 biweekly, more than $4,600 per year.
The age-band step-up warnings in the ten-year projection tell you exactly when costs will jump and by how much. If you're 53 now, the rates you pay for the next two years are dramatically lower than what you'll pay starting at 55. Some employees use this as a trigger to shop private term insurance before crossing that boundary.
The post-retirement section shows you what the three Basic reduction choices cost and produce. The 75% Reduction option shows no premium after 65 and a coverage level of 25% of your original Basic amount. The 50% Reduction shows a premium through age 65 then a coverage floor of 50%. The No Reduction option shows the ongoing $1.20 per $1,000 premium with full coverage maintained.
The age band rates the calculator uses
Basic employee share rates per $1,000 of coverage biweekly: under 35: $0.15. Ages 35-39: $0.19. Ages 40-44: $0.26. Ages 45-49: $0.37. Ages 50-54: $0.53. Ages 55-59: $0.92. Ages 60 and older: $1.20. Option B rates per $1,000 biweekly: under 40: $0.020. Ages 40-44: $0.030. Ages 45-49: $0.060. Ages 50-54: $0.100. Ages 55-59: $0.180. Ages 60-64: $0.400. Ages 65 and older: $0.217.
Option A premium is a flat dollar amount per age band, not per $1,000 of coverage: under 40, $0.43 biweekly. Ages 40-44, $0.65. Ages 45-49, $1.30. Ages 50-54, $2.17. Ages 55-59, $3.90. Ages 60-64, $13.00. Ages 65 and older, the rate drops back to $2.17 biweekly, which is unusual among FEGLI options.
No Reduction: what "same premium" actually means
Employees who elect No Reduction at retirement continue paying $1.20 per $1,000 of Basic coverage biweekly for the rest of their life. That's the same rate an active employee aged 60 or older pays. So if you retired at 62 paying $1.20 per $1,000 and elect No Reduction, your premium doesn't change the day you retire or the day you turn 65. Coverage stays at 100% of the original Basic amount. This is the only scenario where the transition from active employment to retirement produces no premium change for Basic coverage.
By contrast, the 75% Reduction option is free from day one of retirement, but starting at 65 coverage begins dropping 2% per month for 37.5 months until it reaches 25% of the original amount. The 50% Reduction charges $0.32 per $1,000 biweekly from retirement until 65, then coverage locks at 50% with no further premium. Which option makes sense depends on whether the No Reduction premium cost over 10 to 20 years of retirement is worth maintaining full coverage versus either free alternative.
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Frequently asked questions
How is FEGLI Basic coverage calculated?
Round your annual salary up to the nearest $1,000, then add $2,000. A $87,500 salary becomes $90,000 in Basic coverage. The employee pays about two-thirds of the Basic premium, running from $0.15 per $1,000 biweekly under age 35 up to $1.20 per $1,000 at age 60 and older.
Why does FEGLI Option B get so expensive after age 50?
Option B rates are age-banded and reset every five years. The rate per $1,000 biweekly roughly doubles at the 55-59 band versus 50-54, then more than doubles again at 60-64. On 5x coverage at $80,000 salary, that progression takes you from $40 biweekly at 50-54 to $72 at 55-59 to $160 at 60-64.
What are the three Basic reduction choices at retirement?
The 75% Reduction option is free and drops coverage to 25% of original after age 65. The 50% Reduction costs $0.32 per $1,000 biweekly until 65, then coverage holds at 50% of original. No Reduction costs $1.20 per $1,000 biweekly for the rest of your life to maintain full coverage. Most retirees choose 75% Reduction because it costs nothing.
Do I need five years of enrollment to keep FEGLI in retirement?
Yes. You need continuous enrollment for the five years immediately before retirement, or since your first eligible opportunity if that was less than five years before retirement. Employees who waived coverage at hire and never re-enrolled will lose FEGLI entirely at retirement. Open seasons are rare and qualifying life events are typically the only way to re-enroll without underwriting.
Is FEGLI Option B worth keeping, or should I buy private term insurance?
For employees under 50 in good health, private term is almost always cheaper. The advantage of FEGLI is no medical underwriting. Employees with health conditions who cannot qualify for affordable private coverage may find Option B worth the age-band cost regardless of the premium comparison. Everyone else should price out a 20-year term policy before the 55-59 band hits.