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 the Basic reduction you choose.
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 salary rounded up to the next $1,000, without the $2,000 add-on. The calculator also shows the Extra Benefit: if you're 35 or younger your Basic death benefit is doubled at no cost, and the bonus shrinks 10% a year until it ends at 45. 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. Basic coverage uses a flat rate at all ages. Option B bands extend further: under 35, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and 80 and older. 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 multiples and children
Option C covers family members. Each multiple provides $5,000 of coverage for a spouse and $2,500 for each eligible child. You can elect 1 through 5 multiples. Five multiples give a maximum of $25,000 for a spouse and $12,500 per child. You pay one premium per multiple based on your age band, whether it covers a spouse alone or a spouse and four kids. Enter the number of eligible children so the calculator can total the coverage.
Basic reduction choice at retirement
This field controls the post-retirement section of the output. Select the 75% Reduction ($0.3467 per $1,000 a month until 65, then free; coverage drops to 25%), the 50% Reduction ($1.0967 until 65, then $0.75 for life; coverage drops to 50%), or No Reduction ($2.5967 until 65, then $2.25 for life). The calculator shows the premium and remaining coverage for the option you pick; switch options to compare.
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 what the Basic reduction you selected costs and produces; switch the selection to compare. The 75% Reduction option shows a small premium before 65, none after and a coverage level of 25% of your original Basic amount. The 50% Reduction shows a premium before 65, a smaller premium for life after 65, and a coverage floor of 50%. The No Reduction option shows both premiums with full coverage maintained.
The age band rates the calculator uses
Basic employee share is a flat $0.16 per $1,000 of coverage biweekly, the same at every age. The government subsidizes one-third of the total cost. 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 65-69: $0.480. Ages 70-74: $0.860. Ages 75-79: $1.800. Ages 80 and older: $2.880.
Option A premium is a flat dollar amount per age band, not per $1,000 of coverage: under 35, $0.20 biweekly. Ages 35-39, $0.20. Ages 40-44, $0.30. Ages 45-49, $0.60. Ages 50-54, $1.00. Ages 55-59, $1.80. Ages 60-64, $6.00. Employees still working at 65 or older keep paying $6.00. For retirees, Option A becomes free at 65 and shrinks 2% a month until $2,500 is left, whatever Basic election they made.
No Reduction: what "same premium" actually means
Retirees who elect No Reduction pay $2.5967 per $1,000 of Basic coverage a month until 65 and $2.25 after, for the rest of their life. Active employees pay $0.16 per $1,000 biweekly, about $0.35 a month. The tradeoff: coverage stays at 100% of the original Basic amount. With $90,000 in Basic coverage, that's $233.70 a month before 65 and $202.50 a month ($2,430 a year) after, for as long as you live.
By contrast, the 75% Reduction costs $0.3467 per $1,000 a month until 65 and nothing after; starting at 65 coverage drops 2% per month for 37.5 months until it reaches 25% of the original amount. The 50% Reduction charges $1.0967 per $1,000 a month until 65 and $0.75 after, for life, while coverage drops 1% a month until it locks at 50%. 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 the cheaper alternatives.
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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 government pays one-third of the total Basic premium cost. The employee share is a flat $0.16 per $1,000 of coverage biweekly, regardless of age.
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. Past 65, rates keep climbing: $0.480 at 65-69, $0.860 at 70-74, $1.800 at 75-79, and $2.880 at 80 and older. 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?
Annuitant rates are monthly per $1,000. The 75% Reduction costs $0.3467 until 65, then nothing, and coverage drops to 25% of the original. The 50% Reduction costs $1.0967 until 65 and $0.75 after, for life, with coverage falling to 50%. No Reduction costs $2.5967 until 65 and $2.25 after, for life, with full coverage. Most retirees choose 75% Reduction because it's the only one that becomes free.
Do I need five years of FEGLI enrollment to keep it 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 instead?
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.