Get matched with a Federal Retirement Consultant in California

Getting matched in California

California taxes a FERS annuity as ordinary income.

That matters because the federal rules are identical in every state, but the take-home is not. A retirement date, a survivor election or a TSP withdrawal plan that is right in one state can land differently in another once state tax is counted. A consultant who serves California reads your plan with that in view.

How California taxes a federal retirement

California has no retirement specific exclusion for pension or annuity income, so your FERS basic annuity is taxed at graduated rates on the same amount that is taxable on your federal return. California cannot tax nonresidents on retirement income sourced to the state, so this exposure applies only while you are a California resident.

Traditional TSP withdrawals are fully taxable to California residents on the same basis as your federal return, with no state exclusion, credit or age based break.

California does not tax Social Security benefits at all, and the federally taxable amount is backed out as a California adjustment.

Tax year 2026 rates; exclusions as published for current returns. Confirm with the California revenue department or a tax professional.

Where California federal employees work

California has about 151,000 federal civilian employees, with large concentrations at Naval Base San Diego, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Travis Air Force Base, Edwards Air Force Base and NASA Ames Research Center. Wherever you work, the retirement rules are the same federal rules. What changes with your address is the tax picture above and which consultants are licensed to work with you.

How matching works in California

1. Step 1

   Tell us where you are

   Pick a time below and share your city, state and the decision you are weighing. Nothing is filed and you can stop at any step.

2. Step 2

   We match you with an FRC who serves California

   FFEBA, the organization behind the FRC designation, refers you to a Federal Retirement Consultant in its network who works with federal employees in your state. Look them up by name before the call.

3. Step 3

   A free review, by phone

   The consultant reads your situation against the federal rules and your goals, in plain terms. If your plan already fits, you will hear that.

What the review covers

The consultant walks the same ground for every federal employee, in plain terms and against your own goals:

• Your retirement date. Eligibility, the FERS Supplement, COLA timing, and how the date shapes your first years of income.
• The survivor election. What it costs, what it protects, and how it affects FEHB for a spouse.
• FEHB and Medicare. The five-year rule, and how your plan coordinates with Medicare later.
• FEGLI. Which options you carry into retirement, and where coverage stops earning its cost.
• The TSP. How it is invested today and how you will turn it into income once the paychecks stop.

California cities

City pages for the largest federal workforces in California, with the installations and agencies where people work: Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco. Not near one of these? The booking form above works for anyone in California.

This page is education, not tax, legal or investment advice. State rules change; confirm the California figures with the state revenue department or a tax professional before you file anything.