High-3 Retirement Planner

High-3 Retirement Planner is an online tool for U.S. federal employees that combines FERS pension, TSP balances, Social Security, and tax data to estimate real take-home retirement income. It allows users to compare retirement dates side by side and provides a readiness score to show how close projected income is to a chosen target. The service includes features for 2026 tax planning, TSP optimization, and an AI assistant to guide users through input steps. Access is available through a free account, with a paid Pro tier also offered.

The platform offers a free account to start, with a paid Pro tier available for additional features. Users can begin the process in about 15 minutes if they have their information handy, and the service is saved securely without requiring a credit card to sign up.

The tool is specifically designed for U.S. federal employees who need to plan their retirement using federal benefits. It targets individuals who want to understand their real income potential by integrating FERS, TSP, and Social Security data into a single number.

The AI assistant explains where to find relevant numbers, such as logging into tsp.gov to check the total balance across all funds for TSP optimization. It also highlights sentences on reports and answers questions about specific fields to help users complete the input steps.

Users can compare retirement scenarios side by side to see how different retirement ages affect pension, Social Security, TSP balance, and estimated tax brackets. The tool also includes a readiness gauge that shows the monthly gap needed to close if projected income falls short of a target.

The 2026 tax planning feature incorporates new deductions from the One Big Beautiful Bill, including overtime, tips, auto loan interest, FSA/HSA, IRA deductibility, and the SALT cap. It also calculates federal income tax alongside other withholdings to determine real take-home pay.

The FERS Pension Calculator covers exact eligibility rules, the 1.1% multiplier for those over 62, MRA+10 reductions, special category formulas for LEO/FF/ATC, and the FERS Supplement. It also projects TSP balance to retirement with compound growth rather than just static snapshots.

The Medicare & FEHB section explains the 5-year rule, Part A/B costs, coverage limits, skilled nursing facility rules, and how to minimize out-of-pocket costs when FEHB and Medicare work together. It also addresses what PBS cannot tell users about interactivity and tax analysis.

The readiness score feature lets users set a target retirement income and see exactly how close they are using a gauge and gap analysis. It also calculates the extra monthly savings required to close any shortfall between projected income and the actual goal.

The tool projects TSP balance to retirement using compound growth and shows every retirement age simultaneously, allowing users to pick specific ages. It also includes a Social Security timing optimizer that compares 62 versus 70 claiming strategies and break-even ages.

The Personal Benefits Statement (PBS) is described as a static snapshot provided once a year by OPM, which lacks interactivity and tax analysis. In contrast, High-3 offers live 'what if' scenarios anytime and shows pension projections at every age simultaneously.

The tool integrates with tsp.gov to retrieve TSP balances and uses an AI assistant to explain fields and guide users through the form. It also provides a step-by-step guide to help users find the numbers they need for accurate projections.

You can reach High-3 Retirement Planner by e-mail at [email protected].

The official website of High-3 Retirement Planner is high-3.com.

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