§ 842.602 Definitions.

In this subpart—

Current spouse

means a living person who is married to the employee, Member, or retiree at the time of the employee's, Member's, or retiree's death.

Current spouse annuity

means a recurring benefit under FERS that is payable (after the employee's, Member's or retiree's death) to a current spouse who meets the requirements of § 843.303 of this chapter.

Deposit

means a deposit required to provide a survivor benefit.

Deposit,

as used in this subpart, does not include a service credit deposit or redeposit.

FERS

means chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code.

First regular monthly payment

means the first annuity check payable on a recurring basis (other than an estimated payment or an adjustment check) after OPM has initially adjudicated the regular rate of annuity payable under FERS and has paid the annuity accrued since the time of retirement. The

first regular monthly payment

is generally preceded by estimated payments before the claim can be adjudicated and by an adjustment check (including the difference between the estimated rate and the initially adjudicated rate).

Former spouse

means a living person who was married for at least 9 months to an employee, Member, or retiree who performed at least 18 months of creditable service under FERS. The “former spouse's” marriage to the employee must have been terminated prior to the death of the employee, Member, or retiree.

Former spouse annuity

means a recurring benefit under FERS that is payable to a former spouse after the employee's, Member's, or retiree's death.

Fully reduced annuity

means the recurring payments under FERS received by a retiree who has elected the maximum reduction in his or her annuity to provide a current spouse annuity and/or a former spouse annuity or annuities.

Insurable interest rate

means the recurring payments under FERS to a retiree who has elected a reduction in annuity to provide a survivor annuity to a person with an insurable interest in the retiree.

Marriage

has the same meaning as in § 843.102 of this chapter

has elected the maximum reduction in his or her annuity to provide a current spouse annuity and/or a former spouse annuity or annuities.

Insurable interest rate

means the recurring payments under FERS to a retiree who has elected a reduction in annuity to provide a survivor annuity to a person with an insurable interest in the retiree.

Marriage

has the same meaning as in § 843.102 of this chapter.

Member

means a Member of Congress.

Net annuity

means the net annuity as defined in § 838.103 of this chapter.

One-half reduced annuity

means the recurring payments under FERS received by a retiree who has elected one-half of the full reduction in his or her annuity to provide a partial current spouse annuity or a partial former spouse annuity or annuities.

Present value factor

means the amount of money (earning interest at an assumed rate) required at the time of annuity commencement to fund an annuity that starts at the rate of $1 a month and is payable in monthly installments for the annuitant's lifetime based on mortality rates for annuitants paid from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund; and increases each year at an assumed rate of cost-of-living adjustment. Assumed rates of interest, mortality, and cost-of-living adjustments used in computing the present value are those used by the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement System for valuation of the Federal Employees' Retirement System based on dynamic assumptions. The present value factors are unisex factors obtained as a composite of sex-distinct present value factors. Separate present value factors apply for FERS annuities that receive cost-of-living adjustments before the retiree attains age 62, versus FERS annuities that do not receive cost-of-living adjustments before the retiree attains age 62.

Qualifying court order

means a court order that awards a former spouse annuity and that satisfies the requirements of section 8445 of title 5, United States Code, for awarding a former spouse annuity

ly for FERS annuities that receive cost-of-living adjustments before the retiree attains age 62, versus FERS annuities that do not receive cost-of-living adjustments before the retiree attains age 62.

Qualifying court order

means a court order that awards a former spouse annuity and that satisfies the requirements of section 8445 of title 5, United States Code, for awarding a former spouse annuity.

Retiree

means a former employee or Member who is receiving recurring payments under FERS based on service by the employee or Member. “Retiree,” as used in this subpart, does not include a current spouse, former spouse, child, or person with an insurable interest receiving a survivor annuity.

Self-only annuity

means the recurring unreduced payments under FERS to a retiree with no survivor annuity payable to anyone.

Time of retirement

means the effective commencing date for retired employee's or Member's annuity. An employee or Member is unmarried at the time of retirement for all purposes under this subpart only if the employee or Member was unmarried on the date that the annuity begins to accrue.

[52 FR 2061, Jan. 16, 1987, as amended at 56 FR 65419, Dec. 17, 1991; 57 FR 33598, July 29, 1992; 57 FR 54678, Nov. 20, 1992; 58 FR 52883, Oct. 13, 1993; 82 FR 49281, Oct. 25, 2017]