The Civil Service Retirement Act, which became effective on August 1, 1920, established a retirement system for certain Federal employees. It was replaced by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) for Federal employees who first entered covered service on and after January 1, 1987.

Is FERS better than CSRS?

A FERS employee has a smaller pension, one not intended to fully fund his retirement on its own. ... FERS workers typically retire with double the savings that CSRS workers accumulate, although CSRS employees do have superior pension benefits.

Who gets CSRS retirement?

To be eligible, you must have at least five years of creditable civilian service and be age 62. Special Optional: You must retire under special provisions for air traffic controllers or law enforcement and firefighter personnel.