Author: Bob Braunstein, Federal Benefits Specialist
If you are planning to retire soon, it will be important to become familiar with the Office of Personnel Management’s Online Retirement Application (ORA). ORA represents a major shift in how Federal employees initiate and complete their retirement process. Designed to replace the traditional paper-based retirement application, ORA offers a secure digital platform to which those nearing retirement can log in, review personalized retirement estimates, and begin the application process. More specifically:
- The system walks users through the retirement application itself, Continuation of Life Insurance Coverage form, how to document completion of military service buy-back, and similar required information, and allows them to directly upload this documentation to ORA.
- Built-in validation checks ensure that forms and supporting documentation are complete, reducing the risk of delays and returned applications.
- ORA gives employees privacy and control as they begin the retirement process on the platform.
- Upon formal submission, HR offices verify service history, certify creditable service and confirm eligibility for immediate retirement, and validate the employees’ eligibility to continue insurance benefits after leaving Federal service.
Upon receipt of completed retirement applications, OPM sends immediate acknowledgments to retirees via email confirming receipt and providing access to OPM’s Retirement Services Online portal. The portal allows them to monitor the status of their application through final adjudication without having to contact an OPM representative for updates.
OPM’s Retirement Services division has reported that, “The Online Retirement Application (ORA) is transforming the Federal retirement experience by improving the speed, accuracy, and transparency of the retirement process.” Through pre-filled applications using agency data, real-time annuity estimates, and readiness checks, applications in ORA are complete and accurate before being transmitted for adjudication which is streamlining the retirement experience for all parties.
For a tutorial on the ORA, please see: OPM ORA Help · OPM Online Retirement Application
For more information on the ORA platform, please visit:
ORA – Online Retirement Application
Online Retirement Application (ORA)
Getting started with OPM Retirement Services Online
Bob Braunstein is a retired Federal employee who was last employed as a Senior Human Resources Consultant with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) at the Department of the Treasury. During his Federal career, he served in a full range of HR positions spanning recruitment, staffing, employee relations, retirement and benefits, and position classification/management disciplines. He is a retirement and benefits instructor for NITP.
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