Finance calculators

FEGLI Calculator

Updated Sep 15, 2026 By Infinity Calculator
Rate Formulas

Calculator Mode

Active Employee mode shows your current FEGLI coverage and payroll withholdings.

Employee Information

Used only to personalize the summary heading below.
Enter your annual basic pay as shown on your SF-50 — do not include locality pay, overtime, or bonuses.
Your age determines which OPM premium rate band applies.
Both figures are shown; this sets the highlighted one.
USPS Employee? (click to expand)
Only check this if you are currently an active USPS career employee. USPS pays the employee share of Basic premiums; optional coverage premiums still apply.

Coverage Elections

Coverage: $85,000
Basic Insurance Amount = annual basic pay rounded up to the next $1,000, plus $2,000 (minimum $10,000).
Coverage: $10,000
Fixed $10,000 of additional coverage on your own life.
5× = $415,000
Each multiple equals your annual basic pay rounded up to the next $1,000.
2× = $10,000 spouse / $5,000 per child
Each multiple covers $5,000 on your spouse and $2,500 on each eligible child.
FEGLI Coverage Summary
Total Coverage On You
$0
Basic + Extra + A + B
Biweekly Premium
$0.00
26 pay periods
Monthly Premium
$0.00
12 withholdings
Annual Cost
$0.00
Based on pay frequency
Coverage Type Coverage Amount Biweekly Premium Monthly Premium Cost per $1,000 (Biweekly)
Step-by-Step Solution
Coverage Timeline
Premium Breakdown
View OPM Premium Rate Tables

Introduction

The FEGLI Calculator shows you what your federal life insurance really covers and what it costs. FEGLI stands for Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance. It is the life insurance plan for federal workers and retirees.

Type in your annual basic pay, your age, and how you get paid. Then pick your coverage: Basic, Option A, Option B, and Option C. From there the calculator works out your Basic Insurance Amount, adds your free Extra Benefit if you qualify, and uses the OPM rate tables to find your premium for each pay period, each month, and each year.

Planning to retire? Switch to Retirement Planning mode. Choose your Basic reduction (75%, 50%, or none) and split your Option B and Option C multiples. You will see how much coverage you keep at retirement, at age 65, and after all reductions finish. You will also see what comes out of your annuity check each month.

Every result comes with a step-by-step breakdown, so you can see the math, not just the answer. Charts show how your coverage changes as you age and where your premium dollars go. USPS workers can check one box, since USPS pays the employee share of Basic.

Use this tool before open season to compare your choices and avoid paying for coverage you do not need. Rates come from OPM published tables. Always check OPM.gov for the newest rates before you make a final decision.

How to Use Our FEGLI Calculator

Enter your pay, age, and FEGLI coverage choices. The calculator shows your total life insurance coverage, your biweekly and monthly premiums, your yearly cost, and how your coverage changes after you retire.

Calculator Mode: Pick "Active Employee" to see what you pay now. Pick "Retirement Planning" to see your FEGLI coverage and cost after you retire.

Your Name: Type your name if you want it on the summary. You can leave this blank.

Annual Basic Pay: Enter the yearly basic pay listed on your SF-50. Do not add locality pay, overtime, or bonuses. This sets your Basic Insurance Amount.

Your Current Age: Enter your age today. OPM sets optional insurance rates by age band, so this changes your premium.

How Are You Paid: Choose biweekly (26 pay periods) or monthly (12 pay periods). This picks which yearly total the calculator highlights.

USPS Employee: Check this box only if you work for USPS right now. USPS pays your Basic life employee share, so that cost drops off your total.

Basic Life Insurance: Check this box if you have FEGLI Basic. Your coverage equals your pay rounded up to the next $1,000, plus $2,000.

Option A (Standard): Check this box if you have Option A. It adds a flat $10,000 of coverage on your life.

Option B (Additional): Choose 0 to 5 multiples. Each multiple equals your yearly basic pay rounded up to the next $1,000.

Option C (Family): Choose 0 to 5 multiples. Each multiple pays $5,000 for your spouse and $2,500 for each eligible child.

Planned Retirement Age: In Retirement Planning mode, enter the age you plan to retire. Coverage reductions start at age 65 or at retirement, whichever comes later.

Basic Life Reduction Election: Pick 75% reduction (free after age 65), 50% reduction, or no reduction. This sets how much Basic coverage you keep and what you pay in retirement.

Option B Reduction Split: Split your Option B multiples between full reduction and no reduction. Full-reduction multiples drop to $0. No-reduction multiples cost you age-band rates for life.

Option C Reduction Split: Split your Option C multiples the same way. Full-reduction multiples end at $0, and no-reduction multiples keep paying age-band rates.

Calculate, Reset, and Print: Click Calculate to see your results, charts, and step-by-step math. Click Reset to start over, or Print Summary to save a copy.

What Is FEGLI?

FEGLI stands for the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program. It is the life insurance plan for most federal workers and retirees, and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) runs it. It is term life insurance, so it has no cash value and builds no savings. Most new federal employees get Basic coverage right away unless they turn it down.

The Four Parts of FEGLI

  • Basic Life: Your Basic Insurance Amount (BIA) is your yearly basic pay rounded up to the next $1,000, plus $2,000. The smallest BIA is $10,000. You pay about two-thirds of the cost and your agency pays the rest.
  • Option A (Standard): A flat $10,000 of extra coverage on your own life.
  • Option B (Additional): One to five times your yearly basic pay, rounded up to the next $1,000. This is where most people get large coverage amounts.
  • Option C (Family): Covers your spouse and children. Each multiple pays $5,000 for a spouse and $2,500 for each eligible child. You can pick one to five multiples.

You must have Basic coverage to buy any of the options. Options A, B, and C are paid fully by you.

The Free Extra Benefit

If you are under age 45, your Basic coverage is worth more than your BIA, and it costs you nothing extra. At age 35 and younger, the Extra Benefit doubles your Basic coverage. Starting at age 36, it drops by 10% of your BIA each birthday until it reaches zero at age 45.

How FEGLI Premiums Work

Basic Life costs the same rate at every age. Options A, B, and C use age bands. Each time you enter a new band, such as turning 40, 50, or 60, your cost goes up. The jumps get very large after age 50, so Option B can become expensive later in life. OPM sets the rates, and they are the same for everyone in a band, whether you are healthy or not. There is no medical exam for basic enrollment.

Active Postal Service employees are a special case. USPS pays the employee share of Basic premiums for career postal workers, so they only pay for the options they choose.

FEGLI in Retirement

You can keep FEGLI into retirement if you are eligible for an immediate annuity and were covered for the five years right before you retire. Premiums then come out of your monthly annuity instead of your paycheck.

At age 65, or at retirement if that comes later, your coverage starts to shrink based on the choice you make:

  • 75% Reduction: Basic drops 2% each month until it reaches 25% of your BIA. It becomes free after age 65.
  • 50% Reduction: Basic drops 1% each month until it reaches 50% of your BIA. You keep paying $0.75 per month for each $1,000 of your BIA.
  • No Reduction: Basic stays at 100% of your BIA for life, but you pay $2.25 per month for each $1,000 of BIA.

Option A always drops to $2,500. For Options B and C, you pick full reduction or no reduction for each multiple. Full-reduction multiples fall 2% a month for 50 months until they reach zero, and they become free. No-reduction multiples stay at full value, but you keep paying the age-band rate for life, and those rates keep climbing.

When You Can Change Your Coverage

You can drop or lower FEGLI coverage at any time. Adding or raising coverage is harder. You normally need a qualifying life event, such as marriage, divorce, or a new baby, or you must pass a medical check. OPM open seasons for FEGLI are rare and happen only every several years. Because of this, it pays to review your coverage before a birthday moves you into a higher rate band.

Formulas used

Basic Insurance Amount (BIA)
\text{BIA} = \max\left(10{,}000,\; \left\lceil \frac{\text{Annual Basic Pay}}{1000} \right\rceil \times 1000 + 2{,}000\right)
Free Extra Benefit (age-based percentage of BIA)
\text{Extra} = \text{BIA} \times \begin{cases} 100\% & \text{age} \le 35 \\ (45 - \text{age}) \times 10\% & 36 \le \text{age} \le 44 \\ 0\% & \text{age} \ge 45 \end{cases}
Basic Life premium (per $1,000 of BIA)
P_{\text{Basic}} = \frac{\text{BIA}}{1000} \times r_{\text{Basic}}, \quad r_{\text{Basic}} = 0.16\ \text{biweekly},\; 0.3467\ \text{monthly}
Option B coverage and premium
C_B = m_B \times \left\lceil \frac{\text{Pay}}{1000} \right\rceil \times 1000, \qquad P_B = \frac{C_B}{1000} \times r_B(\text{age band})
Option C coverage and premium
C_C = m_C \times (5{,}000\ \text{spouse} + 2{,}500\ \text{per child}), \qquad P_C = m_C \times r_C(\text{age band})
Total coverage, total premium, and annual cost
\text{Coverage} = \text{BIA} + \text{Extra} + C_A + C_B, \qquad P_{\text{total}} = P_{\text{Basic}} + P_A + P_B + P_C, \qquad \text{Annual} = \begin{cases} P_{\text{bw}} \times 26 \\ P_{\text{mo}} \times 12 \end{cases}
Cost per $1,000 of coverage
\text{Cost per \$1{,}000} = \frac{P_{\text{total}}}{\text{Coverage} / 1000}
Post-retirement coverage reduction (m = months after age max(65, retirement age))
\begin{aligned} C_{\text{Basic}}(m) &= \text{BIA} \times \begin{cases} \max(0.25,\; 1 - 0.02m) & 75\% \text{ reduction} \\ \max(0.50,\; 1 - 0.01m) & 50\% \text{ reduction} \\ 1 & \text{no reduction} \end{cases} \\ C_A(m) &= \max(2{,}500,\; 10{,}000(1 - 0.02m)) \\ C_B(m) &= n_{\text{none}} u + n_{\text{full}} u \cdot \max(0,\; 1 - 0.02m) \end{aligned}

Frequently asked questions

Is FEGLI worth it compared to private term life insurance?

It depends on your age. FEGLI rates are low when you are young, but they jump every five years and get very high after age 50. A healthy person in their 40s or 50s can often buy private level term life insurance for less than FEGLI Option B costs at older ages.

FEGLI still wins in two cases:

  • You have health problems and cannot pass a private insurance medical exam.
  • You only need Basic coverage, since your agency pays one-third of that cost.

Compare the cost per $1,000 of coverage before you decide.

How much does FEGLI Basic life insurance cost per pay period?

The employee share of Basic is $0.16 biweekly for each $1,000 of coverage, or about $0.3467 per month. This rate is the same at every age.

Example: if your Basic Insurance Amount is $85,000, you pay 85 × $0.16 = $13.60 every pay period. Your agency pays one-third more on top of that.

Does FEGLI pay double for accidental death?

Yes, but only while you are still working. Basic and Option A both include Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage for active employees. If you die in an accident, your family gets an extra payment equal to your Basic amount, plus another $10,000 if you have Option A.

AD&D also pays partial amounts for losing a hand, foot, or eyesight in an accident. AD&D stops when you retire.

Is a FEGLI death benefit taxable?

No. Your beneficiary does not pay federal income tax on the FEGLI payout. Life insurance death benefits are income-tax-free.

Two things to watch:

  • The money can count toward your estate for estate tax if your estate is large.
  • Any interest paid while the claim is processed is taxable.

Why does FEGLI show up as taxable income on my pay stub?

The IRS treats employer-paid life insurance over $50,000 as a small taxable benefit. This is called imputed income.

Since your agency pays part of your Basic premium, the value of Basic coverage above $50,000 is added to your taxable wages. The amount is set by an IRS age-based table and grows as you get older. Options A, B, and C never cause imputed income because you pay the full cost yourself.

Who gets my FEGLI money if I never named a beneficiary?

OPM follows a set order of precedence:

  1. Your widow or widower
  2. Your children in equal shares (a dead child's share goes to their children)
  3. Your parents
  4. The executor of your estate
  5. Your next of kin under your state's law

A court order or will does not change this order. Only a signed Form SF-2823 on file with your agency or OPM does.

What happens to my FEGLI if I quit federal service before retiring?

Your coverage keeps working free for 31 days after you separate. During that window you can convert FEGLI to an individual whole life policy with a private company. No medical exam is needed.

You must apply within 31 days of getting the notice of your rights. Conversion policies cost much more than FEGLI, so compare them with regular term life first.

Does my FEGLI coverage go up when I get a raise?

Yes, automatically. Your Basic Insurance Amount is your annual basic pay rounded up to the next $1,000, plus $2,000. When your pay goes up, your coverage and premium go up with it.

Option B multiples also grow, since each multiple equals your rounded basic pay. Option A stays at $10,000 and Option C stays at $5,000 per spouse multiple no matter what you earn.

Which children are covered by FEGLI Option C?

Option C covers your unmarried dependent children under age 22. This includes natural children, adopted children, stepchildren, and foster children who live with you in a parent-child relationship.

A child age 22 or older can stay covered only if they cannot support themselves because of a disability that began before age 22. Coverage on a child ends automatically when they marry or turn 22.

What happens to FEGLI Option C after a divorce?

Your ex-spouse stops being covered on the day the divorce becomes final. Nothing is paid if they die after that date, even if you keep paying premiums.

Your eligible children stay covered. If you have no eligible family members left, you should cancel Option C so you stop paying for coverage that pays nothing.

Can I add or increase FEGLI coverage after I retire?

No. Once you retire, you can only keep, reduce, or cancel coverage. Retirees can never add Option A, Option B, Option C, or extra multiples.

That is why the choices you make in your last five working years matter so much. You also must have been covered for the five years right before retirement to carry FEGLI into retirement at all.

What is the FEGLI Living Benefit?

If a doctor says you have nine months or less to live, you can claim your Basic life insurance while you are still alive and use the money for anything.

Employees may take the full amount or part of it. Retirees may only take the full amount. Once you take it, your Basic coverage ends and your family gets nothing later. Options A, B, and C are not eligible for this benefit.

What happens to FEGLI when I am on leave without pay?

Your FEGLI keeps going for up to 12 months in nonpay status, and you owe nothing during that time. The coverage is free while you are off.

After 12 months, coverage stops. It starts again automatically when you go back to pay status, with no medical exam and no new paperwork.

Does FEGLI pay if the death is a suicide?

Yes. FEGLI has no suicide clause and no waiting period for it. Basic, Option A, Option B, and Option C all pay their normal death benefit.

The one exception is the extra AD&D payment, which only covers accidental deaths.

Should I buy Option A if I already have Option B?

Usually not, unless you want the small extra AD&D benefit. Option A gives a flat $10,000 and its price climbs to $6.00 per pay period once you hit age 60 and never drops.

Option B gives far more coverage per dollar at younger ages, and you can buy it in multiples of your pay. If you only need a modest amount, one Option B multiple is normally a better buy than Option A.

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