Letter: OPM is wasting money on automated retirement systems

Regarding “GAO raises red flags on retirement systems modernization”: Sadly, the Retirement Systems Modernization program is failing miserably. The retirement process is too complicated for an off-the-shelf program. In spite of Hewitt Associates’ claims to have produced hundreds of retirement computation programs, none are as complicated as those of U.S. government employees. The very first annuity computed by the system was incorrect.

Don't hold your breath. This is the third time the Office of Personnel Management has tried to move to an automated computer computation. The rollout of a program that can't compute annuities accurately is a political win for OPM Director Linda Springer. The millions wasted on these projects over the years might have been better spent hiring and training competent legal administrative specialists.

Anonymous


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