Use Services Online to view your monthly annuity statement. This statement shows your current annuity payment, including the gross amount, up to 35 possible deductions or additions, and the net amount.

The online statement reflects changes you made through the previous business day, unless the changes were made after the date for updating the monthly payment. Any changes you made after that date will be reflected in the statement for the next month's payment, when the change would be effective. Please refer to our payment schedule for information on the dates by which changes must be made in each month's payment.

Your statement will also show required payment adjustments we make such as cost-of-living adjustments, health benefit premium changes, Federal income tax withholding table changes, and life insurance premium changes.

The U.S. Department of Treasury has made changes to the Public Law 104-134 affecting payment of federal benefits. These changes require anyone who receives a federal benefit to change to Direct Deposit or a Direct Express debit card. For more information, visit www.GoDirect.org, FAQ's about GoDirect, or call GoDirect at 1-800-333-1795.

Use Services Online to sign up for direct deposit, or to change the account or bank where your payment is sent. You will need your claim number and Personal Identification Number (PIN) to use the self-service website. You will be asked whether your account is a savings or checking account and to provide your account number and the routing number for your financial institution (found next to your account number on the bottom of your check). You should contact your financial institution for assistance in getting the routing number if you are not sure. When you make a change, we will mail you confirmation of the change.

You can also call us or write us to sign up for direct deposit or change your account or bank. If you write, your letter should include your claim number. You can also use this form to sign up for direct deposit. Or, you can submit a Standard Form 1199A, "Direct Deposit Sign Up Form," which is available at your bank.

When you change the account you use for direct deposit, keep the old account open until a payment is posted to the new account. This will prevent having the payment returned if there is a problem with the new account.

We keep a separate mailing address to periodically send you information about your retirement and health and life insurance benefits. You can see the current record of your mailing address on Services Online. Please notify us if this address changes.

(If you do not receive your payments through direct deposit, we ordinarily use the same address for mailings and payments.)

Use Services Online to report the change in your mailing address when you move. If you changed banks because you moved, you should also use Services Online to give us your new account number and the routing number (found next to your account number on the bottom of your check) for your financial institution.

When you change the account you use for direct deposit, keep the old account open until a payment is posted to the new account. This will prevent having the payment returned if there is a problem with the new account.

You can also call us or write us to change your mailing address. If you write, your letter should include your claim number.

If you are enrolled in the health benefits program in a plan that serves a limited geographic area, you will need to change plans if you move out of the service area. See our web page at http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp to view the list of plans from which you can choose and find out how to get brochures for those plans.

Once you have picked your new plan, call us to change your enrollment or if you need more help.

You can voluntarily withhold Federal and State income taxes, checking and savings allotments, or allotments to other participating organizations.

Federal Income Tax: Generally, unless you specify a monthly withholding rate or amount, we withhold Federal income tax as if you are married and claiming three allowances. Use Services Online to start, change, or stop the Federal tax withheld from your annuity payment or specify the dollar amount withheld.

You can also call us or write us to change your withholding amount. If you write, your letter should include your claim number and the monthly amount in dollars you want withheld. If you write, we will send you a Form W-4P-A, "Election of Federal Income Tax Withholding," and instructions for making the change. The change in your withholdings will be made after we receive your Form W-4P-A.

You may change the amount withheld whenever you think it is necessary.

Please note that you may be penalized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) if you do not have at least 90 percent of your yearly tax liability either withheld from your salary or annuity or made via quarterly payments to the IRS.

If you need more information or assistance in determining whether or not you are having the right amount of Federal income tax withheld, see the Internal Revenue Service website at http://www.irs.gov.

State Income Tax: You must specify the dollar amount of State tax you want withheld from your monthly payments. The withholding must be in whole dollars. The minimum amount we can withhold for State income tax is $5. Use Services Online to start, change, or stop the State tax withheld from your annuity payment.

You can also call us or write us to change your withholding amount. If you write, your letter should include your claim number and the monthly amount in dollars you want withheld.

If you do not know the monthly amount you want withheld, contact your State tax office for information or assistance.

Check our list of State tax offices for information about participating States.

If your State does not participate, please contact the State tax office for information or assistance.

Allotments to Organizations: You can start, change, or stop an allotment to participating organizations. Participating organizations include:

• American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE);
• Federal Managers Association (FMA) Political Action Committee;
• Fraternal Order of Retired Border Patrol Officers (Museum);
• National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS) Political Action Committee;
• National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. Political Action Committee;
• National Rural Letter Carriers Association Political Action Committee;
• National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU);
• Northwest Plan Administrators; and
• Treasury Employees Political Action Committee.

If the organization for which you wish to make an allotment is not listed above, you should contact them and ask them to provide us with the banking information needed to forward payments. The organization can contact us by email at finance@opm.gov.

Use Services Online or call our toll-free number to make one-time or recurring membership payments to organizations.

Use Services Online to:

• start, change, or stop Federal and State income tax withholdings;
• request a duplicate tax-filing statement (1099R);
• change your Personal Identification Number (PIN) for accessing our automated systems;
• establish, change, or stop an allotment to an organization;
• change your mailing address;
• start direct deposit of your payment or change the account or financial institution to which your payment is sent;
• establish, change, or stop a checking or savings allotment; and
• view a statement describing your annuity payment.

You can also call our toll-free number 1 (888) 767-6738 , for these and many of your voluntary withholdings. When using our self-service systems, you need your claim number, Personal Identification Number (PIN), and social security number. If you do not have a PIN, call us.

If you do not have a touchtone telephone, you can speak to a Customer Service Specialist.

Generally, in the middle of month, we authorize payments that are due for the first business day of the following month. Therefore, if you want your change to be reflected in your next payment, you should submit your request as early in the month as possible. See our payment schedule for the last date you can change your next monthly payment.

This list shows the possible withholdings from or adjustments to your CSRS or FERS annuity payment. The list provides a description of the withholdings or adjustments and the code that is used for listing them on your annuity adjustment notice.

However, it does not include the enrollment codes for plans under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program. See our web pages at http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp to obtain information about health insurance benefits online.

If you are not receiving social security benefits, you can have Medicare premiums withheld from your annuity payments. We must receive a request for the withholding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We cannot withhold premiums based on your direct request or even one from the Social Security Administration. However, the social security district office may be able to give you additional information.

There are many reasons for changing your health benefits enrollment. If you are changing your coverage because of one of the reasons listed below, we can make the change based on your telephone call. When calling you must have your claim number and social security number, as well as the enrollment number and name for your new plan. Changes we can make by phone include:

• You are changing to self-only coverage from family coverage;
• You are changing plans because you have moved out of the service area of your Health Maintenance Organization (HMO);
• You turned 65 and are changing to a lower cost plan option because you are eligible for Medicare;
• You are changing your enrollment during the annual Health Benefits Open Season, which usually runs from mid-November to early December; or
• You are changing to family coverage because you marry, or have or adopt a child. (This option is not available to survivors.)

You should contact us within the period beginning 31 days before up to 60 days after the date of the event.

You may change the plan in which you are enrolled or from high to low option coverage during the annual Open Season for electing coverage.

If you need assistance with your health benefits enrollment, call 1 (888) 767-6738 , to change your enrollment or if you need to speak with a Customer Service Specialist. Or, see our web pages at http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp to obtain information about health insurance benefits online.

If you are eligible for TRICARE or TRICARE-For-Life benefits, you may suspend your FEHB coverage and premium payments. You are able to reenroll in the FEHB Program during the Open Season, or immediately if you are involuntarily disenrolled from the TRICARE program. Select this link to find answers to frequently asked questions on this topic.

You can reduce your premiums by reducing your coverage. However, if you reduce coverage, you cannot increase it again at a later date.

See our answer to a frequently asked question about coverage after age 65 and our web pages at http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.asp to obtain more information about the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program.

To change your coverage, write us.

The "Making Work Pay" tax credit expired December 31, 2010. As a result, you may see an increase in the amount of Federal income tax being withheld from your monthly annuity payments. The tax withholding tables published by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) were adjusted to provide for the correct withholding amounts without this credit. The tax rates did not change; only the tax withholding tables changed.

For more information concerning the 2011 Federal tax withholding tables go to IRS Notice 1036, TABLE 4-MONTHLY Payroll Period . For other questions on Federal taxes, go to www.irs.gov.

The IRS is responsible for the changes to the Federal income tax withholding tables. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has no control over the Federal income tax withholding tables. OPM used the tables provided by the IRS, which are set in law by the United States Congress.

The withholding changes affect the February 1, 2011 payment and subsequent annuity payments.

The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act was passed by the United States Congress on December 16, 2010 and signed into law on December 17, 2010. As a result, the IRS published the tax withholding tables later than usual for 2011. OPM applied the tax tables as quickly as possible but there was not enough time to apply these tables to the January 3, 2011 annuity payments.

You may change your Federal income tax withholding by accessing www.servicesonline.opm.gov using your OPM-provided password, or by calling OPM at 1-800-307-8298 from 7:30am to 8:00pm EST and requesting the change be made by one of our Call Center Agents.

OPM provides a federal tax calculator on our website, that may assist you in determining the amount of Federal income tax to withhold. Please be advised that changing the amount of your Federal income tax withholding will not reduce your tax liability at the end of the tax year.

For more information regarding Federal income taxes, visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov or call the IRS on 1-800-829-1040.