If the shutdown persists for more than 6 months during an employee's final 3 years of service before retirement, leaving the employee in a nonpay status for that amount of time, it will affect the final amount of retirement pay. (Photo: Shutterstock)

And the hits just keep on coming.

Federal employees who aren't being paid during the government shutdown, whether because they're furloughed or because they're working without pay, will experience not just the immediate challenge of making ends meet without money but also feel the effects down the road in retirement.

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Marlene Satter

Marlene Y. Satter has worked in and written about the financial industry for decades.