can the post office take my retirement if I am fired? I have 28 years in.
Any money you contributed is yours no matter your employment status. With 28 years I would imagine you are fully vested, but I am not familiar with the rules of your plan. This is something you need to discuss with your union, assuming you’re in the union.
So, short answer: no, with an if.
My husband is a USPS letter carrier, so I’d ask him, but he’s at work right now. I do know that regardless of your craft (I think that’s the right word), it’s an open shop and unless your craft’s union rep is a jerk, he or she should be able to make sure you’re informed even if you’re not a union member.
As the previous poster said, my guess is that you’re fully vested. On the other hand, you’re working for the Feds, so if you’re fired for something really wild (local or Federal crimes, especially related to handling mail), that may be another matter - this last part is a wild-ass guess, and I have no special knowledge on the subject.
I assume that you are getting yearly statements about your retirement account. It probably will tell you if you are fully vested or not.