Should You Take a Survivor Annuity for Your Spouse? Federal retirement seminar attendees often ask about the CSRS or FERS survivor annuity at time of the employee's retirement: "Should I take any annuity for my spouse? Can I take a partial benefit? How much does it cost? Are there alternatives?" Here are some considerations for those inquiries . . . more Democrats Oppose Additional Cuts to Federal Pay and Benefits 17 members of Congress call on conference committee to oppose salary or retirement security cuts, citing previous sacrifices . . . more Increasing Number of Agencies May Offer Early Retirements and Buyout Incentives in 2012 With pressure to reduce their payrolls given the current federal budget-cutting environment in Congress, during 2012 an increasing number of federal agencies may have Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) and offer Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments (VSIP) to eligible employees. Federal benefits expert, Ed Zurndorfer, discusses VERA and VSIP, including which employees are eligible for them, the effect on CSRS and FERS annuities and health and life insurance benefits, and post-retirement employment issues -- including non-federal and federal employment . . . more House Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Reforming Pensions for Congress and Federal Employees The hearing will explore options in reforming the entire federal pension system, Congress included, "to bring it more in line with the private sector workforce" . . . more List of Federal Agency Early Retirement Offers and Incentives The roster of federal agencies offering retirement buyouts or early outs continues to grow, and here's a place to track them . . . more Retiring Federal Employees Need to Understand the Social Security "Earnings Test" and Its Effect on Benefits Since many federal employees are expected to retire over the next few years and will also be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits, federal benefits expert, Ed Zurndorfer, provides helpful insight to the "earnings test" as it applies to Social Security retirement benefits . . . more More federal retirement articles

2012 Federal Leave Chart / Record / Calendar Keep track of your 2012 leave with this handy calendar -- downloadable in PDF, Excel spreadsheet, and a new app for mobile devices . . . more 2012 Federal Holidays Federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103) establishes these public holidays for federal employees in 2012. . . . more 2012 Checkbook Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees and Annuitants The guide tells you how much money you can save by changing -- or by staying in -- your health insurance plan. It summarizes thousands of facts about the plans to simplify your choice. Some agencies have arranged for free access to the guide their employees. . . . more 2011 FEHB Open Season Dates Announced During the open season, employees can take certain actions for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS), and the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) . . . more More federal retirement resources