TSP Financial Hardship Withdrawals: The "Real" Cost Federal employees are making in-service financial hardship withdrawals from their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) at a greater pace during 2010 compared to previous years. Federal benefits expert, Ed Zurndorfer, discourages federal employees from raiding their TSP accounts for this purpose -- giving insight to the "real" cost and consequences . . . more 2011 Federal Employee Travel Per Diem Rates GSA has released the 2011 federal employee travel per diem rates, which apply to travel from October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011 . . . more How Does the General Schedule (GS) Pay System Work? Raises, Locality Pay and More With recent major coverage in the national media debating if federal employees are overpaid coupled with rising federal deficits that affect decisions by lawmakers, many My Federal Retirement readers have submitted questions about how the General Schedule (GS) pay system works -- with particular concern in regard to the 2011 federal employee pay raise. To answer some of the most frequently asked questions, here's a fact sheet describing the GS pay structure, promotions, annual pay adjustments, and locality pay . . . more Why Roll Over Your TSP to a Personal IRA at Retirement? Certified Financial Planner, L. Ronald Blair, provides 5 practical reasons why federal employees should consider rolling over their Thrift Savings Plan to an IRA when they retire . . . more 8 Ways to Avoid Pitfalls Under the New Rules for Credit Cards Under the new rules governing credit cards (which took effect August 22, 2010), it's possible consumers could face account changes going forward -- such as interest rate increases on future transactions and the imposition of new fees or penalties . . . more 23% Increase in Federal Employees Receiving Student Loan Repayment Benefits in 2009 Twenty-three percent more federal employees in 2009 received repayment benefits on student loans as in the previous year, according to the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) annual report to Congress released last week . . . more More federal retirement articles

TSP Loan Calculator: Should You Borrow from Your TSP? Is a TSP loan a good idea? What will it cost you in the long run? Will it jeopardize your future retirement income? And, if so, by how much? Get pointers plus access two helpful TSP loan calculators to help you make a decision . . . more 50+ Career Guide for Those Considering a Second Career After Federal Service For a variety of reasons, both federal employees nearing retirement and those already retired are often looking for second career opportunities. This guide provides several insightful articles and resources . . . more Which TSP Withdrawal Option is Best? [Video] There are many ways to withdraw your TSP savings, however which one will provide sufficient income throughout your retirement years? Learn how to analyze the the pros and cons of the TSP's monthly withdrawal options . . . more 2010 Federal Tax Withholding Calculator for Federal Employees How much federal income tax should be withheld from your monthly payment? Use this updated online calculator for 2010 from the Office of Personnel Management . . . more Federal Retirement Calculator: CSRS / FERS This highly used software program since 1999 includes more than 80 integrated calculators, a free version for new individual users, and provides a a 50+ page retirement analysis. A professional version of the program is also available to government agencies and financial professionals who want to prepare a comprehensive analysis of federal retirement calculations for their employees or clients . . . more 2010 Federal Leave Chart / Record / Calendar Keep track of your 2010 leave with this handy calendar -- downloadable in both PDF and Excel spreadsheet formats . . . more More federal retirement resources