Federal employees and retirees are forewarned that the tax rules associated with Roth TSP to Roth IRA rollovers are challenging and confusing. One challenging rule involves the five-year holding periods for both the Roth TSP and the Roth IRA.. Ed Zurndorfer explains the rules (with practical examples), and also discusses the pros and cons of these type of rollovers more…
Main Content

House Democrats Demand Answers from OPM on Retirement Delays
The lawmakers warned the delays are due to workforce reduction policies and that the Office of Personnel Management has provided only a partial response — while federal retirees are still experiencing significant delays and communication failures regarding their retirement applications more…

The Barbell: A Strategy for Managing the Thrift Savings Plan in Retirement
A popular free annual publication has been released by well-known CPA and federal retiree, Chris Barfield which explains the TSP investment options and how one might allocate their funds when they are in retirement. It also illustrates the “Thrift Savings barbell strategy” by using a fictional character who retired from federal service — tracking his TSP account in real-time using actual TSP returns. more…

What HR Can’t Tell You About Your Retirement
Chris Kowalik explains the critical role that HR must play in your federal retirement, how little HR may know about you when answering your questions, the long-term effects of ill-informed decisions more…

2027 CSRS / FERS COLA Watch for Federal Retirees
Follow the trend for the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment for those under the Civil Service Retirement System, the Federal Employees Retirement System and Social Security more…
Guides & Helpful Resources

10 Most Common Mistakes to Avoid When Purchasing Life Insurance
Ed Zurndorfer outlines errors individuals often make when purchasing and owning a life insurance policy

2025 Health Insurance Plan Options & Comparison Tools
Get the latest the official information online for the 2024 plan year of the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program. Dental and vision (FEDVIP) details are also available...

Your Federal Health Benefits & Medicare: Helpful Resources from OPM
The Office of Personnel Management offers several resources for federal employees and retirees regarding Medicare and how it works with the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program...

Guide to Federal Retiree COLAs: What Are They and How Are They Calculated?
Understand what the cost-of-living adjustment is, how it is computed, and how it affects CSRS and FERS annuities, survivor annuities, and other federal employee death benefits...

10 Biggest Mistakes Federal Employees Make When Planning for Retirement (and How to Avoid Them)
Learn the 10 biggest federal retirement planning mistakes that many employees make before leaving civil service including CSRS, FERS, Thrift Savings Plan...

Federal Retirement Planning Checklists
Checklists for 5-10 years from retirement, one year away from retirement, and for your first year after retirement...

