President Trump has issued his 2027 alternative pay plan, freezing base and locality pay for most federal employees while law enforcement and military personnel see separate raises. Beyond the flat paycheck, a frozen year can quietly lower your High-3 average if it falls in your final three years of service. Will Congress override the freeze? Here’s what could happen next…
Trump Account Investment Rules: What the New IRS Proposal Means for Families
A Trump account is a new IRA-style savings account for kids, but the money can only go into specific low-cost funds. The IRS has now proposed detailed rules on what qualifies and what it means for your family’s account.
What a New Bipartisan Social Security Plan Could Mean for Federal Retirees
A bipartisan Senate plan would remove the cap on Social Security payroll taxes for high earners. Most federal employees won’t feel the tax change directly — but there’s an important deadline in this development that affects everyone planning to retire in the next decade.
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TSP Week in Review: August 17-21, 2026
Stocks had a rough five days in TSP accounts last week. One core fund took the week’s biggest hit, another barely moved, and Friday brought a bit of a save. Get the full fund-by-fund breakdown
2026 FEHB Open Season: OPM to Require 100% Verification of Family Members Added
OPM has directed agencies to verify 100 percent of Open Season elections that add a family member to FEHB or PSHB coverage, effective this Open Season (Nov 9–Dec 14, 2026). It’s a statutory requirement now, not a recommendation — tracing to the FEHB Protection Act of 2025. Here’s what documents you’ll need (with a downloadable checklist) and what happens if a family member can’t be verified
CRS Report Questions OPM’s Legal Authority to Collect FEHB/PSHB Medical Claims Data
OPM wants detailed medical claims data on FEHB and PSHB enrollees. A new Congressional Research Service report says the agency’s legal authority to do it is far from settled — and lays out how a court could decide.
The FERS Supplement Earnings Test: How Much You Can Earn Before Losing It
Most federal employees know the FERS Retirement Supplement ends at 62. Fewer know it can shrink years earlier — the moment post-retirement work pushes you past the 2026 earnings limit of $24,480. We break down three real income scenarios, what counts as “earned income” (and what doesn’t), and why a 12-18 month lag means a high-earning year can quietly cost you later.
FERS Refunds: Eligibility Rules, Taxes, and What a Redeposit Costs
If you separate from federal service before you’re eligible for an immediate annuity, you can request a lump-sum refund of your FERS retirement contributions — but doing so wipes out your future annuity rights unless you later return and make a full redeposit. Ed Zurndorfer walks through the eligibility rules, the application process (including where to send Form SF 3106), and the tax treatment of contributions versus interest. He also works through a real example: an employee who took a refund, returned to federal service, and had to weigh a $37,500 redeposit against a $15,500 annual boost to her starting annuity.
TSP Week in Review: August 10-14, 2026
The TSP’s stock funds had a strong week, with two funds in particular pulling ahead of the pack as cooler-than-expected inflation data fueled another leg of the summer rally. One fund stayed nearly flat, and another dipped slightly as bond yields ticked up.