Chris Kowalik gives tips on preparing retirement paperwork to keep your earned benefits, avoid delays, and know what to expect more…
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2027 Federal Pay Freeze More Likely
The likelihood of a 2027 pay freeze for civilian federal employees continued after the House Appropriations Committee approved a government spending bill on Wednesday that makes no mention of a pay increase in January more…
OPM Wants Access to Federal Employees’ & Retirees’ Medical Records; Lawmakers Say No
Democratic senators Monday warned the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to withdraw its plan to collect personally identifiable health data from millions of federal employees and retirees — including medical visits, prescriptions, and treatment histories. more…
What Federal Employees Should Know About Healthcare Costs During Retirement
A healthy individual retiring in 2026 will spend an estimated $315,000 – $415,000 on healthcare-related expenditures during their retirement years — not including long-term care. Ed Zurndorfer explains the must-know three drivers of rising medical care expenditures that are contributing to the federal retiree’s challenge of paying for health care related expenses in retirement: inflation, increased Medicare premiums, and long-term care more…
Tips on Updating Beneficiaries to Your Federal Benefits
Outdated beneficiary designations can override your intentions and leave your family with surprises you never meant. Chris Kowalik discusses how federal employees can make sure their benefits go to the right people and avoid costly mistakes. more…
How to Calculate a Retiring Federal Employee’s Starting FERS Gross Annuity
Ed Zurndorfer explains who the Office of Personnel Management makes the calculation of a retiring FERS employee’s starting FERS gross annuity at retirement. more…
Former Federal Employees Navigating Job Market Are Finding It Looks Different
Many former federal employees are navigating the job market for the first time in years, only to find that the rules around hiring and networking have shifted….{from FederalNewsNetwork] more…
Understanding the Strict Roth TSP to Roth IRA Rollover Rules
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…
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…