Q&A from FedSmith authors addressing readers’ questions. We share them here to help you with your federal career or retirement planning.
My TSP has the same contribution mix: 85% risk and 15% safe funds. What would you estimate are the average earnings for the TSP, and what would be the average earnings of a TSP account with mostly high risk funds?
I keep trying to time the market with my TSP investments, only to end up buying high and selling low. How should I allocate my money into selected funds with the idea of leaving it there to ride out the highs and lows?
I’m a FWS supervisor. Management recently announced that each supervisor now will work only 4 out of ten holidays each year, and will be excused from work on the six holidays they are not scheduled to work. In the past, we get paid if we work or not, and, as a result, were paid holiday premium pay for the time worked on each holiday. Do we have rights in this situation?
If I work in Shawnee County KS, which is just outside Kansas City, and will be covered by the new GS Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City MO/KS locality pay area, will my WG-5 wage automatically increase to the same level as that paid to WG-5 employees whose duty station is Kansas City?
I’ve heard that the recent tax and spending legislation expanded identity theft protection to federal employees who were affected by the OPM data breach. Is this true?
A co-worker recently told me that I could contribute to both an IRA and the TSP. Is this true?
I’ve heard that 2016 will have 27 pay periods. Is that true? If it is true, how will it affect my TSP contributions?
Do I take a full survivor benefit for my wife which I estimate will be $226.00 that is deducted from my monthly retirement, or do I take some kind of guaranteed life insurance that would guarantee her an income should I pass before her?
I have contacted some HR folks and have gotten different answers as to how “net annuity” is calculated for what I and my ex have to respectively pay each other when we retire. Are you able to give an authoritative answer that is based on some OPM reference that makes determining net annuity crystal clear?
My wife and I have looked throughout our home town and can’t find even one financial advisor that specializes in working with federal employees. At the same time, I’m uncomfortable working with an advisor in another area of the country. What should we do?
