Stay informed with the latest federal employee retirement news, including updates on FERS and CSRS, retirement eligibility rules, OPM retirement processing, and TSP performance as it relates to long‑term retirement planning. This category covers annual COLA updates, TSP news, survivor benefits, military service credit, retirement application guidance, and major OPM policy changes or federal legislation that could affect federal retirement benefits. Find clear, timely information to help current and former federal employees navigate retirement planning, benefit calculations, and post‑retirement considerations.
Would you like to get a 32% higher Social Security benefit? How about being able to collect ½ of your spouse’s Social Security benefit while you are still working; with no earnings test? The author explains a technique called “restricting your benefits” that can work for many FERS or CSRS employees to boost Social Security benefits.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office warns of a wave of new retirements, saying that as much as one third of federal employees will be able to eligible to retire by September 2017. The report also notes that federal spending on total government-wide compensation has increased 10% over 8 years.
When you leave federal service and have a Thrift Savings Plan account, should you withdraw your money or leave it in the TSP? Here are several considerations before you make this decision.
This is a basic guide to help federal employees understand some of the key points of the FERS system.
One thing that is not included in the FEHB plans is long term care insurance. The author offers considerations when exploring available options for covering a long term care event/illness as well as coverage options available to you.
You finally got your wish and are being offered a financial incentive to retire early! Before you take it and run, you should logically think it through to determine if it makes sense looking at the Big Picture.
The Office of Personnel Management ended 2013 with an outstanding backlog of 12,637 retirement applications. Although this figure is high, it is 52% lower than last December, but the agency is predicting a sharp increase in the number of new applications in January.
The concept of a “best” day to retire is more often than not related to financial considerations, specifically maximizing your lump-sum annual leave payment. The author offers some details on how to best make this decision.
What were the most popular articles on FedSmith.com in 2013? The end of the pay freeze, vacation discounts for federal employees, and the government shutdown are some of the topics that topped the list.
The author says that the more time that goes by, the worse off financially the Social Security program becomes. He argues that politicians need to work on a fix before it’s too late.
