Constructing a Retirement Income Plan
The author outlines some of the most crucial sources of retirement income for federal employees.
Social Security
Stay informed on Social Security updates that affect federal employees and retirees, especially those covered under FERS. Explore news and analysis on Social Security COLAs, benefit calculations, earnings limits, claiming strategies, and policy changes that influence retirement income. Find clear explanations of how Social Security integrates with FERS benefits, the FERS supplement, and long‑term financial planning. Keep up with legislative developments, inflation trends, and key rules that shape Social Security benefits for federal retirees.
2017 Federal Pay Raise and COLA Update
What is the status of a 2017 raise for federal employees, next year’s COLA increase, proposed locality pay changes and military pay? Here is an update.
The 80% Rule: How to Achieve Your Desired Retirement Lifestyle
How do you determine how much money you will need in retirement? A lot depends on the retirement lifestyle that you desire. The author discusses the “80% rule” and how it applies to giving you the lifestyle you desire to have in retirement.
10 Critical Coordinates for Navigating FERS Retirement (Part 3)
Are you taking full advantage of the benefits available to you as a federal employee under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)? In his final article in this three part series, the author discusses actions federal employees in the FERS system should take to best utilize the benefits available to them to prepare for a successful retirement.
Bleak Outlook for 2017 COLA
The outlook for federal retirees and Social Security recipients for an increase in income in 2017 is bleak. For the average Social Security recipient, next year’s COLA increase is unlikely to be over $5.00 per month.
Federal Retirees Need To Tighten Belts While Current Employees Expect To See Pay Increases
A series of actions are leading probable declines in the take home pay of federal retirees in 2017. Current federal employees, however, are on pace to see their largest pay increase since 2010.
House Postpones Consideration of WEP Reform Bill
The House Ways and Means Committee has not advanced a bill that would have reformed the Windfall Elimination Provision as it applies to Social Security benefits of federal employees.
CSRS Offset and Social Security: How Will Your Annuity Be Calculated?
Federal employees covered under CSRS Offset have special considerations when it comes to collecting Social Security in retirement. The author describes how this works and provides some real life examples based on a hypothetical scenario.
The Current State of the Social Security Trust Funds
The Social Security Board of Trustees has released its latest report on the health of Social Security. The report says that the trust funds should enable paying scheduled benefits until 2034, but the author notes it doesn’t actually say the trust fund will last until then.
Social Security Report Predicts a 0.2% COLA in 2017
The latest annual report from the Social Security Board of Trustees estimates that there may be a 0.2% COLA for retirees in 2017.
