Your Federal Life

Federal employees, and to some extent all public servants, are wondering precisely what the next few days an months will bring. Lots of questions of a practical nature, like when will new Social Security benefits flow under repeal of old limitations. And, what happens Monday when Donald Trump re-enters the oval office. I got some informed speculation from the staff vice president of the National A...

Far be it from us to spoil the optimism of the fresh, new year. But senior career managers in government might want to consider preparing for the worst. Suppose the coming Trump administration does get Schedule F in place. Are ready for a forced retirement or change in career? I got some advice, from retirement expert Tammy Flanagan. Plus, 2025 has finally arrived, and you'll be a year older. Or s...

A new feature arrives soon for participants in the Thrift Savings Plan. Starting in January 2026, a year from now, participants will be able to make Roth conversions within the TSP. That’s not the only changing at the TSP. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman recently caught up with the TSP’s director of external affairs, Kim Weaver. Also, it's so close, those in favor can practically taste it. Th...

The government might be operating on a continuing resolution. Individuals should take better charge of their own financial lives before the end of the year. Including optimizing your Thrift Savings Plan. We got some tips from RMG Advisors financial planner Thiago Glieger. Plus, thousands of federal employees will retire come the end of the month. Good retirement planning covers your finances, your...

It's the season of seasons. Thanksgiving season. Christmas season. And for federal employees, it's the middle of open season, which runs until December 5. It has a lot of moving parts. For more, we turn to long time expert in all things having to do with federal employment and post-employment, Tammy Flanagan. Plus, just about six weeks left in 2024. Come January, you'll be a year older. Or somethi...

Open season means federal employees have homework. Time spent now planning for your health care coverage can pay off later … both in money and health. For some things to think about, I spoke with principal Thiago Glieger of RMG Advisors. Plus, the stock market continues to defy logic, something it seems to do best. Just look at what's been happening this week. Now some 117 thousand federal employe...

Open season means federal employees have homework. Time spent now planning for your health care coverage can pay off later, both in money and health. For some things to think about, I spoke with principal Thiago Glieger of RMG Advisors. Plus, the stock market continues to defy logic, something it seems to do best. Just look at what's been happening this week. Now some 117,000 federal employees and...

Just eleven days until this year's federal open season. When federal employees choose their health benefits insurance provider for the coming year. More people skip the homework, looking at plans to see if its worth switching. But you should take the time, especially since so many plans are more costly next year. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman and I went over a list of considerations with Ke...

Lots of federal employees like to pin their retirements to the end of the year. It makes for nice closure on a career. But if you mean this year, there's no time to lose. Retirement is all about the planning you do ahead of time. I got the lowdown from one of the top retirement planning experts, Tammy Flanagan. Plus, people concerned with the federal workforce and government operations generally a...

After a long road of trying to improve workforce morale, the Social Security Administration finally appears to be turning a corner. For the first time in years, SSA employees’ views on employee engagement, satisfaction and agency leadership are all trending positively, according to SSA’s results of the 2024 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). The agency also got a 70% response rate on the su...

No doubt you've heard. Price hikes for health insurance for federal employees coming next year. Big ones. Open season is coming soon, so it all brings lots of questions. For retirees, a smaller cost of living increase is likely. I got more from the vice president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, John Hatton. Plus, federal employees looking to retire at the end of D...

When the stock market moves up and down, analysts always find one reason or another. Presidential elections, though, seem to consistently exert influence over market behavior. In other words, Kamala and Donald are affecting your thrift savings plan. More now from financial advisor Thiago Glieger. Plus, anyone with a career, assets and perhaps a family needs a little estate planning. It might be ar...

The shine has dulled for CD's, certificates of deposit, that looked like great investment vehicles when interest rates were higher. Just rolling them over may not be such a great wealth-building strategy. We got some tips for dealing with CD's from wealth advisor Thiago Glieger. Plus, the stock market is nothing if not exciting. Even in the swoons savvy investors find opportunity. If you have a Th...

It's taken a generation, but now federal benefits have become available for first responders harmed during the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The money was authorized in last year's National Defense Authorization bill. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman joined me when we got details from attorney Michael Barasch of the law firm Barasch and McGarry. Plus, can it be? The repeal of the windfall eli...

Our theme today is not only what you earn and save, but what you leave behind. Anyone with a career, assets and perhaps a family needs a little estate planning. It might be arcane, but it matters unless you plan to live forever. That's why shrewd federal employees spend a lot of time ensuring not only that they'll have enough money to retire, but also to benefit heirs or organizations such as favo...

To young service members, the idea of building wealth might seem like a pipe dream. They don't earn much and often have high borrowing and housing costs. But it's never too early to start. For some pointers, we turn to the president of the Navy Mutual Aid Association, retired Navy admiral. Brian Luther. Plus, it's one thing to apply for your federal retirement. It's something else again to, well,...

When the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board rolled out a new system for managing the TSP back in 2022, it didn't go well. Account holders encountered a web site that barely functioned and long wait times for help. Now the Government Accountability Office has released findings on what went wrong even as most, but not all, of the problems are fixed. The director of information technology and...

The end of July isn't the end of summer. But the leaves are dryer and the cicadas louder. That means autumn, and time to think about end-of-year retirement planning. Tom Temin get some tips from federal retirement expert Tammy Flanagan. Later in the show: national elections often have economic effects. This year's presidential election is proving a bit more volatile than we've seen in recent years...

The Thrift Savings Plan's mutual fund window remains under the microscope of the House Appropriations Committee. A policy rider in fiscal 2025 spending legislation aims to ban any TSP investments based on environmental, social or governance , or ESG, criteria. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board says if the anti-ESG provision is enacted, the TSP would have no choice but to shutter the r...

A million dollars isn't what it used to be. Nearly 24 million Americans have at least $1 million of net worth. Still, financial people often say so-called middle class people, like government employees, you need to accumulate a million or two to ensure a comfortable retirement. A new book called Middle Class Millionaire Government Employee discusses this very topic. Plus, TSP investors seem are ge...

It’s been revoked for years, but Schedule F is still on the minds of many federal employees, especially as the nation nears a presidential election with former President Trump on the ballot. The Schedule F executive order tried to address what Trump officials saw as workforce accountability issues, by making certain career employees easier to fire and replace. Critics say Schedule F was the wrong...

It’s been revoked for years, but Schedule F is still on the minds of many federal employees, especially as the nation nears a presidential election with former President Trump on the ballot. The Schedule F executive order tried to address what Trump officials saw as workforce accountability issues, by making certain career employees easier to fire and replace. Critics say Schedule F was the wrong...

For a certain portion of the federal retiree population, and some others from non-federal government, one of the most frustrating features of Social Security is what they don't get. The Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, WEP and GPO can be confusion for how they limit Social Security benefits for affected people. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman and I got a tutor...

The government might employ some two million people. But no two federal employees are alike. That's why career and retirement planning can be complicated. For instance, what if you're old enough to retire but have less than 30 years in. For insight into what's known as MRA plus 10, I spoke with long time federal retirement expert Tammy Flanagan. Plus, agencies are well on their way to reaching the...

Thrift Savings Plan participants than ever are contributing at least 5% of their pay to their TSP accounts. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board always encourages more contributions, for stronger retirement savings. The board also got an update from BlackRock, one of the TSP fund managers. For more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman spoke with board's director of external affairs, Kim...