Your Federal Life

It’s been a year since the Biden administration first called for agencies to ramp up in-person work. Now after coming back to their offices, many federal employees are asking, "why are we here"? Well, we asked too. Our Federal News Network survey found that more than half of feds don't think their agency leadership has really explained the return-to-office rationale. Federal News Network's Drew Fr...

The Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset have both been around for decades. The two provisions reduce and sometimes eliminate Social Security benefits for some federal retirees. But just in the last few months, a bill to repeal them has been gaining unprecedented traction. To go over the details, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman spoke with NARFE's staff vice president J...

The Thrift Savings Plan has been showing strong returns. And the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board has been making some updates and monitoring enrollment levels. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman went over all of it with the board's director of external affairs, Kim Weaver, including a way to access your account. Plus, we talk a lot about the Thrift Savings Plan and how to get to that...

With the era of near-zero inflation over, retirement planning has taken on some new urgency. Simply because a fixed income and rising prices don't make a good combination. Here with some of the latest thinking, from RMG Advisors of Rockville, Maryland, Thiago Glieger. Plus, the spending agreement Congress passed for 2024 has some new deadlines for agencies on telework. Congress is calling for more...

The Biden administration has opened the bid for next year’s federal pay raise. And it may not be met with a whole lot of enthusiasm. If enacted, feds would receive a 2% raise in 2025. It’s well below what feds received this year. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman discussed the 2025 proposal in detail. Plus, that 2% raise the White House has proposed fell flat with the federal unions and many ot...

More than a quarter of federal employees and managers say they’re burned out from work. That’s according to the results of a new survey from Gallup. But why are they burned out? And what can be done about it? For details, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman and I turn to the executive director of the Federal Government Initiative at Gallup. Plus, what's the old saying? Never a lender nor debtor b...

December seems like a long way off, but next year's Federal Employee Health Benefits Plans are already coming into view. That's from the Office of Personnel Management's recent annual call letter to health insurance carriers. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman and I got insight when we spoke with the editor of the Checkbook Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees, Kevin Moss. Plus, for a cou...

Few things can sink an individual investor than buying or selling on emotion. That can lead to tries at market timing, which rarely works out, especially when things are high or low. My first guest cautions time is more important than timing. Thiago Glieger is a private wealth advisor at RMG Advisors of Rockville, Maryland. Plus, as this year's black history month comes to a conclusion, we wanted...

Fresh off a five percent pay raise, federal employees can look forward to some other enhancements coming their way. Like the possibility of another hefty pay raise next year. For more on this and a few other matters, I spoke with the vice president for policy and programs at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, John Hatton. Plus, agency managers seem to engage in an endle...

People entering the workforce, say, joining the government at young age, hear the advice. Start saving now for retirement. Make sure you max out your Thrift Savings Plan contributions and get the full government match. It's sound advice as far as it goes. But my next guest cautions: Don't plow every possible dollar into the TSP to the neglect of other important financial obligations. Certified fin...

Retirement, every federal employee is going to get there some day. For most, the goal is you don't work any more. Or work only because you want to. Your main question is how much income is enough for you to retire. For some insight, federal retiree Abe Grungold of AB Financial Services. Plus, improper payments, fraud in nearly every major federal program, contracting irregularities and false claim...

For the Thrift Savings Plan, you might say things are up. Enrollments, fund performance, even the number of people with at least a million dollars in their accounts. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman and I discussed the latest trends with the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board's director of external affairs, Kim Weaver. Plus, with a lapse in funding still a distinct possibility, I check...

If the 2023 stock market showed anything, it's that you can't predict the stock market. Instead, you need a strategy you can stick with. Nearly every federal employee has a Thrift Savings Plan account. For how to think about it, I spoke with Art Stein of Arthur Stein Financial . Plus, the Office of Personnel Management had a relatively successful year chipping away at a large retirement inventory....

Federal employees are mostly sideline observers of the Congressional budget deliberations. And yet, you have the greatest interest in what's going on because it affects your professional life rather profoundly. Although there's sort of a topline number, no one know what individual departments, agencies or programs will actually get. From the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Associatio...

Other than your salary, the most important element of your financial life is probably your Thrift Savings Plan account. Just before 2023 expired, for an update, we caught up with Kim Weaver, director of external affairs at the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. And, the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) scores came out just before Christmas. Results generally seem to be pointed in...

The Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision have for decades limited Social Security payments available to certain federal employees. Mainly those under the old Civil Service Retirement System, and anyone else who receives a pension from earnings that were not taxed by Social Security. A bill to repeal GPO and WEP had a congressional hearing last month — a field hearing in...

Even in today's inflationary times, the word millionaire has a certain meaning. With a little self discipline and the power of compound interest, millionaire status is available to federal employees who make wise use of the Thrift Savings Plan. Retired federal manager Abe Grungold shares some advice. And although we might well be in the midst of the season to be jolly, military service members and...

Golly, the year went by. Now we find ourselves in the middle of the holiday season, lots of distractions. One thing you should not be distracted from doing: End of year financial planning. To help you get pointed in that direction and figure out your investment strategy, I spoke with Thiago Glieger, a wealth adviser with RMG Advisers of Rockville, Maryland, a firm that specializes in federal emplo...

There's less than two weeks left in this year's Open Season. Now's the time to make health care enrollment changes in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program for 2024. Federal News Network's Tom Temin and reporter Drew Friedman recently spoke with Kevin Moss, a director at Consumers' Checkbook, about what federal retirees should keep in mind this year. Plus, participants in the Thrift...

Drew Friedman fills in for Tom this week. As of Monday, Open Season for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program is officially underway. Tom Temin and she recently spoke with Kevin Moss, a director at Consumers' Checkbook, about what federal employees should keep an eye out for over the next month. Plus, Congress has just a few days to pass a continuing resolution to avoid a government...

Lots of people put a neatly tied ending to their federal careers by retiring on December 31. Next year New Year's Day is a Monday, so you could wake up and have a mimosa. But in the next 60 days, you've got some serious final planning to do. Details now from a happy federal retiree, Abe Grungold. Plus, job satisfaction across the federal government appears headed in the right direction. At least i...

Whether its the war in Ukraine, the war in Israel, the House speaker race or any of a zillion controversial topics, everyone has an opinion. As a federal employee, can you express *your* opinions out loud and not get fired for it? I asked about this and a few other matters when I spoke with federal employment attorney John Mahoney. Plus, lawmakers are once again proposing changes to telework and r...

We start out this week with something that's crucial to every federal employee's well-being, and wallet. Namely, the cost of Federal Employee Health Benefit Plans. Prices are on the rise for the year ahead, so you better start doing some homework ahead of open season next month. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman joined me with the details. Plus, recent analysis from the Congressional Budget Off...

Federal News Network reporter Drew Friedman fills in for Tom this week. Congress has just a few days to pass appropriations or a continuing resolution. and if there is a government shutdown at the end of the week, it'll take some planning and a little knowledge of what to expect. Former Postal Service manager Abe Grungold has been through more than one lapse in government appropriations. He recent...

In many ways, retirement after a federal career is all about the numbers. Do you have enough saved that, together with your annuity, you won't run out of money. In some ways, retirement is not about numbers at all. There's also the danger of being bored to death. Here with some non-monetary retirement advice, federal retiree and AG Financial Services owner Abe Grungold. Plus, federal employees hav...