At this time of year with the start of the fall semester for colleges and universities about a month away, some unwary parents and grandparents may make their children and grandchildren subject to the “kiddie tax”. This column discusses the ... Read More

When most people think of the uniformed services, they immediately think of the military. While the Armed Forces make up the majority of these organizations, the United States actually has EIGHT different branches of uniformed service, each serving a unique ... Read More

A federal employee has a child entering college this fall. The child is fortunate to have received a scholarship to help reduce their high cost of higher education. The question then becomes whether the scholarship is considered taxable income to ... Read More

Retirement no longer means every Fed stops working on the last day of federal service. Many retirees build a second chapter through consulting, contract work, teaching, training, private-sector employment, or small business ownership. That can bring real benefits. Extra income ... Read More

There’s no shortage of annuity salespeople trying to convince you that a private annuity can create “guaranteed lifetime income,” but there are several reasons why private annuities may not be the best option for federal employees and retirees. But before ... Read More

For many federal retirees, the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) comes as an unexpected layer of healthcare costs. While Medicare is often thought of as a uniform benefit, IRMAA introduces income-based pricing that can significantly increase monthly healthcare expenses for ... Read More

In this episode, Katelyn and Dan examine the evolving federal job landscape and charitable giving strategies. They cover federal employee survey findings, the value of core benefits like FERS, TSP, and FEHB, and key steps to protect retirement security, followed ... Read More

Federal employees received an average 4.5% pay raise in January 2025, one of the highest increases in recent years. But for many Feds, that bump hasn’t gone far enough, especially as inflation keeps dragging on essentials like housing, healthcare, and ... Read More

A Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) participant who has separated from federal service (either left federal service or retired from federal service) must begin to take TSP required minimum distributions (RMDs) upon reaching a specific age. The specific age is gradually ... Read More

In this episode, Dan and Ed explain what QCDs are and how they work with RMDs from traditional IRAs. They also discuss which retirement accounts allow QCDs, the timing considerations when executing them, and the new rules under the SECURE ... Read More