An important part of a retiring federal employee’s retirement plan is understanding and planning for survivor benefits when the federal retiree dies. This column discusses and explains the choices that federal employees have with respect to survivor benefits for eligible ... Read More

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has provided an online “retirement quick guide.” The “retirement quick guide” is designed to help recently retired federal employees as to what to expect as their retirement application is processed and their final retirement ... Read More

On June 3, 2026, President Trump signed Executive Order 14410, titled “Implementing Schedule Policy/Career in the Excepted Service,” formally moving thousands of federal positions into a new personnel category. A subsequent memorandum from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), issued ... Read More

A spouse’s death can have devastating financial consequences on the surviving spouse,  particularly if the death was sudden and unexpected. This column reviews some of the steps that married federal employees should take in order for the surviving spouse to ... Read More

Turning 65 creates a Medicare decision for many Feds. Some retirees assume they should sign up for Part B as soon as Medicare becomes available. That may make sense for some households, but Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) changes the ... Read More

Many Feds assume a will gives the final answer on who receives their assets after death. For a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account, the beneficiary form usually carries more weight. A Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account generally follows the most recent valid ... Read More

The Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) helps protect Feds and their families in the event of a worst-case scenario. While such coverage requires little from your paycheck while you’re young, things change as you move toward and beyond retirement. ... Read More

The number of Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) participants with TSP accounts valued $1 million or more has grown significantly over the last five years. The number of TSP millionaires hit a record high of 189,836 participants as of October 1, ... Read More

Many federal employees assume their Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage will automatically continue into retirement. That assumption can lead Feds in the wrong direction. You must meet specific enrollment and eligibility requirements before leaving federal service. If you don’t, ... Read More

Medicare can seem straightforward until income comes into play. The Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) is the extra amount some higher-income Medicare enrollees pay for Medicare Part B and Part D coverage. IRMAA does not affect the Medicare coverage you receive, but ... Read More