We speak with thousands of Feds each year during our complimentary Serving Those Who Serve webinars about the various retirement options available to federal employees.  We’ve found that two of the most important – and often misunderstood – options are deferred and ... Read More

When a Medicare Part B beneficiary dies, his or her estate or surviving family members may be entitled to a refund or monthly Medicare Part B premiums previously paid. This column explains what the estate or surviving family members need ... Read More

As a full-time federal government employee, you’re entitled to a retirement pension if you meet age and “years-of-career” criteria. However, if you’re considering reducing your full-time workload to part-time, it’s essential to understand that this move will impact your pension ... Read More

Completing the initial probationary period is a key milestone for Feds. This final assessment allows agencies to ensure new hires have the necessary skills, abilities, and knowledge to succeed in the position and are a good fit for the job ... Read More

Most federal retirees are eligible to receive a monthly Social Security retirement benefit, starting as early as age 62. Many retirees wait until at least their full retirement age (FRA) (currently, age 66 years and eight months for individuals born ... Read More

Accumulation of Annual Leave For full-time employees employed for less than three years, half of a day of annual leave is accrued each pay period (4 hours every two weeks), totaling 13 days, or 104 hours, every year. With 3 ... Read More

The trend of late-stage career changes is becoming increasingly common, with many jobseekers finding federal government jobs an attractive option. A recent employee survey conducted by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) highlights the growing desirability of federal jobs. Over 625,000 ... Read More

Most of us would prefer not to pay up-front for anything that could be paid for at a later time.  That is true for paying income taxes on retirement distributions, including distributions from the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), from traditional ... Read More

If you’re a federal government employee, you might have experienced a personnel grievance like wrongful termination, a demotion, or a reduction in grade. That grievance might have led you to file a complaint with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board ... Read More

The aviation industry is buzzing with discussions about raising the mandatory retirement age for federal air traffic controllers (ATC) and pilots. If enacted, this change could extend careers and massively impact retirement planning for the federal aviation community. Understanding the ... Read More