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Part-Time Work and the Impact on Federal Retirement Benefits

07/24/2024
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

Navigating Your First Year as a Federal Employee

07/22/2024
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

What Federal Retirees Can Do to Minimize Medicare Part B IRMAA

07/20/2024
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

Federal Employee Annual Leave: Accrual & Retirement Explained

07/18/2024
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 Case For a Late-Stage Career Change Into Federal Government

07/16/2024
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

Delaying Traditional TSP and Traditional IRA RMDs Can Result in Additional Income Taxes

07/15/2024
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

The MSPB Backlog: Understanding The Cause, The Solution. and What it Means

07/12/2024
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

Potential Adjustments to Mandatory Retirement Ages for Federal ATC and Pilots

07/08/2024
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

IRS Increasing Estimated Tax Penalties: What Federal Employees and Retirees Need to Know

07/07/2024
Over the past year, the IRS has significantly increased penalties on underpayment of both estimated tax payments and federal income withholding from salary and retirement income. Individuals who are required to make quarterly estimated payments (due dates each year are ... Read More

The Case for Private Life Insurance for Feds — When FEGLI’s Not Your Best Option

07/05/2024
The U.S. government launched the Federal Employees’ Group Live Insurance Program (FEGLI) during the mid-1950s to provide group life insurance for federal employees and their families. FEGLI can be an affordable and effective tool to help protect your family in the face ... Read More