Pay & Benefits
Retired and confused about Medicare Part B? You’re not alone
From late penalties to premium reimbursements, here’s what every retired fed should understand about enrolling in Medicare Part B—and how it works with your FEHB plan.
Pay & Benefits
Tax-free…or not? Avoid these 4 Roth TSP mistakes
Not all money in a Roth Thrift Savings Plan account is automatically tax-free, and there are several things to consider before making a withdrawal to avoid tax and other penalties.
Workforce
Most fed-targeting provisions in Senate reconciliation bill don’t pass Byrd muster
The Senate parliamentarian over the weekend found that many proposals targeting federal workers and their unions violate the Byrd rule and would require 60 votes to advance in the chamber.
Pay & Benefits
Senate strips most retirement cuts from reconciliation, but anti-civil service provisions remain
Under language released by a Senate panel Thursday night, new federal workers who decline to serve as at-will employees will pay nearly 15% of their paycheck toward their pension benefit.
Pay & Benefits
Think you're ready to tap your TSP? Here's what you might be missing
Before touching your Thrift Savings Plan funds, make sure you understand the rules—and the risks—you might not have planned for.
Pay & Benefits
TSP funds rebound following months of losses
Only one portfolio in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program finished May in the red.
Pay & Benefits
The ‘new deal’ for federal retirement: What the latest FERS proposals really mean for your benefits
Federal retirement has been a hot topic on Capitol Hill lately, with proposed changes sparking plenty of questions. Here’s a look at what’s on the table now.
Pay & Benefits
Answers to some of your frequently asked questions about federal retirement
If you're thinking about retiring from federal service, here's what you need to know first.
Pay & Benefits
House passes reconciliation bill that cuts federal employee retirement benefits
Though Democrats were able to excise a plan to base federal retirees’ annuity payments on their highest five years of salary, rather than the current high-3, proposals to eliminate the FERS supplement and to charge employees for their civil service protections remain on the table.
Pay & Benefits
Retirement cuts tweaked in House reconciliation package
The latest draft of the GOP’s plan to cut federal spending to pay for tax cuts and increased immigration enforcement no longer un-grandfathers federal workers hired before 2014 from increased retirement contribution rules passed in the 2010s and delays implementation of the FERS supplement.
Pay & Benefits
House GOP’s law enforcement ‘exemption’ from retirement cuts is illusory, groups say
A pair of organizations representing federal law enforcement officers urged lawmakers to strengthen carveouts of an array of proposed cuts to federal workers’ retirement benefits but stopped short of calling for their withdrawal.
Pay & Benefits
OPM touts ‘fully paperless’ retirement application, though concerns remain
Sources warn that the Trump administration has overstated both DOGE’s role in developing online retirement applications and its potential impact on the retirement process.
Pay & Benefits
Proposed retirement cuts cast renewed pall over deferred resignations
Federal workers who accepted President Trump and Elon Musk’s so-called ‘fork in the road’ fear Republicans have “pulled the rug out from under” their retirement plans.
Pay & Benefits
Domestic TSP funds continued to swoon in April
The federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program continued to produce a mixed bag for participants last month.
Pay & Benefits
A crash course in retirement planning
Let's revisit my tips and resources for transitioning from employee to annuitant.
Pay & Benefits
House Republicans advance plan to cut federal worker benefits and undermine civil service protections
One Republican who voted against the measure said efforts to reduce existing federal workers’ pension benefits will fail if put to a vote before the full House.
Management
100% withholding on Social Security clawbacks scaled back by the Trump administration
The Biden administration had capped the clawbacks at 10%.
Pay & Benefits
Republicans tee up federal worker benefit cuts to pay for tax cuts
Federal workers hired in 2029 would contribute nearly 10% of their basic pay toward a less generous pension if they wish to retain their civil service protections under House lawmakers’ budget reconciliation proposal.
Pay & Benefits
Look before you leap from the TSP
For federal employees weighing whether to leave the TSP, five certified financial planners offer their insights on what to be aware of and what flexibilities lay in the private markets.
Pay & Benefits