Author Archive
Pay & Benefits
A record number of feds are retiring. Will that slow your claim?
New OPM data offers clues about processing times, potential delays and why retiring employees may need a larger financial cushion than expected.
Pay & Benefits
What retiring feds should do before asking for help
Clear timelines, complete records and focused questions can make retirement problems easier to resolve, especially as agencies face mounting workloads.
Pay & Benefits
What federal employees get wrong about divorce and retirement
Errors involving survivor benefits, health coverage and court orders can create financial problems years after a marriage ends.
Pay & Benefits
Waiting to retire could be worth thousands of dollars
Before you rush out the door, consider how a few more years of service can permanently boost your FERS annuity and Social Security benefits.
Pay & Benefits
A week of recognition, and a career of service
Behind the honors and milestones, federal employees carry a lasting sense of purpose that extends well beyond a single week.
Pay & Benefits
Sorting through Medicare myths in federal retirement decisions
Common assumptions about Part B, IRMAA and FEHB coordination can obscure how coverage and costs actually play out over time.
Pay & Benefits
They did everything right and still haven’t been paid
Months after retiring, some federal workers are stuck in a bureaucratic maze with no checks, no answers and no clear end in sight.
Featured eBooks
Pay & Benefits
When retirement calculations don’t move on the same timeline
Retroactive pay changes and delayed annuity adjustments underscore how federal retirement processing often depends on timing, coordination, and most importantly, patience.
Pay & Benefits
How to ensure your federal retirement benefit is correct
OPM processed more than 33,000 retirement claims in early 2026. Learn how your FERS benefit is calculated and how to verify your creditable service.
Pay & Benefits
Traveling soon? What federal health plans actually cover
Peak travel season is here, but most federal workers don't know what happens if they need care abroad. From upfront costs to medical evacuations, here is what your FEHB plan does and doesn't cover when you are out of the country.
Pay & Benefits
The Social Security clock is ticking faster than expected
The Social Security problem isn’t new, but the timeline just got shorter, and the fixes are still the same.
Pay & Benefits
How federal retirement benefits have changed over the years
From FERS to TSP to recent legislation, decades of policy shifts have reshaped how federal employees earn, save for and receive retirement benefits.
Pay & Benefits
Women in federal service still face retirement gaps
Lifetime earnings, career interruptions and caregiving responsibilities continue to shape retirement outcomes for women in federal service.
Pay & Benefits
A year after the Social Security Fairness Act, some retirees are still waiting for full benefits
The repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset should have restored benefits for everyone. For some retirees, the checks are still coming late or not at all.
Featured eBooks
Pay & Benefits
How to make the most of FERS, Social Security and your TSP
Understanding each part of your federal retirement can help you plan when and how to retire and avoid surprises.
Pay & Benefits
Federal workers delay retirement as savings gaps persist
A survey shows most workers expect to retire at 65 or later, but many haven’t calculated savings for health care or emergencies.
Pay & Benefits
TSP in-plan Roth conversions: Are they right for you?
Federal employees can use a new Thrift Savings Plan tool to weigh the tax costs and retirement advantages of moving traditional balances to Roth.
Pay & Benefits
The federal leave options employees can use when annual and sick time run out
From unpaid leave to parental and military leave, federal workers have multiple options for time off under specific circumstances.
Pay & Benefits
Federal retirees face new COLAs, premiums and earnings limits in 2026
Annual adjustments to retirement benefits, FEHB costs, Social Security rules and TSP limits are now taking effect.
Pay & Benefits
Could this be true?
An influx of federal retirees due to the Deferred Resignation Program and other separation programs has led to a litany of new questions on how to receive retirement benefits.
