Pay & Benefits
Why your federal benefits may not protect your family the way you think
While federal employee benefits can assist beneficiaries in the event of a loved one's death, it's important to understand the rules of those plans and how to best seamlessly apply them to your survivors.
Still digging out from the last shutdown, DHS employees brace for more delayed pay
Employees are finding ways to save on commuting and child care costs, while DHS agencies say their operations are suffering.
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.
Air traffic controller pay raise stalled by DHS shutdown
A House appropriations bill that previously authorized a 3.8% pay raise for air traffic controllers remains on hold as Senate Democrats continue to call for immigration policy reforms.
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.
Roth in-plan conversions arrive for TSP, but consider tax implications first
Thrift Savings Plan participants need to carefully weigh the advantages and potential tax pratfalls of moving their balances to an after-tax investment strategy.
Dem lawmakers propose 4.1% raise for feds in 2027
The annual reintroduction of the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act aims to set a baseline for negotiations around federal employee compensation for the coming year.
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.
House panel advances bill to update federal worker buyout caps
Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments offered to federal workers during agency downsizings, have been capped at $25,000 since the 1990s. Newly advanced legislation would tie maximum payouts to half of an employee’s annual salary.
OPM expands job roles receiving 3.8% law enforcement pay raise
OPM Director Scott Kupor designated more job roles eligible for the special pay rate created for federal law enforcement.
Congress guarantees furloughed feds’ back pay despite continued White House maneuvering
The Office of Personnel Management removed citations of the 2019 Federal Employee Fair Treatment Act from its shutdown guidance last month, as the Trump administration continues to insist that the law guaranteeing all federal employees back pay after a shutdown doesn’t.
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TSP investments begin 2026 in the black
Each of the portfolios in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program gained value in January.
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.
Updated
How federal employees can protect a spouse in retirement
To better understand their potential benefits and financial risks in retirement, both spouses should be aware of some benefits planning realities.
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.
Defense Department set to issue new civilian employee awards by end of the month
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in December directed department components to designate awards of up to $25,000 in an effort to “retain, reward, and recognize” the top 15% of civilian employees in each agency.
Lawmakers propose 35% pay raise for federal prison workers
Bipartisan legislation would establish a special pay rate for employees at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons until the agency reduces its reliance on mandatory overtime and augmentation of support staff’s duties.
How federal retirement benefits are calculated and where estimates go wrong
High-three pay, length of service and overlooked reductions can significantly change retirement payouts.
Signals of a slowdown: What federal employees should do with their TSP right now
If the U.S. is headed for a recession, federal employees need not panic about their investments, but instead strategically assess what their financial goals are.
Congressional appropriators won’t codify Trump’s ban on gender-affirming care for feds after all
Compromise minibus appropriations legislation unveiled Sunday removes a provision that would have affirmed the Trump administration’s removal of gender-affirming care from federal workers’ health insurance in statute.
