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.
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.
Estate planning through Revocable Living Trusts: A guide for retirees and government employees
Federal employees can deploy more flexibility in their retirement and estate planning, as well as potentially safeguard assets for their beneficiaries by considering the range of offerings provided by a living trust.
Should you stay or should you go? 10 tips for navigating your federal retirement decision
What to consider—financially and emotionally—before leaving government service.
Oversight Dems: Commerce reneged on probationers’ health benefits
Some recently fired probationary workers have also been unable to access their personnel records to show to insurance companies and prospective employers.
Senators fix their sights on OPM’s pay memo for political appointees
Eight Democrats decried recent guidance encouraging agencies to pay Schedule C political appointees the maximum federal salary of $195,200 as an attempt to hire “underqualified and overpaid political elites.”
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.
Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget would strip trans federal workers of insurance coverage
If enacted, the provision would bar the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program from covering federal employees and their family members’ gender affirming care treatments.
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.
Kaptur reintroduces legislation to expand Gold Star survivors benefits, Neguse wants to offer vets firefighter training
The Ohio congresswoman brought back her bill to lower health care costs for fallen service members’ partners for longer, while Rep. Neguse wants to offer veterans more job support.
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.
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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.
Senator says VA is slow-footing benefits law, congresswoman wants a watchdog for Thrift Investment Board
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., has brought back legislation that would create an inspector general for the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, while the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s ranking member argues the department is too slow in implementing legislation.
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.
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.
Getting ready to retire
What you should do and how you should approach your retirement and health benefits planning before leaving federal service.
Age gap retirement planning for federal employees: Avoiding the 'Widow’s Penalty,' Medicare planning and more
How to think about the best ways to utilize your retirement and health care benefits when you may be older, or younger, than your spouse.
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.
Let’s talk about Social Security
How do Old-Age and Survivor Insurance benefits fit into your retirement plans?
Health Savings Account contribution limits will rise in 2026. Here’s what federal employees need to know about High-Deductible Health Plans
For many federal employees, an HDHP can be the most cost-effective plan option.
