AUTHOR ARCHIVES

Tammy Flanagan

Tammy Flanagan has spent 30 years helping federal employees take charge of their retirement by understanding their benefits. She runs her own consulting business at www.tammyflanagan.com and provides individual counseling as well as online training for the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, Plan Your Federal Retirement as well as the Federal Long Term Care insurance Program. She also serves as the senior benefits director for the National Institute of Transition Planning Inc., which conducts federal retirement planning workshops and seminars.

For more retirement planning help, tune in to "For Your Benefit," presented by the National Institute of Transition Planning Inc. live on Federal News Radio on Mondays at 10 a.m. ET on WFED AM 1500 in the Washington-metro area. Archived shows are available on NITPInc.com.

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Beware of Benefits Scams

June 22, 2017 Through careful planning over years of government service, many federal workers have transitioned from employee to annuitant and are living their retirement dream. Unfortunately, some retirees have also endured nightmares. Along with large Thrift Savings Plan accounts and substantial retirement benefits come scammers and con artists who would like to...

The Hidden Cost of Federal Health Plans

June 15, 2017 Did you know that more than 25 percent of total spending under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program goes to prescription drugs? Rising drug prices and increasing drug utilization continue to drive up FEHBP premiums. Every year, the Office of Personnel Management sends a call letter to all FEHBP carriers....

With Cuts on the Table, Is It Time to Go?

June 8, 2017 I’ve received a lot of emails lately about the proposed changes to federal retirement benefits included in President Trump’s budget submission to Congress. Employees are asking if they should move up their retirement date to August or September so they can leave before the new fiscal year begins on Oct....

Benefits Cuts and the President’s Budget

June 1, 2017 There’s been a lot of news lately about the release of President Trump’s proposed budget on May 23. Of greatest concern to the readers of this column are proposals to make significant and substantial changes to the two federal retirement programs: the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees...

The Perils and Pitfalls of Retiring Really Early

May 25, 2017 Last week, we explored the possibility of joining the FIRE (financial independence/retire early) movement as a federal employee. It involves aggressively saving and investing in the hope of retiring as early as age 45. There are some specific issues that federal employees would need to carefully consider before pursuing such...

Can You Retire at 45?

May 18, 2017 I received an email recently about someone interested in getting fired — but not the way you think: I have recently caught interest in the FIRE (financial independence/retire early) movement and was wondering if you have ever written any articles or helped any other federal employees plan retirement for this...

A Story of Skyrocketing Premiums

May 11, 2017 Last week, we looked at what happens when life events require that you make changes to your benefits options. Unfortunately, for those who are already retired, this is sometimes not as easy as it sounds. In addition to contacting the official organizations referenced in last week’s column, retirees also can...

Life Changes and Benefits Changes

May 4, 2017 Federal employees and retirees typically consider making changes to their benefits during an open season or when a new benefit is introduced. However, there are times when changes need to be made for more personal reasons, such as a life-changing event. During such times, it can be confusing to navigate...

Leave Calculations

April 27, 2017 On the most basic level, the difference between sick leave and annual leave for federal employees is simple: Sick leave is for illness and annual leave is for vacations. In practice, it’s a little more complicated. Federal workers are able to accumulate 104 hours of sick leave every year of...

Should You Take a Buyout?

April 20, 2017 Earlier this week, Eric Katz of Government Executive reported that the Environmental Protection Agency will begin offering employees buyouts and early retirement incentives this year. News like this puts employees at all federal agencies on high alert. I got several emails this week from readers as a result of this...