Author Archive
Pay & Benefits
Why your retirement experience may depend more on the agency than the benefit
Federal retirees interact with OPM, the Thrift Savings Plan and Social Security at different stages of retirement. Their latest performance data reveals starkly different customer service experiences and highlights where delays remain most likely.
Pay & Benefits
Why Social Security's uncertainty is becoming a federal workforce issue
A bipartisan proposal would force Congress to confront Social Security's long-term finances, with significant implications for retirement planning under FERS.
Pay & Benefits
No more paper: Navigating OPM’s new digital retirement process
As the Office of Personnel Management completes its transition away from paper, federal employees and retirees must adapt to a streamlined — but strictly digital — process for securing their benefits.
Pay & Benefits
The Medicare question federal retirees can’t ignore anymore
New projections for Medicare Part B costs are sharpening a familiar but increasingly expensive decision for federal retirees: whether Medicare enhances FEHB coverage enough to justify the added premium, or simply shifts where the costs show up.
Pay & Benefits
Why Social Security’s funding gap matters to federal retirement
Most federal employees under FERS rely on Social Security as part of retirement. The latest trustees report suggests the choices to preserve full benefits are getting tougher.
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.
Featured eBooks
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.
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.
Featured eBooks
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.
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.
