In these articles and with my clients, I hound on the importance of having a plan for the future. A plan gives us direction and clarity even in turbulent times. And especially for major things such as retirement, a plan makes all the difference. But that being said, I think Read more…
Federal employees are promised an incredible retirement package and many feds think through every detail to make sure they are ready to stop working. That day finally comes and they submit their retirement application, but the transition isn’t as smooth as imagined. First, some of their retirement application forms are Read more…
We all have heard the common regret of “I wish I would have started investing earlier”. Or “If only I knew then what I know now”. But unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to change the past. Fortunately, we can learn from our own past as well as the Read more…
Federal employees under the FERS system enjoy a benefit that is rare and relatively unknown. Even the CSRS system doesn’t have anything comparable. It is called the FERS supplement, the Social Security Supplement, or even the Special Retirement Supplement. Let’s dig into how it works. Because the earliest age you’d Read more…
Taking social security early is an attractive option especially for feds. Many federal employees retire in their early sixties and it just seems to make sense starting social security at 62. And for some people this truly is the best option. But in my opinion, many people that start benefits Read more…
This is the sort of topic that I hope stays theoretical for my readers. That being said, it is important to know how FERS disability works in the unfortunate circumstance that you or someone you know might need it. Because federal employees are not covered by workers comp as most Read more…
Do I have enough in my TSP? Or do I have enough to retire? I get these questions all the time and understandably so. Everyone wants to know where they stand but interestingly enough, I hear the same concern from those with 100k in there TSP as well as from Read more…
It is very common for federal employees to have served at least a portion of their career in the military. If someone is not receiving military retirement pay, they are most likely eligible to buy back their military time to be included in their federal service. This is how it Read more…
In my day job as a financial planner, I speak with a ton of feds within a couple years of retirement who are cramming money into their TSP as fast as they can. They are all trying to make up for lost time and do some last minute prep. I Read more…
Phased retirement is a relatively new concept as it was authorized starting in November of 2014. Because of its novelty, few Feds understand how it works and how it affects their retirement benefits. Let’s dig in. How it works Phased retirement is a completely voluntary thing that must be chosen Read more…
