Expert’s View

If you are married and die while still employed by the federal government, your surviving spouse is entitled to certain …More

If you leave child survivors at your death, they may be eligible for a monetary benefit. All they have to …More

If you just made the leap into retirement, you are probably twiddling your thumbs waiting for the lump-sum payment you’ll …More

We’re coming on the start of a new year, a year in which some of you switched from one health …More

Every January, federal retirees enjoy a cost-of-living adjustment. If you are a CSRS retiree and have been retired for at …More

If you are married, the question of how your spouse will be provided for in the event of your death …More

So, you’re a CSRS employee and you’ve earned (or will earn) enough credits to be eligible for a Social Security …More

The end of the year is rushing toward us and many of you are thinking about retiring at the end …More

The Federal Employees Health Benefits program offers two options when it comes to coverage. You can either elect “self only” …More

I’m sure that most of us gave a sigh of relief when we learned that premiums for the 2007 Federal …More

Here we have a battle of the Titans, one that has federal employees wondering if they are in the “best” …More

Yes, friends, you can get credit for your military service. And, when you do, it will increase the amount of …More

If you are a federal employee whose appointment isn’t limited to one year, you are entitled to take military leave. …More

About this time of year, federal retires start squirming in their seats wondering what the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to …More

During the Second World War the government warned its citizens that “a slip of the lip can sink a ship.” …More

Unless you’ve been hiding under your desk, you’ve read of the recent study released by OPM that points out how …More

Here’s an issue that keeps coming up. If you are covered by Medicare, do you still need to be covered …More

Any of you who are married know that one of the first things you’ll have to decide after you decide …More

How many of you have sent in a request to find out how much money you owe to get credit …More

Got you attention with that column heading, didn’t I? Well, I used that hook because no matter how many times …More

If you are thinking about retiring, you probably wonder how Social Security fits into your plans. Well, how it fits …More

If you’ve ever had a problem getting a disputed health benefits claim resolved, you’ve probably wondered what’s the best way …More

OPM has long had the authority on a case-by-case basis to waive the requirement that a reemployed annuitant’s salary be …More

The windfall elimination provision and the government pension offset continue to be a topic of conversation among employees and retirees …More

For several years I was in charge of the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. During that period I worked with …More

In my last article, I went over the rules governing what happens to your annuity if you return to work …More

So you’re retired. Great! But you’re bored, in need of money, or eager to serve your country again. And you …More

The prospect of an early out or buyout fires the imagination of federal employees. And when one doesn’t come their …More

In my last two articles, I discussed the rules governing service credit for civilian time where you didn’t have retirement …More

In my last article I went over the rules governing deposits for periods of service where no retirement deductions were …More