Expert’s View

Can an expert ever be wrong? Absolutely! Sometimes it happens through oversight. In others through oversimplification, by reading the wrong …More

This is the last in a series on the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance program. The first two articles focused …More

In my last two articles, I offered a refresher course on Basic and Optional insurance available through the Federal Employees’ …More

In my last article, I offered a refresher course on the Basic insurance coverage provided by the Federal Employees’ Group …More

As federal employees and retirees, when we think about insurance, it’s usually about the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. Less …More

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

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

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

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

Some of you have worked in federal jobs where retirement contributions weren’t taken out of your pay. Others of you …More