Expert’s View

“Cui bono?” It’s an old Latin phrase that means, “Who stands to gain?” Do you know who will benefit from …More

Changing times need different ways of dealing with those changes. For example, as long as anyone can remember, married federal …More

CSRS Offset is one of those quirky hybrids. That’s why I get so many requests to revisit the subject. If …More

Getting credit for active duty service in the military used to be a simple thing. It still is for anyone …More

I’ve written frequently about the three players involved in assuring that you can transition smoothly from employment to retirement. Those …More

No matter how hard the government shakes the early retirement and buyout trees, there are still a number of hardy …More

My, how time flies. And the changes it brings with it. Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) – a retirement system …More

A federal retirement annuity. Think of it as the gift that keeps on giving. But how much is it really …More

Based on the correspondence and e-mails I’ve been getting lately, a lot of you are getting itchy feet. Many of …More

If you are a federal retiree or survivor and live outside the United States or its territories and possessions, there …More

The older you are the more ads you get offering to sell you a Medigap plan. The big question is …More

When it comes to retiring early, FERS employees have a big advantage over their CSRS counterparts. If a CSRS-covered employee …More

And still they come. The questions from CSRS Offset employees who are confused about how their annuities will be calculated …More

In my last column, I laid out the retirement rules governing air traffic controllers under CSRS. This time I’ll do …More

Over the last two weeks, I’ve been reviewing the special retirement provisions for law enforcement officers and firefighters. This time, …More

Last week I went over the retirement rules governing law enforcement officers and firefighters under CSRS. This time I’ll do …More

While most federal employees are covered by a set of standard retirement provisions, there are other groups of employees that …More

If you once worked for the federal government and were covered by CSRS then left for greener pastures, you may …More

It amazes me just how many people come to work for the government and then leave before they are eligible …More

Are you a federal retiree enrolled in an FEHB plan and also covered by Medicare? If so, then do you …More

Last week I discussed the survivor benefits available to the children of federal employees and retirees who have lost one …More

It’s funny how things change when you’re not paying attention. Just the other day I learned that as far back …More

If you are a CSRS or CSRS-Offset employee who doesn’t owe any deposits or redeposits to the retirement system, you …More

Once upon a time, the Congress created a very simply retirement system. It’s called the Civil Service Retirement System. However, …More

There are two features of the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program about which you are probably unaware. First, …More

Have you ever gotten into an argument with you health benefit plan over whether a medical procedure or service should …More

What happens if you have a fatal accident or one that results in the loss of eyesight or a limb? …More

In recent years an increasing number of employees have left government before being eligible to retire. Many of them have …More

If you are heading for a divorce, you need to know about the “Spouse Equity Act.” That’s because a court …More

There are times when you are having a problem with the Office of Personnel Management and don’t know if it …More