Expert’s View

How may of you know what an insurable interest annuity is? Hold up you hands if you do. Hmm. No …More

Those federal employees with their eye on maximizing the dollars they can realize at retirement have often asked me whether …More

A day seldom goes by without some federal employee asking me if there is an ideal date on which to …More

Let’s talk about dates. No, not the kind found on palm trees or the times when you take someone out. …More

CSRS employees approaching retirement are almost always in a good mood until they learn about two provisions of law that …More

Once upon a time, a retiring federal employee had the sole authority to decide whether to provide a survivor annuity …More

One of the questions that some federal employees face when they start thinking about retirement is this: Should I make …More

Life is full of changes, and those changes can complicate your retirement and insurance benefits. As an active employee, you …More

One of the most significant benefits anyone can acquire and enjoy is a retirement annuity from the federal government. As …More

If you and your spouse are one of the increasing number of couples who will be receiving Social Security benefits …More

Special category employees include law enforcement officers, firefighters, and air traffic controllers, among others. However, there are times when they …More

In these uncertain times, when federal employees are either worried about keeping their jobs or eager to abandon them, the …More

Last week I wrote about employees who were thinking about jumping ship now and applying for a deferred annuity at …More

Maybe it’s the fact that far fewer early retirement and buyouts are being offered than were expected, but I’ve run …More

For federal employees and compensationers, life insurance used to be a pretty straightforward business. You took out insurance and when …More

It seems that everywhere a federal employee turns, he hears that one or more of his benefits is going to …More

Ah, the good old days! If you retired in the early 1980s, your annuity payments began with a return of …More

There are specific laws that govern whether a wide variety of benefits may be paid to federal retirees and their …More

There are some federal employees out there who are covered by one of the wackier retirement systems the government has …More

One of the best benefits provided to federal retirees and survivors is the cost-of living adjustment (COLA). With rare exception, …More

By law, any CSRS employee who separates from the federal service for at least 31 consecutive days or transfers to …More

If you are a federal retiree who is covered by a Federal Employees Health Benefits plan and covered by Medicare …More

A retirement annuity from the federal government is one of the most significant benefits any person can accrue and later …More

Once again, it’s time for federal employees and retirees to make a decision about their coverage under the Federal Employees …More

When you get ready to retire, you should give some thought to your Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage. And …More

It’s unfortunate but every year there are some federal employees who end up with a disabling mental or physical condition …More

Are you are separated or divorced? Do you expect to be? If so, you need to know about the “Spouse …More

If you are one of the many FERS employees who have at least five years of CSRS service under their …More

There are few things more frustrating than getting into an argument with your health benefit plan over whether a medical …More

When it comes to retiring early, FERS employees have a big advantage over their CSRS counterparts. If they are under …More