Expert’s View

A unique feature of the FERS retirement system is the MRA+10 provision. It allows employees to retire at their minimum …More

Last week I wrote about immediate retirement under CSRS and CSRS Offset. This time I want to review the immediate …More

While the number of CSRS and CSRS Offset employees is declining, there are still plenty of you on the rolls. …More

From time to time, events cause a spike in anxiety among federal employees and retirees. We are currently in such …More

Here’s question retirees turning age 65 often ask: “Since I paid for Medicare Part A when I was working, do …More

As a rule, you have to be age 65 or older to be eligible for Medicare. However, Medicare coverage is …More

Over the last two weeks, I’ve explained the five-year rule, which determines your eligibility to carry your FEHB coverage into …More

Last week I filled you in on three basic elements of the Federal Employees Health Benefits program: enrollment, premiums and …More

One of the most important benefits for federal employees, retirees, family members and survivors became law on September 28, 1959. …More

Does this sound familiar? I served on active duty in the armed forces, so that will increase my civil service …More

Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are one of the benefits that makes retirement financially viable for federal employees. However, there are some …More

Here’s another fiction that won’t die. It’s one where employees think they can burn off their annual leave before their …More

On federal personnel matters, there is always an abundance of fictions that masquerade as facts. Years ago, these were minor …More

In the last three articles on life events, we focused on the benefits impact of marriage, children, and divorce. Let’s …More

This is the third in a series of articles about life events and how they might affect you. I started …More

Last week we looked at the benefits available if you get married and how to make adjustments in your designations …More

As the old saying goes, life is what happens when you’re making other plans. The important thing is to recognize …More

If you leave government before you have the right combination of age and service to retire, you’ll be entitled to …More

What can you do if the law won’t allow you to provide a federal retirement survivor annuity for someone you …More

In my last article, I pointed out why it’s so important to have your affairs in order in the event …More

One thing we don’t like to think about is our own death. Because of that, we often postpone making arrangements …More

Over the last four weeks I’ve been writing about employees who were retiring at the last minute, the mechanics of …More

I’ve written about this issue before but I wish I had done so again recently because it might have spared …More

Following are the steps that various parts of your agency will follow as they jointly work toward getting you on …More

Well, we really are down to the wire. The last day on which a FERS employee can retire and be …More

Years ago, when an agency submitted an employee’s retirement paperwork, it took OPM a long time to begin paying that …More

The 2019 leave year ends on Saturday, January 4, 2020 and the 2020 leave year begins on Sunday, January 5. …More

If you are eligible to retire, have decided to do so soon but haven’t made up your mind on an …More

Relatively few employees, retirees, and survivors — only around five percent each year — take advantage of their opportunity to …More

Sick leave is one of the government’s high-value benefits. Not only does it help when you are ill but it …More