Retirement & Financial Planning Report

Updated: One tactic for dealing with potential personal incapacity—inability to make your own financial decisions—is to put some assets in …More

The federal retirement system made nearly $244 million in improper payments during 2024 that “often are from fraud, waste, or …More

Updated: The deferred annuity option can be attractive for federal employees who 1) aren’t currently eligible to retire under an …More

Auto and homeowners insurance policies might require you to make temporary repairs to protect your property from further damage. Your …More

The Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Supplement is a benefit that remains relatively unknown to many federal employees. If you’re …More

The SSA has said that it has begun recalculating benefits for federal retirees and others who had been affected by …More

Under certain circumstances, the children of deceased federal employees and retirees are entitled a survivor annuity—which for retirees is payable …More

Trust fees vary widely so it pays to shop around and get quotes before making any commitments. Be sure you …More

A study has found a significant gender gap in retirement savings—as well as housing-based wealth—among single persons, while also showing …More

Although no one wants to think about their own funeral arrangements, ignoring the issue can lead to over-spending that will …More

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

In its annual “call letter” to carriers in the FEHB and PSHB programs outlining requirements for the 2026 plan year, …More

Each year, some federal retirees return to government employment, for personal, career or financial reasons. If you are thinking of …More

Many people like the feeling of receiving a refund each year when they do their tax returns. But that refund …More

The TSP “had a record year in 2024 in many ways,” including highs in the percentage of investors receiving the …More

For your financial planning for your family, it’s important to know what benefits would be payable if you were to …More

Chances are you’ve spent a certain amount of time on the creation of your will. You’ve discussed the provisions with …More

The SSA has said it “cannot yet provide an estimated timeframe for when we will adjust a person’s past or …More

As we enter 2025, both federal retirees and active employees are anticipating potential changes to their income through Cost of …More

The new administration has started with executive orders which may change the complexity of how many federal agencies will be …More

If you are investing in Section 529 college savings plans for your children or possibly for grandchildren, you may accumulate …More

In a survey, three-fourths of retirees agreed—including a third who strongly agreed—that they wish they would have saved more on …More

When planning for retirement, one crucial step is to make sure you’re getting service credit for all your working time …More

With variable life insurance, a form of permanent (cash value) life insurance, you allocate your premium payments among subaccounts that …More

Updated: You need five years of service to be vested in the retirement system; only after you are vested in …More

To ensure your will stands up it should be written, by an attorney. Wills that you write yourself, or fill-in-the-blanks …More

Our recent article on 529 plans left some asking about other education funding options. In this article we’ll cover the …More

As we step into 2025, there are several important changes to FERS benefits that federal employees should be aware of. …More

A study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute of retiree finances cites “concerning trends on dampened spending expectations due to …More

You have a leg up as a federal retiree in that you have that increasingly rare benefit among American workers …More