Retirement & Financial Planning Report

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

If you’re facing ever-steeper property tax bills, consider appealing. Your home might be overvalued and an appeal could save you …More

Tax-free withdrawals…529 to Roth IRA rollovers…grandparent-owned 529’s disregarded status. The 529 education savings vehicle keeps getting better. Knowledge is Power…Really …More

Although the most recent set of major changes to Social Security were the result of a White House-established commission’s work, …More

Every trust needs a trustee to assume responsibility for handling trust assets. Your choices include: Individual trustee: A friend or …More

Three million federal employees escaped the Federal Furlough of 2024. During my 36-year federal career, I experienced a federal furlough …More

While overall concerns among workers about their financial and physical well-being have been trending down, three-fourths still say their level …More

When they retire, most federal civilian employees who are receiving retired military pay have to decide whether to keep that …More

One form of benefit the government does not offer to its employees is short-term disability insurance. This type of insurance …More

Whether you’re early-career, approaching retirement, or already crossed the finish line, you need to understand that the sky is falling….and …More

A report for Congress has mapped how changes to Social Security benefits affects decisions on when to retire, finding that …More

Currently working men and women have largely similar hopes for retirement but levels of concern are consistently higher among women, …More

One consideration for older employees and retirees is that children’s eligibility for certain benefits changes as they age. Complicating the …More

Many people treat life insurance as a “file it and forget it” decision, but needs change over time. It could …More

What keeps you up at night? Well if you are an average American then it is probably the fear of …More

SSA employees don’t always caution potential benefits filers who would be affected by the “government pension offset”—including many of those …More

If you decide to leave assets in a trust for your beneficiaries, consider your designation of trustee carefully. The most …More

When you become a new Federal Retiree on January 1, 2025, what will you end up doing with yourself? The …More

The FERS (Federal Employees Retirement System) pension calculation is based on three variables: your high-3 salary, years of service, and …More

Imposter scams remained a leading source of fraud against older persons last year in reports to both the FTC and …More

There is no one “magic bullet” that will provide all-purpose asset protection. However, there some things that you should do …More

You generally may keep dental and/or vision coverage under the Federal Dental and Vision Insurance Program when you retire (or …More

Processing of retirement applications, customer service to retirees and preventing improper payments remain among the major management challenges to the …More

After you retire, your agency will send your records to OPM, which will check whether you meet a needed age …More

In your homeowner’s insurance, you should be sure that you have a “replacement cost” policy rather than an “actual cash …More