eNews

FAQs for Mid-Career FERS Employees

Published: March 2020

By: Vanessa Craddock, Federal Benefits Specialist

Do you have at least 10 years of government service? You may wonder what benefits you have earned at this point and what to expect for the second part of your career. The following are 5 frequently asked questions and answers you may find helpful.

Retirement Countdown Checklist

Published: February 2020

By: Maureen Wilkin, Federal Benefits Specialist

When you start planning for retirement in this era of overwhelming technology and data, the last thing you want is another application or program to work through. Take heart. There is a simpler, tried-and-true method to assist you. It’s a checklist.

The Retirement Countdown Checklist begins five years before your planned retirement date. It includes things you should know and should be doing at various points along the way. Although it is written for Federal Employees and their retirement, the basic planning points might be applied elsewhere.

Is Your TSP Ready for the New Year?

By: Karen Schaeffer, CFP®

January 2020

What’s your New Year’s resolution? Need one that you can really accomplish instead of that exercise goal we’re already making excuses about? Look no further than www.tsp.gov. There’s a great goal there for everyone.

Your “Personal” Official Personnel Folder

By: Vanessa Craddock, Federal Benefits Specialis

Published: December 2019

What is the OPF?

The OPF is the official record which documents your employment history in the Federal government.

Why do employees need a personal copy of their OPF?

The OPF houses the documentation used by HR to make personnel-related decisions affecting your employment. Whenever information is transferred, forms can be lost or misplaced. HR Specialists change over time and your information goes through different hands and locations. Information necessary to process a sudden change in your employment status may be incorrect or missing. When you maintain your own personal copies of your records, these may be used.

Federal Benefits Open Season is Coming! Give It Some Thought

By: Maureen Wilkin, Federal Benefits Specialist, NITP

Published: November 2019

Federal Benefits Open Season for health insurance, dental and vision insurance, and the flexible spending program will begin this year on November 11 and run through December 9. The number of participants who will make changes to existing enrollments will be quite low, as usual, and even fewer new enrollments will occur. Why? Complacency and aversion to change are the main reasons.

Online Resources for Federal Open Season 2019

By: Michele Bollier, Federal Benefits Specialist

Published: October 2019

Federal Open Season is November 11, 2019 – December 9, 2019

Michele has compiled a useful guide containing hyperlinks to online resources during Federal Open Season.

CLICK HERE to view the guide.

Michele Bollier, Federal Benefits Specialist, NITP, is a retired Federal employee. She worked for the Federal government for over 30 years focusing on Federal benefits. Since then, she has been a seminar presenter for NITP.

New & Improved TSP

By: Karen Schaeffer, CFP®

Published: September 2019

You’re Going to Love the New and Improved TSP!

For years (ok, let’s be honest, decades) when participants in our retirement classes learned of the limited withdrawal options from the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) they were stunned. For Traditional TSP accounts the choices amount to:

The FERS Annuity

By: Vanessa Craddock, Federal Benefits Specialist

Published: August 20, 2019

As many Federal employees may know, the FERS retirement program is a three-tiered benefit system: the FERS Annuity, the Social Security retirement, and the Thrift Savings Plan. It is the FERS portion, however, that serves as the foundation of this retirement plan. So what exactly is a FERS Annuity benefit and what can employees do to get the most from it?

The Federal Retirement Paper Chase

By: Maureen Wilkin, Federal Benefits Specialist

Published: July 18, 2019

If you are a soon-to-be-retired Federal employee, you should begin the retirement application “paper chase” about six months before the date you plan to retire. No need to panic. It actually requires less paperwork for you to leave Federal service than it did for you to enter! Continue reading

Preparing to Meet with your Benefits Officer About Retirement

By: Phil Gardner, Federal Benefits Specialist

Published: June 20, 2019

Getting ready to retire? Your agency benefits officer wants you to start the process 3 to 6 months ahead of your retirement date. Here are some things to think about before setting up your meeting. Your benefits officer will provide you with full details and an estimate of your annuity. Continue reading