A market downturn, or bear market, can be scary for even the most seasoned investors. Investors can easily run through a rollercoaster of emotions--from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows—in just a week’s time. This cycle of uncertainty will cause many investors
What should a federal employee do with their Thrift Savings Plan when the market is going down like it has been? Is it a good time to cut losses and move it all to the G fund? This was a major question in 2008 and 2009 and has once again made a comeback
Retiring can be one of the biggest decisions a person makes in their lifetime and should not be taken lightly. Preparation can be a key component to an enjoyable and financially secure retirement. If you plan to retire this year
A large percentage of people choose to do their own investing and financial planning. Like anything else, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing if it is done well. The obvious question that arises is: Is it done well, and what are the most common mistakes that people make?
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a great tool for federal employees to save for retirement. Saving, and even maxing out your contributions to TSP is normally thought of as a good thing. Yes, maxing out your TSP can be very beneficial, but may not
This law affects many aspects of retirement that are sure to have an impact on the middle class and their beneficiaries. If you are near retirement, just beginning to save, or nearing the magical age of 70
oday’s world is full of do-it-yourselfers, and rightfully so due to our access to information. Anything from house repairs to car repairs to investing can be done on your own, but the question I ponder is, “Is it worth it?” There are some things we can do on our own that we simply choose not to
The TSP is designed to make up one third of federal employee’s retirement income, but taking money out of it can be a tough decision. One of the most common distribution strategies I have heard is, “I’m going to wait until 70.” What does “I’m going to wait” mean?
On September 15, the TSP Modernization Act should be in place giving federal employees more access to their Thrift Savings plan. What does that mean and how will it affect federal employees?
Federal employees considering retirement are constantly debating whether or not they should work for another year, or two years, or even three. This is a great question and brings up a whole slew of criteria to evaluate
Seeking financial advice can be a daunting task for federal employees. There are many types of advisors that provide advice and most of them will claim that they are the best kind to work with. Knowing how each professional operates can provide some clarity on who may be the best fit to work with. Understanding their compensation models can provide
Many federal employees are in the fortunate position of having the option of moving to a contract position at retirement, or even before they plan to retire. This can happen with specialties that fall under the normal FERS retirement system, but most commonly this happens with law enforcement officers (LEO) and air traffic controllers (ATC).
Here are some important questions to address when deciding whether or not to leave money in TSP or move it to an IRA.
The financial advice industry has gotten plenty of bad press in the past and rightfully so. The industry is not isolated from criminals, deception and plenty of products that mislead people. I have been a part of the industry for the better part of two decades and there are aspects of the industry that I dislike as well
A common practice of married federal employees is to take a survivor annuity when they retire. The goal of the survivor annuity is to guarantee a benefit for a surviving spouse, which sounds a lot like life insurance.
