Retiring This Year? Here is a PreRetirement Checklist
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
What Do It Yourselfers Get Wrong
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
All TSP Funds Can be Bad
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
The Secure Act Means Big Changes to Retirement
On December 20, 2019, the US Senate passed a $1.4 trillion dollar spending deal that included the passing of retirement legislation known as the SECURE Act. This law affects many aspects of retirement that are
Going it Alone
Today’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?”
TSP Modernization Act is Here, What Now?
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?
Retire Now or Work Longer?
Federal employees considering retirement are constantly debating whether or not they should work for another year, or two years, or even three
Different Advisors and Their Compensation
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
Evaluating a LEO or ATC Contract Position
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
My Pet Peeves in the Financial Industry
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
Survivor Annuity Versus Life Insurance
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
Benefits Decisions at FERS Retirement
The final step toward retirement in the workplace is filling out retirement paperwork. That paperwork contains a few very important decisions for