December and January are the months when the most feds retire. Many do it because they can carry over (and cash out) the maximum amount of annual leave. And it will be taxable at 2016 rates. Others leave to avoid winter, or because the end or beginning of the year seems like a good time.

I got a very nice email this week from a Social Security Administration employee. He’s pulling the plug next month after a mere 53 years with Uncle Sam. Half a century-plus.

We’ve been in touch over the years (decades, actually) and he promised to keep reading and commenting. Good! Like a lot of people he’s been-there-done-that and has a treasure trove of institutional memory. He remembers life before email, FaceBook and Twitter. When he started working, people actually looked at each other, rather than via hand-held devices. When if you “liked” somebody it was personal, not something you shared with 1,272 “friends.” Anyhow …

We got to thinking. If you, or a colleague, are planning to retire drop us a line. I’d like to run some of them — with or without your byline — in a column format. You know, who you are, where you’ve worked, your agency mission. How well that worked out. Are you glad you joined the government? Would you do it again? That sort of thing. Your take.

You can send them to me: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com And, if you do retire, we hope you stick with us. Life doesn’t end when you formally stop working. You’re just getting started on Act Two.

Insurance Shopping Tips: We bombarded you yesterday both on air and online. Consumer Checkbook editor Walton Francis was my guest on our Your Turn radio show. If you missed it, want to pass it on to a friend or listen again, click here.

Immediately after the show, we had a webinar taking questions from folks who had signed up. Good information. To view that online you can click here.

Nearly Useless Factoid

By Michael O’Connell

One billion people use Facebook a day.

Source: Facebook

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