Pay & Benefits

  • Federal News Radio Federal Drive anchor Tom Temin and Federal Times Senior Writer Andy Medici join host Mike Causey to talk about potential changes to the COLAs for federal, military and Social Security recipients. August 27, 2014

    August 27, 2014
  • FederalNewsRadio.com writer/editor Shefali Kapadia joins host Mike Causey to talk about phased retirement, and Jenny Mattingley, director of Government Affairs at the law firm Shaw, Bransford & Roth will discuss the upcoming federal pay raise and the possibility of a government shutdown. August 13, 2014

    August 13, 2014
  • The rule comes more than two years after President Barack Obama signed the provision into law on July 6, 2012. Under the final rule, eligible employees can work part time while drawing on part of their earned retirement benefits. Phased retirees must also spend at least 20 percent of their time mentoring other employees.

    August 07, 2014
  • NITP Senior Benefits Director Tammy Flanagan will answer your retirement questions. July 30, 2014

    July 30, 2014
  • Buying an annuity from the Social Security Administration is one way for federal employees to bolster their retirement income. And yes, you heard that right, you can buy a Social Security annuity. Tammy Flanagan is Senior Benefits Director for the National Institute of Transition Planning. She says on In Depth with Francis Rose the cost of the annuity depends on how patient you are.

    July 25, 2014
  • NARFE Legislative Director Jessica Klement, and Federal Times Senior Writer Andy Medici will discuss chained CPI, pay raises, and other issues affecting feds. July 23, 2014

    July 23, 2014
  • The TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act of 2014, sponsored by Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.), would no longer classify some Transportation Security Administration agents in the Office of Inspection as law enforcement officers.

    July 23, 2014
  • The military is shrinking, but the Pentagon's personnel costs keep growing. In fact, it pays about $125,000 per active-duty service member, including both salary and benefits. Two Washington think tanks are raising alarms. They say the Pentagon needs to do something now so it doesn't have to cut other critical parts of its budget later on. Steve Bell is senior director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. He joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss why the personnel cost has become expensive.

    July 22, 2014
  • The Office of Personnel Management just issued a final rule that lets a subset of federal employees enroll in or switch dental and vision plans outside of the open enrollment periods. The amendment goes into effect next month.

    July 17, 2014
  • NITP Senior Benefits Director Tammy Flanagan will answer your retirement questions. July 16, 2014

    July 16, 2014
  • The Congressional Budget Office estimates the Senate's postal reform plan would save just under $17 billion. Changes to the agency would include maintaining increased postal rates and cutting delivery to five days per week.

    July 16, 2014
  • The Smart Savings Act would make the Lifecycle Funds the default investment option in the Thrift Savings Plan for new federal employees.

    July 15, 2014
  • Making the call to turn your investment decisions over to a financial planner is a big decision for just about anybody, but there are several important factors that make that decision even more complicated for federal employees. Tammy Flanagan is Senior Benefits Director for the National Institute of Transition Planning. She's writing about some of the elements of that decision making process for soon-to-retire feds, and shared her thoughts on In Depth with guest host Jared Serbu.

    July 11, 2014
  • In examining the viability of the Senior Executive Service, House members called out the Veterans Affairs' compensation program, with a pledge to introduce another piece of legislation to take back bonuses. The Senior Executives Association relayed concerns that talent is fleeing senior executive positions.

    July 11, 2014
  • While federal employees gave high marks on usefulness and importance to the Thrift Savings Plan, only a small percentage said they had flexible spending accounts because they saw little value in the program. The results are part of a survey that OPM has been doing since 2004 to gauge worker opinions on the health and wellness benefits it offers.

    July 10, 2014