Retirement
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The trustees who oversee Social Security have released a mixed report on the program's solvency. Retirement will be okay until 2034. The disability trust fund, however, has just two more years. But what about the Social Security Administration itself? As a large agency responsible for delivering hundreds of billions of dollars in benefits each year, it also has long term challenges. Those hurdles are detailed in a study by the National Academy of Public Administration. Project Director Roger Kodat joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss the major challenges at SSA over the next 10 years.
July 28, 2014 -
With all the bad press the government, and government workers are getting nowadays, do you ever tell people you do something else---like maybe you are a travel agent or undertaker---for a living? If not, you may want to reconsider why not.
July 28, 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 -
Living costs are on the rise. That puts federal retirees on track for a 1.9 percent cost of living adjustment in January. But that's only if lawmakers don't change the way inflation is measured. Congress and the White House both say the chained CPI would be a more accurate measure. But the chained CPI has lots of critics and foes. They say it's like switching your habits from eating steak for dinner to eating dog food. Web Editor Shefali Kapadia joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss federal employees' reaction online.
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 -
How much cash would it take for you to accept a buyout at your agency? Is there a magic number you're looking for? Web Manager Julia Ziegler joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss what people are saying online.
July 18, 2014 -
If you live and work in the Washington area, are you less happy and more nervous in the civil service than your identical twin who's a fed in Indianapolis or Denver? Maybe there's a good reason, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
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 -
The Air Force will offer early retirement and buyouts to civilian personnel, in order to eliminate nearly 3,500 positions, officials announced Monday. The service estimates the cuts will save the Air Force $1.6 billion over the next five years.
July 15, 2014 -
Remember the buyouts of the 1990s? Maybe you were just starting out and it saved your job. Well that was then, and this is now. Forget everything you knew about buyouts and start all over again, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
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 -
Thanks to summertime and the upcoming election, even the most anti-bureaucrat politicians have called a time out in their whack-a-fed agendas. But there are some real threats out there.
July 11, 2014 -
The Transportation Security Administration has received approval to offer early retirements this calendar year.
July 11, 2014