A federal retirement tsunami has been predicted for years but never quite materialized. In our special report, "Retirement Conundrum," Federal News Radio reexamines the trends and developments that led to the botched predictions and what it means today with a recent uptick in retirements reviving old worries.
When it comes to those annual cost-of-living adjustments, a growing number of federal workers and retirees actually get diet COLAs each January. And that would get worse -- and extend to all retirees under a White House plan that has strong congressional backing, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
It's been nearly a year since Congress set up the program to allow employees to take phased retirement, working three or four days a week to help mentor their successors and get used to retirement. And although it's been fast-tracked, it still hasn't happened, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. So, what's up?
Steve Bauer, executive director of the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund, and Federal Times Senior Writer Stephen Losey will discuss furloughs and other issues affecting federal workers. May 22, 2013
Federal, military and Social Security retirees get a cost-of-living adjustment like clockwork each and every year, even during years when federal workers do not get pay raises. But the 2014 cost-of-living adjustment for retirees is up in the air and on attack on two very different fronts, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
Thinking of retiring within the next 12 to 18 months? Tired of traffic, being beaten up by politicians and facing a furlough? And who knows when the current three-year pay freeze will ever end? So call it a day, right? Put in your papers and everything will be okay, correct? Wrong, wrong wrong. Are you nuts? Retiring is not the answer for everyone, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
The Office of Personnel Management has made steady progress chipping away at a longstanding backlog of retirement claims. But Oversight Committee lawmakers and other government watchdogs remain concerned that the absence of a long-term plan to overhaul the mostly paper-based process combined with across-the-board budget cuts and a lack of strong leadership within OPM could stall or derail the progress the agency has made.
Host Mike Causey will discuss the OPM retirement processing backlog with NARFE Legislative Director Jessica Klement and the Federal Times' Stephen Losey. May 8, 2013
The number of federal employees filing retirement claims in April dipped below expectations following months of unexpectedly high numbers, according to new data from the Office of Personnel Management. OPM received 7,059 claims last month, about 1,000 fewer than expected.
All Thrift Savings Plan funds continued to perform well in April. While only two funds reported higher return rates for the month compared to March, all funds posted positive returns.
Host Mike Causey will talk furloughs with Federal Career Experts owner John Grobe, and hiring, retirement backlog, and more with Stephen Losey and Sean Reilly from the Federal Times. May 1, 2013
The Office of Personnel Management says sequestration cuts have forced the agency to suspend overtime hours for employees working in its Retirement Services office and to curtail call-center hours.
Senior Correspondent Mike Causey wants to know: Would the new plan to revise future cost-of-living adjustments put federal and Social Security retirees on a more realistic (and healthy) steak-to-beans diet? Or would each non-raise get a little worse?
Financial Planner Art Stein and Federal Times Senior Staff Writer Stephen Losey join host Mike Causey to talk about a number of issues affecting federal workers. April 24, 2013
Senior Correspondent Mike Causey wants to know: If I chopped a couple of bucks off each of the future cost-of-living adjustments made to your federal retirement or Social Security benefits would you even notice? Or, would you pick up the fact that over time that is a lot of money that you will never see.