Retirement

  • The Defense Business Board has proposed major changes to military retirement by transitioning from its cliff-vesting system to a system of yearly retirement contributions deposited into the TSP.

    July 26, 2011
  • Federal unions and associations haven\'t gotten far in their attempts to convince Congress not to cut federal workers\' salaries, retirement or resources. Now they\'re taking that message to the public through media spots and demonstrations.

    July 22, 2011
  • Federal workers dodged a bullet in April when the government shutdown fizzled, and we all breathed a sign of relief when the world, as predicted, didn\'t end last May. Now we all face two new threats to jobs, benefits and services. So Senior Correspondent Mike Causey asks, what are our odds?

    July 22, 2011
  • The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has implemented a 2008 law that puts Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers on par with law enforcement officers when it comes to earning greater retirement benefits and qualifying for early retirement. It also requires CBP officers to retire by age 57.

    July 19, 2011
  • The two largest federal unions are urging feds to stand up against proposed cuts to federal pay and retirement by calling Congressional leaders and rallying in New York. Last week, 21 federal unions sent a letter to Treasury and OMB demanding to know what would happen to federal employees should Congress and the White House fail to raise the debt ceiling but got no response.

    July 19, 2011
  • Charles Farrell, a principal with Northstar Investment Advisors, discussed the pros and cons of buying annuities. The Government Accountability Office recently released a report detailing various retirement strategies, including converting savings into an annuity.

    July 18, 2011
  • Federal, military and Social Security retirees were delighted last month when it appeared they were on track for a January cost of living adjustment of around 3.3 percent, but Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says living costs are down, believe it or not, and the COLA may be in danger of stalling.

    July 18, 2011
  • Tammy Flanagan, senior benefits director for the National Institute of Transition Planning, discussed the pros and cons of cashing out a TSP and what to think about when buying an annuity from a private company.

    July 15, 2011
  • Will you still receive a social security check if the government doesn\'t raise the debt ceiling? You won\'t be getting an answer from the Social Security Administration.

    July 15, 2011
  • A reduced COLA may be part of the debt ceiling negotiations. Arthur Stein is a certified financial planner and he tells you what you need to prepare for.

    July 15, 2011
  • Which of the following items are NOT at stake in the current White House-Congressional debt limit dance: pay raises, your insurance premiums, the health of your brand-new puppy or future raises for federal and Social Security retirees? Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says it\'s both serious and confusing and, maybe down the road, amusing too.

    July 14, 2011
  • Federal and postal workers and retirees are under so many attacks that many of them don\'t know which of the threats is real and which is most serious. Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says a lot of people are worrying about something that probably won\'t happen while ignoring several bigger threats.

    July 12, 2011
  • The Thrift Savings Plan is often lauded as the best retirement plan in the country. But there\'s still some confusion about who\'s eligible for the TSP and how it works.

    July 11, 2011
  • Table of TSP June returns.

    July 06, 2011