What do these three things have in common?

1. Visiting a nudist colony in the Gobi Desert.
2. Retiring from the government.
3. Dying.

If you said that events 1, 2 and 3 are things that most people only do once, you would be correct.

We can’t help you with two of those bucket list items, but when it comes to retirement, you’ve come to the right place. Especially now that the federal government is about to launch a phased retirement program that will let people go part-time for an extended period of time while they get their retirement feet wet and help mentor workers they will leave behind.

Nobody knows how extensive, or not, or how popular, or not, the program will be. It may cover tens of thousands. It may be a reality for only a handful of workers in a handful of agencies. Remember teleworking? A slow, sometimes painful, start!

Whatever the odds, many people are interested. But according to benefits expert Tammy Flanagan, they need to do some prepping. As in:

• Find out what is phased retirement and how does it work?
• What to consider BEFORE you take phased retirement.
• How much will your paycheck and pension check be during phased retirement?
• What (if any) are the alternatives to phased retirement?
• Is phased retirement right for you, your family and your bank account.

If you don’t know the answers, welcome to the club. Which is why today on our Your Turn Radio Show, we are having a two-for-one bonus. In the first hour of the show, Tammy Flanagan, Shefali Kapadia and I will talk about the upcoming retirement option. Tammy is senior benefits specialist with the National Institutes of Planning. Shefali is Federal News Radio’s resident expert on the new program. I’m me! But we’ll all be on hand with facts and opinions about the important new program.

Immediately following the show (which runs 10-11 a.m. EDT), we will have an online chat about phased retirement. Hope you listen in and then sign up for the chat. The director of OPM says phased retirement is a “win-win” program for the government. Sign up and listen in.

NEARLY USELESS FACTOID:

By Michael O’Connell

Cap-d’Agde Naturist Village in France is the largest naturist resort in the world.

Source: TripAdvisor.

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Online Chat: Phased Retirement
Join Federal News Radio experts Wednesday, Sept. 10, from 11-11:30 a.m., for an online chat about phased retirement, a new option which allows eligible employees to work part time while drawing on part of their earned retirement benefits. Tammy Flanagan, senior benefits director at the National Institute of Transition Planning, joins Federal News Radio Senior Correspondent Mike Causey and Web Editor Shefali Kapadia to answer your biggest questions about the new retirement option being offered to federal employees.

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