Your Federal Life

Regular, actionable information on the management of the careers and financial lives of federal employees. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin and Workforce Reporter Drew Friedman speak with investment advisors, health plan experts and other experts on the federal workforce, their pay and their benefits.


  • The government might be operating on a continuing resolution. Individuals should take better charge of their own financial lives before the end of the year. Including optimizing your Thrift Savings Plan. We got some tips from RMG…
    December 5, 2024
  • It’s the season of seasons. Thanksgiving season. Christmas season. And for federal employees, it’s the middle of open season, which runs until December 5. It has a lot of moving parts. For more, we turn to…
    November 20, 2024
  • Open season means federal employees have homework. Time spent now planning for your health care coverage can pay off later … both in money and health. For some things to think about, I spoke with…
    November 14, 2024
  • Open season means federal employees have homework. Time spent now planning for your health care coverage can pay off later, both in money and health. For some things to think about, I spoke with principal…
    November 6, 2024
  • Just eleven days until this year’s federal open season. When federal employees choose their health benefits insurance provider for the coming year. More people skip the homework, looking at plans to see if its worth…
    October 31, 2024
  • Lots of federal employees like to pin their retirements to the end of the year. It makes for nice closure on a career. But if you mean this year, there’s no time to lose. Retirement…
    October 23, 2024
  • After a long road of trying to improve workforce morale, the Social Security Administration finally appears to be turning a corner. For the first time in years, SSA employees’ views on employee engagement, satisfaction and…
    October 17, 2024
  • No doubt you’ve heard. Price hikes for health insurance for federal employees coming next year. Big ones. Open season is coming soon, so it all brings lots of questions. For retirees, a smaller cost of living…
    October 9, 2024
  • When the stock market moves up and down, analysts always find one reason or another. Presidential elections, though, seem to consistently exert influence over market behavior. In other words, Kamala and Donald are affecting your…
    October 2, 2024
  • The shine has dulled for CD’s, certificates of deposit, that looked like great investment vehicles when interest rates were higher. Just rolling them over may not be such a great wealth-building strategy. We got some…
    September 18, 2024
  • It’s taken a generation, but now federal benefits have become available for first responders harmed during the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The money was authorized in last year’s National Defense Authorization bill. Federal News…
    September 12, 2024
  • Our theme today is not only what you earn and save, but what you leave behind. Anyone with a career, assets and perhaps a family needs a little estate planning. It might be arcane, but…
    September 4, 2024
  • To young service members, the idea of building wealth might seem like a pipe dream. They don’t earn much and often have high borrowing and housing costs. But it’s never too early to start. For…
    August 28, 2024
  • When the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board rolled out a new system for managing the TSP back in 2022, it didn’t go well. Account holders encountered a web site that barely functioned and long wait times for help.…
    August 8, 2024