What if you become a survivor before your annuity kicks in?
“My husband and I both had careers with the National Park Service. He carried the family insurance for us. He retired in 2021 and did not select me for survivor benefits since I also worked for the federal government. I now want to resign and defer or postpone my retirement until I meet the minimum […]
#84: Retirement Rules living abroad
Listen to the Full Episode: Do you wonder about your options for living abroad in retirement? Are you ready for change but need to know everything you need to keep your benefits? In this podcast episode, Joe Curry, CFPⓇ, CHS, joins Micah to delve into the intricate details of retiring abroad. The episode serves as […]
FERS Eligibility
“I am currently age 32 (a bit away from retirement) and I have been with USPS for 6.5 years now. It says you are fully vested in FERS after 10 years, but I don’t think I will retire with the USPS. If I were to wait for the 10 years before separating from USPS, would […]
#83: Dual Feds FEHB Rules
Listen to the Full Episode: In this episode of Plan Your Federal Retirement Podcast, Micah and Jamie discuss the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) and how it is an excellent benefit for federal employees, allowing them to keep health insurance into retirement. But most importantly, they dive into the rules for dual Feds, which refers […]
Moving from TSP to a Roth
“I’m about 10 years out from retirement. I’m wanting to stop putting money into the traditional tsp and start a Roth. Is that doable?” – Robin. https://youtu.be/NrRjwRxGuUw Robin, like many federal employees we visit throughout the year, is about 10 years away from wanting to retire under the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS). Robin is […]
#82: HR – Are they RIGHT or WRONG?
Listen to the Full Episode: Are you a federal employee planning for retirement? Do you know that negative outcomes can be prevented if only you know how to find the correct information and understand all the pieces of the Federal Retirement puzzle? But… what if the information you get from HR or OPM is different […]
What happens to your Unused Sick Leave in retirement?
“When determining creditable service for determining what my FERS annuity will be, can unused sick leave be used to get creditable service time from 20 years of service? For example, if I work 19.5 years and have 6 months of work unused sick leave, then can I insist that my annuity be 20 years so […]
#81: What To Have In Savings?
Listen to the Full Episode: How many months’ worth of living expenses do you need to have saved up and why? Do you have emergency (911 account) reserves? These questions bother a lot of people. But, the fundamental question for each of us is: What should we have in savings? If you want to know […]
FERS Supplement and Earned Income
“Micah, I have a question about the earnings test for FERS Supplement. I’m a title 38 physician, planning to retire with age 60 + 20 years of service and lump sum annual leave payment of 685 hours. I believe the lump sum annual leave payout is considered earned income, so I think my first year’s […]
#80: FERS Supplement Details
Listen to the Full Episode: The FERS supplement is a great benefit of your FERS retirement package. This supplement is available to federal employees who retire before age 62 and is a substitute for social security. The amount of the supplement is calculated using the same formula as Social Security, but it is unique to […]
Advantages and Disadvantages of filing out beneficiary designation forms with TSP and FEGLI
“Love your podcast! I am a Federal retiree and fine with Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) standard order of precedence beneficiary assignments being spouse, then children in equal shares. I understand this order of precedence is followed when no beneficiary forms are on file. I have not submitted any […]
Ep #79: 7 Things You Can NOT Do in TSP in Retirement
Listen to the Full Episode: Retirement can be challenging, especially when it comes to managing your finances. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is assuming you can do anything you want with your thrift savings plan (TSP) after retirement. As a federal employee, you have phenomenal benefits, but as with any other tool, […]