Pay & Benefits

Nearly every TSP fund rebounded in November

Only one of the portfolios in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program lost value last month.

Pay & Benefits

Medicare Part D may benefit most federal annuitants next year

COMMENTARY | Not only are there more options to choose from, but there are also benefit changes that may make Part D more convenient and a better value, according to Kevin Moss of Consumers’ Checkbook.

Pay & Benefits

Feds in 2024 made almost a quarter less than their private sector peers

The Federal Salary Council, which reported the disparity, also recommended creating new locality pay areas in Kennewick-Richland-Walla Walla, Wash., and Syracuse-Auburn, N.Y.

Pay & Benefits

Retirement decisions that can't be reversed

Here are the retirement decisions that require careful consideration since they cannot be changed.

Pay & Benefits

House passes a bill eliminating tax provisions that harm some federal retirees

Despite solid bipartisan support, the Senate could run out of time to approve the legislation.

Pay & Benefits

OPM’s retirement backlog ticked up slightly last month, though other metrics improved

Statistics measuring the federal government HR agency’s performance in processing departing federal workers’ retirement claims remained stable following the backlog’s removal from OPM’s list of top management challenges.

Pay & Benefits

Feds find open season 'unpleasant'—but may miss thousands in savings

Federal enrollees have until Dec. 9 to make changes to their health coverage ahead of substantial premium increases.

Pay & Benefits

The House finally appears set to repeal the WEP and GPO

Lawmakers in September successfully triggered a discharge petition to force a vote on legislation to get rid of the controversial tax provisions affecting some feds’ retirement benefits.

Pay & Benefits

A primer on the FERS supplement

The Federal Employees Retirement System supplement can get complicated, so we answer some of your key questions about it.

Pay & Benefits

Infertility benefit coverage from FEHB plans in 2025

Federal employees will have even more options for plans offering IVF coverage, including another national PPO plan.

Pay & Benefits

GSA issues update to rules governing relocation expense reimbursement following real estate lawsuit

A recent deal to settle multiple lawsuits against the National Association of Realtors has changed how real estate agents are compensating, necessitating a tweak to how agencies reimburse federal workers who must relocate for work.

Pay & Benefits

Most TSP funds took a tumble in October

Only two portfolios in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program ended last month in the black, ending a three-month run of gains.

Pay & Benefits

Your Open Season Q&A

Open Season begins on Nov. 11 for active and retired federal and postal employees. Let's get you ready.

Pay & Benefits

An employee group is miffed by the new Postal Service insurance program’s Medicare Part D coverage

OPM said that they were restricted in how they provide prescription drug benefits to Medicare-eligible enrollees in the new Postal Service Health Benefits Program, but at least one employee association disagrees.

Updated Pay & Benefits

OPM doesn’t have documented customer experience plans for the Postal Service’s open season, OIG says

The HR agency has developed contingencies if there is a surge of customer experience requests during the Postal Service Health Benefits System’s first open season, but a new report claims that those plans aren’t either defined or comprehensive enough for the multi-agency operation. 

Pay & Benefits

Revisiting the WEP and GPO

How the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset cause substantial, and often, unfair reductions in Social Security benefits for CSRS retirees.

Pay & Benefits

Why federal workers should consider an HSA

COMMENTARY | There is something exciting about having a health insurance plan that can reduce your taxes while also providing tax-free investment growth.

Pay & Benefits

A Senate bill targeting teleworkers’ locality pay now has its companion in the House

Legislation introduced by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., would bar federal workers from receiving locality pay if they telework at least once per week, a move that could amount to a 30% pay cut for many feds.