By Brian Swerdlow As a federal employee, you have a fantastic portfolio of benefits, including healthcare, life insurance, and the Thrift Savings Plan. This robust benefits package may be a primary reason you decided to work for the public sector in the first place. However, when navigating the intricacies of your benefits, you may [...]
"If you're close to retirement, don't panic and listen to "trendy" financial advice. Remain calm, focusing on long-term goals, and partner with a fiduciary agent who has your best interests in mind." Brian Swerdlow By Brian Swerdlow Most of us understand there is a tradeoff between risk and reward. You may realize, for example, [...]
"Many people understand life insurance is a "necessary expense" but often overlook the valuable role insurance plays in enhancing their financial security."- Brian Swerdlow. By Brian Swerdlow For many Americans, talking about life insurance is right up there with discussing our hernia surgery or listening to Aunt Mabel drone on about her hydrangeas. It's [...]
By Brian Swerdlow Signed into law in late 2022, the Setting, Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) 2.0 Act contains dozens of new provisions pertaining to retirement. These changes will likely impact how Federal employees save and withdraw funds from their retirement accounts. Building on the original SECURE Act of 2019, which altered the [...]
"If you are a federal employee covered by FERS who needs or wants to retire earlier than planned, MRA 10+ may be an option. MRA + 10 allows Feds who have met minimum age requirements and have at least ten years of service to retire sooner than expected." Brian Swerdlow by Brian Swerdlow Federal [...]
"Public pensions face even more risk exposure as they try to plug funding gaps." By Brian Swerdlow In 2000, most government retirement plans in America were fully funded. However, as pension plans voted to increase benefits or reduce government contributions, things began getting shaky. By the time 2016 rolled around, many government employees were [...]
Retirement Max Radio's Ken Reeves Ken takes a look at nuggets of financial wisdom offered to us by none-other-than Hollywood movie studios. Is any of it worth considering? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Cuyy_ZOig #financialadvicefromhollywood, #moviesandmoney, #kenreeves, #retiremaxradio, #bestmoneypodcasts, #retirementpodcasts
Authored By Dr. Wade Pfau,Ph.D., CFA, RICP® Retirement Researcher Readers of my last blog entry, Annuities and Delayed Social Security, provided many valuable comments, prompting me to now write a follow-up post. Most of the discussion centered on a chart showing the relationship between annuity payout rates and interest rates. That chart was actually a last [...]
By Eric Coons First, the bad news. The world's economy is in a period of turbulence unlike any we've seen in modern history. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like stability is coming anytime soon. The market's unpredictability, along with socio-political events, may make you fearful and paralyzed. The good news is that you can still rely [...]
"Once upon a time, state and federal government pensions were considered somewhat sacred, a bulwark against economic forces that battered conventional retirement savings plans. But, due to unprecedented economic shifts, those with government-sponsored retirement plans may be less secure than ever."- Brian Swerdlow. By Brian Swerdlow In a business environment where Wall Street executives [...]
“If you are a federal employee covered by FERS who needs or wants to retire earlier than planned, MRA 10+ may be an option. MRA + 10 allows Feds who have met minimum age requirements and have at least ten years of service to retire sooner than expected.” Brian Swerdlow By Brian Swerdlow Federal [...]
Authored By Erich Wagner The latest legislative proposal to block presidents from unilaterally stripping federal workers of their civil service protections creates additional barriers to reclassifying employees. FEBRUARY 14, 2023 ERICH WAGNER This story was updated at 4 p.m. to include additional information about the House version of the bill and additional reaction. Lawmakers in [...]
