Many obsess about what they will do in retirement and fear finding out too late – after they retire – that retirement isn’t for them. Most retirees discover early on that their time remains a cherished commodity and you will wonder how you ever worked and got anything done. I’ve been retired going on 9Read… Read more »
The stock market is up and the DOW stock market index has recovered from its low of 6629 in March of 2009 to over 15,000 recently. Interest rates and yields on CDs, treasuries, and savings have remained historically low. The government has artificially maintaining interest rates well below norm to stimulate the economy and toRead… Read more »
Retirees and employees alike often need extra income to just get by, pay off debt, or to save for special occasions or a rainy day. There are many part time job offers that you must be cautious of such as advertisements that offer unrealistic wages and annual incomes with little work involved. Real opportunities takeRead… Read more »
My 1099R arrived from OPM this week and annuitants should have also received their Notice of Annuity Adjustments, Form R1 20-53 (REV. 12/12), that outlines your new 2013 status and payments. The annuity adjustment statement includes the 1.7% COLA increase and lists any changes to your insurance and elective payments. Each year we receive manyRead… Read more »
Yes, there are ways to retire with more than you can imagine! There are many parts to this puzzle that YOU have control over and those who take responsible actions now will be handsomely rewarded when they decide to retire. Having more in retirement doesn’t necessarily mean having a larger annuity, although that too isRead… Read more »
Most fantasize about retirement while working. I recall telling my wife when I was in my mid 20s that I wanted to stay with federal service because I could retire at age 55, which I did by the way. However, we live in the real world and retirement is a HUGE decision that changes yourRead… Read more »
There are many issues to consider when setting your retirement date; some personal and others financial. There isn’t a stock answer for when you should retire and whatever date you choose will impact your benefits one way or the other. For the most part, voluntary CSRS retirements are best the first three days of theRead… Read more »
It’s that time of year again and we all know that our health care premiums, in most cases, will be going up. The (FEHB) Program premiums will increase by 3.4 percent in 2013, which is lower than last year’s increase of 3.8 percent. The average premium increase for the Federal Employees Dental and Vision InsuranceRead… Read more »
Retirees are getting hit from all directions with hidden taxes, reduced purchasing power, increased healthcare, gas, food, and necessity costs. The size of our annuities, savings accounts and investments are shrinking due to a dramatically increased money supply when we truly need them to maintain our standard of living. I mentioned in my last columnRead… Read more »
Starting in 2013 newly hired FERS employee’s retirement contributions will increase from .8 percent to 3.1 percent of salary. Originally this was intended to apply to all FERS employees. There is another vote pending in the house that proposes increasing all employees’ contributions by 1.5 percent that will be phased in over a three yearRead… Read more »