A popular quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin is: Nothing is certain but death and taxes. True – however, the timing of one and the amount of the other are not certain. Leaders face certainty and uncertainty when painting their vision – e.g., revenue must cover expenses for an organization to be viable, but the timingRead… Read more »
Research on decision-making has made advances in recent years, but the research has not been applied to the actual practice of decision-making, observes Swiss professor Phil Rosenzweig in a recent article in the November issue of Harvard Business Review. Dr. Rosenzweig says in his article this is not because executives don’t want to make goodRead… Read more »
Our 2014 Leave Record & Scheduling Spreadsheet is now available for download to your desktop. Use it to automatically track your leave balances in all categories, annotate your schedule, and to establish realistic retirement target dates to maximize your benefits when you leave. This FREE spreadsheet automatically calculates your accrued annual and sick leave balances,Read… Read more »
Federal retirees, social security recipients, and military retirees will receive a 1.5% COLA next year! This is the lowest COLA since 1985 not counting the two years we did without one. Based on the average retiree’s annuity the 2014 COLA will add approximately $48 monthly for CSRS retirees and $18 for FERS retirees age 62Read… Read more »
I would say that anyone who has to borrow to pay their mortgage is in trouble, wouldn’t you! Can you imagine having to borrow not only to pay the mortgage but to just make the interest payments on your credit cards and other debt? Fortunately the government shutdown is over and everyone should be backRead… Read more »
Budgets, and budget reform, are sensitive topics at the moment, but it might be worthwhile to take a longer view of the issue to see what might be possible in the future, given the experiences of states and cities that have undertaken significant reforms. The topic of performance budgeting has been talked about for decades.Read… Read more »
Welcome to the continuing series of discussions with thought leaders who are bringing new and innovative solutions to the challenges government faces in delivering services to the citizen. +++++++ My guest for this episode is Chairman of the Board of Selectman for the Town of Ipswich Massachusetts, Charles Surpitski. Mr. Surpitski and I discuss aRead… Read more »
Welcome to the continuing series of discussions with thought leaders who are bringing new and innovative solutions to the challenges government faces in delivering services to the citizen. +++++++ My guest for this episode is Co-Chairwoman of the Planning Board for the Town of Ipswich Massachusetts, Heidi Paek. Heidi and I discuss a range ofRead… Read more »
Many federal employees and retirees alike are concerned about being forced out of the FEHB program and into local health care exchanges that are mandated by President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. I’m not sure why it was called the Affordable Care Act when in reality insurance costs have already increased considerably across all sectors sinceRead… Read more »
Many FERS annuitants that retire before age 62 are eligible for an annuity supplement that will end when they reach age 62. You may be eligible for a Special Retirement Supplement if you retire: After the Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) with 30 years of service; At age 60 with 20 years of service; or UponRead… Read more »