Congress Passes 2018 Federal Retirement Budget Without Benefits Cuts
November 14, 2017
Over the past few months, MyFEDBenefits has covered proposed benefits cuts and changes to retirement options for employees. With the proposed 2018 budget, significant changes were on the table for federal employees and their potential income levels. Discussions about the types of benefits that employees should receive and the best plans for recruiting top talent […]
How The PSLF Program Erases Student Debt for Federal Employees
November 7, 2017
There are many worker benefits that federal employees aren’t aware of. Even if you have worked for the federal government for several years, you might not realize that there are certain programs, options, and opportunities to take advantage of. Time and again, one of the most often overlooked options for students is the Public Service […]
The GSA Announces Updated Per Diem Rates for Federal Travelers
November 4, 2017
The General Services Administration recently announced its per diem rates for federal travelers that are effective October 1, 2017. These rates set the average lodging cost that employees can charge the government for using. The major change with these guidelines affects the standard per diem rate, which was increased from $91 to $93. Unless a […]
4 Factors That Affected the 2018 COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment)
October 25, 2017
The government annually reviews the cost of living for retired federal employees and Social Security recipients to determine whether it needs to increase payment amounts. This cost of living adjustment (COLA) takes into consideration the costs associated with basic amenities like food, housing payments, gas, communication, and medical care. If one of these aspects has […]
6 Questions About Federal Pension Cuts Answered
October 20, 2017
One of the main goals of the White House and current Congressional leadership is to change how the federal government approaches retirement. The executive branch is looking to reduce costs for retirement and pension plans while making federal jobs seem more appealing in the job market. However, these savings plans have left several employees wondering […]
How Proposed Changes to Paid Benefits Can Change Your Retirement Plans
September 20, 2017
Over the past few weeks, both President Trump and Congressional leaders have considered cutting paid benefits and retirement plans for federal employees. This has lead to considerable uncertainty for current employees who are planning to retire in the next few years as well as for younger employees who want to start saving for retirement but […]
What Employees Can Expect from 2018 Federal Employee Raises
September 11, 2017
The final months of the calendar year are a tumultuous time for any president, but particularly for a new one. Along with the budget proposal and debt ceiling coverage, the president also issues a proposal for annual federal employee raises. This proposition was due at the end of August, and President Trump submitted a 1.9% […]
What Is a Reduction in Force (RIF) and How Can You Prepare For It?
September 6, 2017
Whenever there is a change in leadership within the White House, it’s common for the new President to review how various agencies run and make changes to the staffing. This is no different under the current administration. In the past few months, President Trump has made changes to the resources and funding to various federal […]
How the OPM Retirement Claims Backlog Will Affect Your Benefits Access
September 1, 2017
The Office of Personnel Management is currently fighting against a backlog of applications and claims for retirement benefits. While the backlog tends to peak at the start of the year, spikes in applications or attempted enrollments can add to the backlog each month. July was a particularly bad month for OPM retirement claims, as the […]
Proposed Cuts to Retirement Benefits: What You Need to Know
August 15, 2017
The first half of 2017 was tumultuous for many retired Americans who closely followed the proposed healthcare reform bills. Along with changes to premiums (particularly for seniors) and rolled back coverage of pre-existing conditions, there were talks about cutting Medicare and Medicaid benefits that are presently offered in the Affordable Care Act. This would have […]
