Monday, September 17, 2012

Federal employee pre-retirement information

Title: Federal employee pre-retirement information

Article Snip: "...Retirement benefits are among the important benefits of Federal employment. It’s never too early to start planning for your retirement. In this section of the OPM website, prospective Federal employees, current Federal employees, and HR specialists can find information about Federal retirement benefits. ..."

Reference: OPM
pre-retirement planning,

Friday, September 14, 2012

Retirees to take hit

Title: The 0% Solution: Fed Strands Bank Savers, Retirees

Article Snip: "...Left out of the party once again are bank savers and U.S. retirees who live on fixed incomes, who once again lose out in the game of monetary musical chairs as low rates eat into their income -- just as they're paying more for critical commodities such as oil, gas, and groceries...."

Reference: www.thestreet.com

Friday, September 7, 2012

Federal retirement benefits and taxes

Title: Tax Issues You Could Face in Retirement

Article Snip: "...If you owe taxes on your federal retirement benefits, you can either make estimated tax payments or have the tax withheld from your regular benefit checks. You can choose to have 7%, 10%, 15% or 25% withheld. To authorize the withholding, file Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request, with the Social Security Administration...."

Reference: www.foxbusiness.com
Federal retirement benefits and taxes

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Windfall Elimination Provision

Title: Windfall Elimination Provision

Article Snip: "...The Windfall Elimination Provision affects how the amount of your retirement or disability benefit is calculated if you receive a pension from work where Social Security taxes were not taken out of your pay. A modified formula is used to calculate your benefit amount, resulting in a lower Social Security ­benefit than you otherwise would receive. ..."

Reference: www.ssa.gov

Friday, August 31, 2012

Retirement Planning Tips

Title: 10 Ways to Maximize Your Federal Benefits In The Middle of Your Career

Article Snip: "...it’s never too early to start thinking about how to prepare. It is even more important to make sure you’re doing the right things now, since there is still time to make a meaningful impact. You may even find that your eventual retirement does not have to be as far away as you thought...."

Reference: www.fedsmith.com

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Special Retirement Supplement (FERS Supplement) Fact Sheet

Title: Special Retirement Supplement (FERS Supplement) Fact Sheet

Article Snip: "...The special retirement supplement (also known as the FERS supplement) is unique to FERS. It substitutes for the Social Security part of your total FERS benefit until age 62, when most people become eligible for Social Security. The purpose of the supplement is to provide a level of income before age 62 similar to what you will receive at age 62 as part of a Social Security benefit... The eligibility requirements are..."

Reference: Federal Retiree
FERS Special Retirement Supplement, Social Security special retirement supplement, Social Security special retirement supplement (SRS),

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Federal retirees learn student-debt can be docked from Social Security

Title: Feds Dock Social Security for Unpaid Student Loans

Article Snip: "...thousands of retirees are learning that defaulting on student-debt can threaten something that used to be untouchable: their Social Security benefits...

According to government data, compiled by the Treasury Department at the request of SmartMoney.com, the federal government is withholding money from a rapidly growing number of Social Security recipients...
"

Reference: socialsecuritynewsgroup.blogspot.com

Friday, August 10, 2012

Medicare part B and FERS retiree

Title: FERS retiree and Medicare part B

Article Snip: "...I was 50. I elected survivor benefits for my spouse, who is 14½ years older than I am. She was 64 when I retired. I elected to remain in FEHB. Additionally, I did not stop working, as I took a job with a private firm before my retirement date and had medical benefits with that firm, in addition to my FEHB coverage. When my spouse was eligible to receive Medicare Part B ..."

Reference: federaltimes.com

Monday, July 2, 2012

Boost Social Security Checks

Title: How to Boost Social Security Checks

Article Snip: "...certain complex strategies that can help pad a married couple's retirement savings with tens of thousands of dollars of additional income. Don't make your claiming decision lightly..."

Reference: socialsecuritynewsgroup.blogspot.com
social security,

Friday, June 29, 2012

Special hiring authorities to deal with emergency situations

Title: Hurricane guidance issued to federal workers, agencies

Article Snip: "...Special hiring authorities to deal with emergency situations allow agencies to shortcut the often lengthy standard federal hiring process, to create temporary positions, and to rehire federal retirees without the usual reduction in pay to offset the value of their annuities...."

Reference: www.washingtonpost.com

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Applying for immediate retirement under the Federal Employees Retirement System

Title: Applying for immediate retirement under the Federal Employees Retirement System

Article Snip: "...Applying for immediate retirement under the Federal Employees Retirement System is a Paperback book from the U.S. Government. Get it now. Find out how to apply for retirement, when to apply for retirement, ..."

Reference: federalretiree.blogspot.com

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Unemployed Forced to Early Social Security

Title: Forced to Early Social Security, Unemployed Pay a Steep Price

Article Snip: "...Keany lives in a tiny mobile home, barely getting by on little more than $1,082 a month from Social Security..."

Reference: socialsecuritynewsgroup.blogspot.com

Friday, June 8, 2012

Estimate the amount of the special retirement supplement

Title: Special retirement supplement

Article Snip: "...You can estimate the amount of the special retirement supplement by using the following formula..."

Reference: federaltimes.com
special retirement supplement

Friday, June 1, 2012

OPM contractor mails federal retirees post cards with social security numbers visible

Title: OPM contractor accidentally exposes retirees' Social Security numbers

Article Snip: "...OPM realized what had happened Oct. 29 and began trying to recover them. Because of other errors in the data files, the postcards were mailed to government agencies — and not to the retirees, as intended — in 150-card stacks. The IG report said that all but 650 postcards were found at those agencies...."

Reference: www.federaltimes.com

Friday, May 25, 2012

Early retirement buyout incentive for postal mail handlers

Title: Mail Handlers to be offered retirement incentive

Article Snip: "...The monetary incentives included in the MOU will be available (with certain restrictions) to all Mail Handlers who are currently eligible for regular retirement, voluntary early retirement, and all other employees who may wish to separate from the Postal Service. Any Mail Handler wishing to participate in this retirement incentive offer must do so no later than July 2, 2012..."

Reference: National Postal Mail Handlers Union
Early retirement incentive, Mail Handler Buyout, Postal Buyout Incentives, Postal Retirement Incentive, Voluntary Early Retirement (VER)

Friday, May 18, 2012

Social Security Benefits & Taxes

Title: Social Security Benefits & Taxes

Article Snip: "...paying income taxes on your “contributions” you are ready to retire and collect the benefits—only to find out that they may be taxable! It doesn’t seem fair, does it? Well, here’s how..."

Reference: socialsecuritynewsgroup.blogspot.com
income taxes, social security benefits

Thursday, May 10, 2012

$20,000 early retirement incentives to 21,000 postmasters

Title: Postal Service drops plans to close thousands of post offices, proposes reduced hours

Article Snip: "...“If the House bill came to the floor, there would have been an uprising in both parties,” said Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who has joined forces with Rep. Michael G. Grimm (R-N.Y.) in fighting the closures...."

Reference: www.washingtonpost.com
early retirement incentives

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Rep. Issa feels returning Postal Service money is a bailout

Title: GOP lawmaker calls Senate postal bill a '$33 billion bailout'

Article Snip: "...Senate bill would return some of the money that the USPS overpaid into its retirement fund, and require some of that money to be used to pay for the early retirement of thousands of USPS workers. It also delays for two years plans by the USPS to start closing offices...."

Reference:
S. 1789, Rep. Issa, Postal Buyout Incentives, USPS early Retirement,

Monday, April 23, 2012

Postal retirement incentives for about 100,000 in near future?

Title: Congress to make key vote on post office closures Tuesday

Article Snip: "...Postal Service to recoup $11 billion in retirement benefits already paid for future retirees and direct that money toward incentives for about 100,000 employees to retire in the near future. ..."

Reference: www.mitchellrepublic.com
Postal retirement incentives, USPS early Retirement,

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Pension reform and the Postal Service

Title: Senate, letter carriers consider Postal Service pension reform

Article Snip: "...the Senate began considering the 21st Century Postal Service Act, which would allow for cash buyouts up to $25,000 among incentives to get as many as 100,000 postal employees to retire early. The previous pension overpayment is because of a federal law requiring it to prefund ..."

Reference: www.pionline.com