See how your retirement savings compares to other workers earning a similar salary

Title: See how your retirement savings compares to other workers earning a similar salary

Article Snip: "...Employees earning between $40,000 and $60,000 are likely to have a little more room in their budget to save for retirement. The median 401(k) balance ranges from $16,502 among 20-somethings to $113,504 for workers in their 50s, according to the EBRI analysis. People in their 40s ($79,786) have saved a median of over twice as much as those in their 30s ($35,602). "A moderate earner now is likely in a lower tax bracket, so paying taxes on income and contributing to a Roth now makes sense..."

Reference: money.usnews.com
401k, Retirement,

Social Security 'is under attack'

Title: Social Security 'is under attack,' say these congressional Democrats

Article Snip: "...Cuts to Social Security are not a credible solution to pay for the $1.9 trillion that Congressional Republicans have recently added to the deficit in passing their tax legislation," Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, the committee's ranking Democrat, said in a statement to CNBC. "We must ensure that our seniors are able to retire with dignity..."

Reference: www.cnbc.com

Paul Ryan's decision to wait until January to retire includes an under-the-radar benefit

Title: Paul Ryan's decision to wait until January to retire includes an under-the-radar benefit

Article Snip: "...Ryan, 48, would be able to draw his pension at age 50, since his time as a representative and as a staffer would combine to be roughly 24 years of federal service...Based on the FERS payments formula, Ryan could receive an annual pension payment of $84,930 if he remains on the job until January..."

Reference: www.businessinsider.com

How Much is the Maximum Annuity Supplement?

Title: How Much is the Maximum Annuity Supplement?

Article Snip: "...the maximum annuity supplement for retirements in 2018 has been electronically computed for twelve levels of ages and years of service – see..."

Reference: www.fedsmith.com
FERS Annuity Supplement, Social Security special retirement supplement (SRS),

Are my Social Security benefits taxable?

Title: Are my Social Security benefits taxable?

Article Snip: "...Social Security is generally considered a tax-free benefit, but that is not always the case. Depending on the amount of alternate income that you have in retirement and your filing status, you could owe taxes on up to 85% of your Social Security benefits..."

Reference: www.nbc-2.com
social security, Taxes on Social Security,

FERS hit list: The usual suspects plus a new twist…

Title: FERS hit list: The usual suspects plus a new twist…

Article Snip: "...If Congress approves, current and future employees under Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) would get smaller starting annuities when they retire and those pensions would lose all the protection they now enjoy from inflation. Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) would be eliminated for FERS retirees and reduced for..."

Reference: federalnewsradio.com

FERS and CSRS COLAS

Title: COLAS Now and Maybe Then

Article Snip: "...There’s one big difference between CSRS and FERS when it comes to the payment of COLAs. CSRS retirees receive COLAs regardless of the age at which they retire. With one exception, FERS retirees only begin receiving them when they reach age 62..."

Reference: www.fedweek.com
COLA, Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), CSRS,

What You Don't Know (But Should) About Your Thrift Savings Plan

Title: What You Don't Know (But Should) About Your Thrift Savings Plan

Article Snip: "...You can have both a traditional and Roth TSP at the same time, and there’s an interesting caveat: the government’s matching contributions can only be made into a traditional TSP, so even if you only contribute to a Roth TSP, you will still have both types of accounts (and the added benefit of some tax diversification)..."

Reference: www.forbes.com

Gotcha, Sorry, We Need Your Social Security to Pay for Medicare

Title: January surprise of vanishing Social Security COLA

Article Snip: "...most Medicare beneficiaries will pay $134 per month for Part B, which pays for doctors' fees and outpatient services. That's a $25-per-month increase over the 2017, nearly wiping out the Social Security COLA for many retirees..."

Reference: www.investmentnews.com
Medicare, Medicare Part B premiums, Social Security COLA 2018, What does Medicare Part B cover?, Destruction of Retirees, Medicare Advantage Plan,

More Reading: (From Medicare.gov) If you're in a Medicare Advantage Plan or other Medicare plan, you may have different rules, but your plan must give you at least the same coverage as Original Medicare. Some services may only be covered in certain settings or for patients with certain conditions.

After Huge Corporate Tax Cuts, GOP to Attack Medicare, Social Security

Title: After Tax Cuts, GOP Leaders Turn Buzz Saw to Medicare, Social Security

Article Snip: "...Top officials in the Republican Party have suggested in recent days that they will pursue major entitlement reform following the likely passage of massive tax cuts in the near future. Those officials, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)..."

Reference: www.thedailybeast.com
Destruction of Retirees, destruction of the American working class, Corporate Greed, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan,

USPS Announces Voluntary Early Out Retirement (VERA)

Title: USPS Announces Voluntary Early Out Retirement (VERA)

Article Snip: "...This letter was received with no advance notification to the union or negotiations with the APWU over who the VERA applied to and under what conditions. The APWU immediately initiated information requests to USPS management regarding this VERA and demands for bargaining over its scope and impact..."

Reference: www.apwu.org
Voluntary Early Retirement (2018),

The Social Security cost-of-living increase is a cruel fraud

Title: The Social Security cost-of-living increase is a cruel fraud

Article Snip: "...Today, it’s not so great. The tiny Social Security increase that will be bestowed on retirees and the elderly in January is a cruel fraud perpetrated by the government. That's because increases in Medicare Part B and Part D insurance premiums will negate all of the Social Security 2% cost of living increase for many recipients. Instead of staying even, we’ll fall behind..."

Reference: www.latimes.com

The 4 Least Tax-Friendly States for Social Security Recipients

Title: The 4 Least Tax-Friendly States for Social Security Recipients

Article Snip: "...A second tier was added in 1993 under the Clinton administration that exposed 85% of Social Security benefits to federal taxation for individual earnings above $34,000, and couples filing jointly in excess of $44,000. When first introduced, this tax affected around one out of 10 households. As of 2015, it affected 56%, according to The Senior Citizens League..."

Reference: www.fool.com

Navigating federal retirement paperwork

Title: Tammy Flanagan: Navigating federal retirement paperwork

Article Snip: "...In the federal government, nothing happens until you fill out a form. That's certainly true of retirement, a topic on quite a few federal minds these days. With a rundown on the paperwork you need to keep in mind, federal retirement expert Tammy Flanagan..."

Reference: www.podcastone.com

50-something feds dodge TSP tax bullet

Title: 50-something feds dodge TSP tax bullet

Article Snip: "...Federal workers who are 50 and older (and those who aspire to someday reach that it’s-not-as-bad-as-it-sounds age bracket), dodged a big bullet last week in the pending tax bill worked up by the Senate. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) proposed, then withdrew language that would have eliminated the..."

Reference: federalnewsradio.com

2018 Medicare changes will erase Social Security COLAs for many

Title: 2018 Medicare changes will erase Social Security COLAs for many

Article Snip: "...Average Social Security benefits for retired workers will increase $27 per month to $1,404 per month in 2018, up from $1,377 this year. As a result, higher Medicare premiums will virtually wipe out any increase in Social Security benefits for many retirees next year..."

Reference: www.investmentnews.com
Medicare, Social Security COLA 2018,

Open Season Changes and the Five Year Rule

Title: Open Season Changes and the Five Year Rule

Article Snip: "...If you have not been covered under FEHB for most of your career, but want to be able to carry it into retirement, you might be planning on enrolling in FEHB five years before the year in which you plan to retire. The coverage must be for a full five years, so you need to be aware of when your FEHB enrollment becomes effective. Many people choose to retire on December 31st, but FEHB coverage is rarely effective on that date..."

Reference: www.fedsmith.com
Five Year Rule

Get A Bigger Monthly Social Security Check

Title: Get A Bigger Monthly Social Security Check

Article Snip: "...Should you take benefits early at 62? At normal retirement age? Or delay until 70? Here’s how to decide..."

Reference: www.forbes.com

The Advantages of Advance Funeral Planning

Title: The Advantages of Advance Funeral Planning

Article Snip: "...What you can do to help your heirs? Specify what final arrangements you’d like and make sure your family knows your wishes. Pre-paying for a burial plot may save money in the long run, as you’ll avoid future price increases..."

Reference: www.fedweek.com
Funeral Expenses,

2% COLA for Federal Retirees in 2018

Title: 2% COLA for Federal Retirees in 2018

Article Snip: "...COLA for federal annuities is determined in reference to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which is calculated by economists and statisticians with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The CPI-W is the current index used for measuring increases in the prices of consumer goods such as food and beverages, housing, clothing, and gasoline..."

Reference: www.fedsmith.com
2018 Federal Retiree COLA, COLA,