Editor, FedTools
Jonathan D.
Editor of FedTools. U.S. federal employee with 20+ years of federal experience, publishing under a pen name to keep outside writing cleanly separated from official duties.
Jonathan D. is the editor of FedTools and is publishing under a pen name. He is a U.S. federal employee with more than 20 years of federal experience and built FedTools to give fellow federal employees a modern, transparent alternative to the legacy worksheets and PDF charts that still dominate federal-benefits search results. He chose to publish under a pen name to maintain a clear separation between his official duties and his outside writing — a separation explicitly encouraged by the federal Standards of Ethical Conduct (5 CFR Part 2635) and by the appearance-of-impropriety standard. Jonathan is not a registered investment advisor, attorney, CPA, or financial planner. Every calculator, blog post, and resource on FedTools is written, audited, and edited by him personally, with editorial direction informed by ongoing conversations with federal employees, retirees, HR specialists, and benefits advisors. Where FedTools projects, models, or estimates, the underlying formulas and primary OPM / GAO / CRS / BLS / FRTIB source data are linked inline so readers can verify the math themselves. FedTools is an independent commercial project; it is not affiliated with OPM, OMB, GSA, the TSP, or any federal agency or department.
Recent posts by Jonathan D.
- 6(c) TSP Math: The $718,800 Gap for Federal Firefighters
Federal LEOs, firefighters, and ATCs retire at 47-57 but draw for 40+ years. The 6(c) TSP model: 5% vs 15% contributions is a $718,800 difference.
- 8,218 Left, 106 Hired: The Federal Jobs Not Coming Back
OPM data shows management analysts replaced at 1%, IT at 2%. See which federal occupations aren't being backfilled and what it means for your severance.
- Federal Uniform Allowance Jumps $800 to $1,500: Who Gets It
OPM raised the federal uniform allowance cap to $1,500 on July 13, 2026, the first increase since 2007. See who qualifies and what to check at your agency.
- The Federal Widow's Tax Trap: Less Income, $7,953 More Tax
When a federal retiree dies, the surviving spouse's income drops but their tax bill jumps. The FedTools model shows +$7,953 a year. Here's the math and the fixes.
- Why Your FERS Application Is Stuck: A View From the Trenches
OPM's backlog fell 48% while processing time rose to 108 days. The nine things that actually stall FERS applications, from the people who process them.
- FEVS Is Being Dismantled: How to Comment Before August 3
OPM's proposed rule decentralizes the FEVS and cuts core questions from 16 to 10. What federal employees lose, and how to submit a comment by August 3, 2026.
- How to File for SBP Survivor Benefits: Free, Step by Step
Filing for the military Survivor Benefit Plan costs nothing. The DFAS process, DD Form 2656-7, timelines, and the $6,000 scam targeting surviving spouses.
- Reclassified to Schedule P/C: What Changes Day 1 (and What Doesn't)
8,000 feds are now Schedule Policy/Career. The day-one guide: which protections are gone, which benefits survive untouched, and the first-week checklist.
- Government Shutdown October 2026: 2 of 12 Bills, 92 Days
FY2027 funding expires October 1, 2026. Only 2 of 12 bills passed the House, the Senate is at zero. Per-grade paycheck-at-risk table and 92-day prep plan.
- OPM Back Pay Tax Trap 2026: The $1,148 Medicare Surprise
OPM pays 60-80% interim pay, then a catch-up lump sum taxed in one year. See grade-by-grade tax math, the $1,148 IRMAA trap, and the SSA-44 fix.
- TSP Fund Returns June 2026: S Fund Jumps 4.34%, C Fund Dips
The S Fund jumped 4.34% in June 2026 while the C Fund fell 0.95%, the widest monthly gap of the year. Full TSP returns, YTD leaders, and what changed.
- 2027 Military Pay Raise: Tiered 5-7% vs Flat 3.6%
The 2027 NDAA proposes a tiered military pay raise (7% for E-5 and below) while the Senate wants a flat 3.6%. See the exact dollar impact by grade, E-1 through O-6.
- 2026 BAH Rates: Same Rank, $45,000 Apart by Zip Code
2026 BAH rose 4.2% on average, but duty stations ranged from -6.9% to +15.8%. See which bases gained, which dropped, and the rate-protection rule that blindsides PCS arrivals.
- BRS vs High-3: Optimize Your Military Retirement (2026)
You're in the Blended Retirement System if you joined after 2018. Here's how to optimize BRS in 2026: protect your TSP match, time continuation pay, and run the numbers.
- Guard & Reserve Retirement Points: The 'Good Year' Trap (2026)
Reserve and Guard retirement runs on points and 'good years.' Missing one good year can cost an E-7 over $10,000 in lifetime pension. Here's how points work and how to protect yours.
- E-7 Pay = GS-11, Not GS-7: What Your Rank Is Really Worth (2026)
Match basic pay alone and an E-7 looks like a GS-7. Count Regular Military Compensation — BAH, BAS, the tax advantage — and the honest match is GS-11. Full 2026 rank-to-GS table.
- SBP vs Life Insurance: The Military Retiree's 6.5% Math
Military SBP costs 6.5% of your pension; the survivor gets 55% for life. Here's the real break-even vs term life, the four advantages competitors skip, and when term wins.
- VA Disability + a Federal Job: What You Can Collect (2026)
Can you collect VA disability and a federal GS salary at the same time? Yes. Here's how VA comp, military retired pay (CRDP/CRSC), and a FERS pension interact in 2026, with a decision matrix.
- Which FEHB Plan Shares the Most Data With OPM? (2026)
OPM wants monthly medical claims on 8M feds. Some FEHB carriers already send your data; HMOs send less. A carrier-by-carrier privacy comparison for 2026.
- What a Forced Level 3 Rating Costs You in 2026
OPM's forced distribution caps top ratings. A Level 5-to-3 downgrade costs a GS-13 ~$3,298/yr and up to 8 years of RIF retention credit. The real math, by grade.
- Military Pension + FERS: Can You Collect Both? (2026)
Military retirees can keep full retired pay and a GS salary. But counting service toward FERS means waiving the pension or buying it back. The decision math, explained.
- Can the Government Revoke Your Telework Disability Accommodation?
Agencies can't blanket-cancel telework granted for a disability. The Rehabilitation Act rules, the NSF and DOJ cases, and the 45-day deadline you can't miss.
- TRICARE vs. FEHB for Military Retirees in Federal Jobs (2026)
Military retirees in federal jobs can keep TRICARE, run it with FEHB, or suspend FEHB and save thousands. The 2026 cost tables, the 5-year-rule trap, and the strategy.
- Feds Get 0%, Military Gets 7%: The 2027 Pay Gap's Pension Cost
The 2027 budget proposes 0% for civilian feds and 5-7% for military, the widest gap in the modern GS era. See the year-by-year data and the High-3 pension hit.
- Federal NDA Rights 2026: What Your Agency Can't Make You Waive
A federal NDA can restrict confidential information, but it can't strip your whistleblower rights. The anti-gag statute, the OPM NDA's flaw, and a before-you-sign checklist.
- Your $45,000 Federal Pension Really Pays ~$2,565 a Month
OPM quotes a gross annuity, but survivor election, FEHB, and taxes take a big bite. See the gross-to-net waterfall by pension size and what actually hits your bank.
- SAVE Plan Is Dead: Federal Employees Have Until Sept. 30 to Act
The SAVE student loan plan is gone. Federal employees in forbearance have 90 days to pick IBR or RAP before auto-enrollment. GS-grade payment table inside.
- Schedule Policy/Career and Student Loans: $85,000 in Hidden Risk
Reclassified to Schedule Policy/Career? You face two student-loan risks: SLRP clawback and PSLF timing traps. The mechanics, the dollar exposure, and the fixes.
- Schedule F Guide 2026: 8,000 Positions Now Reclassified
EO 14410 reclassified ~8,000 positions into Schedule Policy/Career on June 3, 2026. What changes, what doesn't, and the action checklist for every career fed.
- Schedule P/C Acknowledgment Form: Sign or Refuse? (2026)
Agencies are handing ~8,000 reclassified employees a Schedule P/C form this week. OPM says refusal can't trigger punishment. What to do before you sign.