The Newsroom
News for the federal workforce, updated daily.
Pay raises, retirement planning, and benefits — expert guidance for every stage of your federal career, sourced and updated for 2026.
Latest articles
575 articles · page 12 of 24Career
TRICARE Retired Reserve 2027 Premiums: $707.59 a Month
TRR premiums rise to $707.59 single and $1,697.70 family a month in 2027, up from $645.90 and $1,548.30. Who qualifies, the FEHB trap, and the age-60 payoff.
Retirement
Catch-62: The Military Buyback Trap That Cuts CSRS Pensions
Catch-62 permanently cuts CSRS pensions at age 62 if the military deposit went unpaid. Who it hits, the $440/month surprise, and how to check your status.
Pay & Compensation
GL and GG Pay Scales 2026: LEO and Intel Pay Explained
The GL scale pays law enforcement up to 23.3% above GS, and GG mirrors GS with intel supplements up to 90%. 2026 tables, the 3.8% raise, and LEAP math.
Career
Leaving the Military? The Money Blindside Nobody Briefs You On
TRICARE ends, BAH stops, and an $80K civilian offer can be a $30K pay cut. The 2026 healthcare options, deadlines, and salary math for separating troops.
Policy Updates
Official Time: The $207M Federal Union Benefit Under Threat
OPM says taxpayer-funded official time hit $207.5M in FY2024, up 54% since 2019. What official time is, who uses it, and what feds lose if it ends.
Retirement
OPM Interim Payments: What Retirees Get While They Wait
OPM pays 60-80% of your annuity while processing your retirement, with no FEHB deducted and no FERS supplement. The worked math and the catch-up surprise.
Policy Updates
The 8-Year RIF Penalty Hidden in OPM's New Rating Rule
OPM's final performance rule caps top ratings and kills rating grievances. A forced 3 instead of a 5 costs you 8 years of RIF retention standing. The math.
Policy Updates
USDA 'RIF in Disguise': The 9 Rights Employees Are Losing
Unions sued July 2 arguing USDA's reorganization is a RIF in disguise. See the 9 protections employees lose, the October 13 court-ordered stay, and your options.
Policy Updates
VA Reorganization 2026: 30,000 Gone, 18 Regions Become 5
VA's RISE reorganization collapses 18 VISNs into 5 while the top health job sits vacant. What VA employees should know about VERA, job risk, and the EHR.
Policy Updates
Unions Sue DoD Over Canceled Bargaining Contracts
AFGE and NFFE filed suit July 3 to void Hegseth's memo terminating DoD union contracts. What the APA lawsuit and the FY2027 NDAA mean for DoD civilians.
Policy Updates
BOP Closing 6 Prisons: RIF Risk and Your 6c Options
BOP is closing six facilities over staffing. ~500 employees affected, Big Spring and La Tuna face RIFs. What 6c correctional officers should do about it.
Career
$615 a Month Gone: The BRS Reenlistment Coding Trap
Returning to service with a pre-2018 DIEMS? Pay systems often auto-code you into BRS when you're entitled to legacy High-3. Check one LES field to catch it.
Policy Updates
DOGE Is Over: 12 Agencies Now Hiring Again (Tracker)
The DOGE charter expired July 4 and job postings are up 50%. Agency reopen tracker, what the 4-to-1 cap still blocks, and how separated feds can get back in.
Policy Updates
FEHB Family Verification: Documents You Now Need (2026)
As of July 2, 2026, you must prove every family member you add to FEHB or PSHB is eligible. The exact documents, deadlines, and removal rules.
Policy Updates
15,500 Stalled Requests: The NTEU Telework Lawsuit
NTEU sued Treasury and HHS June 29 over 6,500+ and 9,000 stalled disability telework requests. What to do if your accommodation is stuck in the backlog.
Policy Updates
OPM's Final Administrative Leave Rule: What Changes Nov. 18
OPM finalized its administrative leave rule on Oct. 19, 2026. Agencies may put you on paid leave during a RIF notice period, and deferred-resignation leave is codified.
Career
$3,548 on the Table: 2026 PCS Entitlement Mistakes
Peak PCS season 2026: the BAH reset, DLA, TLE, and DITY mistakes that cost service members thousands. Full 2026 DLA table and the PPM tax surprise.
Career
TRICARE 2026 Costs: Rx Copays Up 16%, Fees Up 2.8%
Every verified 2026 TRICARE number for retirees: pharmacy copays, Prime and Select fees by group, catastrophic caps, TYA premiums, and the TFL Part B math.
Policy Updates
USDA Is Betting You'll Quit: Relocate-or-Separate Math
USDA is moving over half its D.C. workforce to five hubs and expects a 'significant number' to leave. Component cut projections and the severance-vs-DSR math.
Retirement
$35 an Hour: What One More Year in FERS Really Pays
Once you're FERS-eligible, working another year nets roughly half your salary. The marginal-year formula, 3 worked profiles, and the one year that flips it.
Policy Updates
Douglas Factors Eliminated: 12 Protections Feds Could Lose
MSPB's final rule takes effect Oct 5, 2026: mandatory review of the 12 Douglas factors ends for new misconduct appeals. What survives and who it applies to.
Policy Updates
OPM DRP + VERA Buyout Explained — and What's Coming in 2027
What the July 2026 OPM DRP + VERA buyout actually paid, the three decision paths, and whether H.R. 7256 brings a 2027 VERA or bigger VSIP.
Policy Updates
$117,000 Per Resignation: The Real Cost of the Federal DRP
New GAO data shows 129,000 feds left under the DRP. Independent analysis pegs the cost near $15 billion. We ran the per-employee math nobody published.
Policy Updates
93,000 Cuts Later: Who the FY2027 NDAA Protects at DOD
The Senate's FY2027 NDAA would ban RIFs at shipyards and depots, require 45-day notice before approving large facility cuts, and boost cyber pay. Who's covered and who isn't.
What we cover
The topics that matter most to federal employees.Policy Updates
Pay raises, OPM guidance, RIFs, and the legislation that reshapes federal employment.
Retirement Planning
FERS guides, High-3 strategy, the supplement, survivor benefits, and real retirement case studies.
TSP Strategies
Data-backed allocation, contribution timing, and withdrawal news for every investing style.
Get updates in your inbox
Federal pay news, retirement tips, and benefits updates — free, and no more than weekly.