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.
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575 articles · page 18 of 24Career
OPM April 28 Memo: Why Schedule C and G Skip Performance Reviews Now
OPM exempted Schedule C and G appointees from performance appraisals on Apr 28, 2026. The 2010 bonus freeze still applies. What to know if you report to one.
Policy Updates
CDC Cuts 2026: 4,300 Jobs Lost, $11.4B Clawed Back
CDC has lost ~4,300 employees and $11.4B in state grants since 2025 — $537M in expert capacity. RIF rights, MSPB risk, and what 10K remaining CDC staff need to know.
Career
DOGE Used ChatGPT to Kill $100M in NEH Grants: Ruled Illegal
DOGE flagged 1,400+ NEH grants via ChatGPT — no DEI definition, no human review. Court: ultra vires, 1A, ICA. What NEH staff and grant officers need to know.
Career
Fired for Photographing DOGE: 5 Legal Layers Federal Workers Must Know
CFPB fired Alexis Goldstein a week before her term ended after she photographed unbadged DOGE personnel. 5 laws on when federal employees can record at work.
Career
MSPB Has 4 Appeal Stages. Most Federal Employees Only Know About 1.
Four MSPB appeal stages, not one: the 35-day Petition for Review, the addendum stage for back pay and fees, and the Sept. 2 OPM rule that took RIF appeals.
Policy Updates
Dept of War Rebrand: $72/Civilian for a Name Change
Pentagon spent $50M on the Department of War rebrand while losing 101K civilians. Cost-per-employee math and what 694K remaining DoD civilians need to know.
Pay & Compensation
FERS Contribution Hike 2025: $4,969/Yr That Didn't Happen (Yet)
Congress proposed raising pre-2013 FERS contributions from 0.8% to 4.4%. It didn't pass. Per-paycheck dollar math by GS grade and what to watch for in 2027.
TSP
TSP Fund Returns April 2026: Stocks Up, $50K Gains $5K
April 2026 reversed Q1 losses across every TSP stock fund. C +10.49%, S +9.96%, I +9.11%. What it means for your balance, your AOP, and your YTD.
Benefits
VA Vigil Investigations 2026: Federal Whistleblower Rights
VA opened investigations against employees who attended Alex Pretti's vigil. The statutes, the Pickering test, and your concrete remedies as a federal employee.
Retirement
Annual Leave Tax 2026: Why Your $22K Payout Becomes $14K
Federal annual leave lump-sum payout is taxed 30-40%+ at retirement. The 4-tax stack, 5-tier matrix by GS grade, and 6 strategies to keep more of it.
Career
Fired Under Article II? You May Be Able to Sue in Federal Court
Two April 2026 federal court rulings opened the door. If your termination letter cites Article II, MSPB may not be your only option.
Pay & Compensation
DHS Shutdown Back Pay: When It Lands, What It Touches
76-day DHS shutdown ended April 30. When retro pay deposits, how TSP makeup works, FEHB premium recovery, and dollar examples by GS grade.
TSP
DOL 401(k) Private Equity Rule: Why TSP Is Exempt By Law
DOL's proposed rule could put private equity in default 401(k)s. TSP is statutorily protected. What federal employees need to know before June 1.
Policy Updates
EPA Lost 3,700+ Employees Since January 2025: Career Guide
EPA workforce dropped 23% in six months. ORD eliminated. Union contracts terminated. A Sept. 2026 arbitrator ordered reinstatement for RIF-hit NTEU employees.
Benefits
Mental Health, Security Clearance + FEHB 2026: What Feds Need
DCSA: 68 clearance denials in 7.7 million cases. SF-86 Question 21 exemptions, EAP confidentiality rules, and a 5-plan FEHB comparison matrix for federal employees.
Pay & Compensation
LEAP, AUO & Premium Pay: What Counts Toward Your High-3 (2026)
LEAP counts toward your High-3. AUO sometimes does. Premium pay never does. The matrix every LEO and 1811 should know before retirement.
Retirement
Federal Survivor Benefits 2026: What Your Family Actually Gets
FEHB trap, BEDB lump sum, survivor annuity cost. The math every federal employee needs before electing survivor benefits at retirement.
Retirement
FERS Disability Retirement Eligibility 2026: The 18-Month Rule
FERS disability retirement requires just 18 months of service, not 5 years. Most federal employees don't know they may already qualify. Here's the math.
Retirement
MRA+10 Lifetime Cost: 4 Hidden Penalties Stack to $300K+
MRA+10 retirement at 57 doesn't just cost the 5% penalty. Add COLA blackout, Supplement loss, and FEHB gap. Total: $300K+ over 25 years. The full math.
Policy Updates
NASA Layoffs Tracker: 4,000 Gone, Who's Next Under FY2027
NASA is down ~4,000 civil servants (23%). Tracking what's confirmed vs. rumored: Goddard closures, the FY2027 budget cut, and which centers face RIF risk next.
Retirement
Federal Phased Retirement 2026: The Option 99% of Eligible Feds Skip
Only 1,055 of an estimated 150,000+ eligible federal employees use phased retirement. The math, the composite-annuity rules, and why agencies are the real gatekeeper.
Benefits
SF-86 Mistakes 2026: 12 Errors That Delay Federal Clearances
Financial issues drive ~50% of DOHA denials. The 12 most common SF-86 errors, by section, with mitigation. Plus the Continuous Vetting update for 2026.
TSP
TSP vs IRA Rollover: The $1M Federal Retirement Decision
Rolling your TSP to an IRA at retirement could cost $1M+ in fees. The DOL fiduciary rule was vacated. Here's what every federal retiree should know.
Retirement
TSP + Roth IRA 2026: The $3,000/Year Tax Move Most Feds Miss
Adding a Roth IRA to your TSP saves federal retirees $480 to $3,080 per year in taxes plus IRMAA. The math, by income tier, with 2026 limits.
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.
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