Federal employee news, read closely.

GS Job After Military Retirement: Your Combined Income

Military retirees who take a federal job can stack pension, VA disability, and GS salary. See how the combined income adds up in 2026.

2027 Medicare Part B Premium: $209.50 Projected, What to Budget

The 2026 Trustees Report projects a $209.50 Medicare Part B premium for 2027, up 3.25%. What it means for FERS vs CSRS retirees, COLA, and IRMAA.

20 Days Paid Military Leave for Federal Employees (5 USC 6323)

Guard and Reserve feds now get 20 paid military leave days a year, up from 15 — plus a separate 22-day emergency bank. The leave-year rules, the pay offset, and the carryover trap.

OPM Says You Owe Money Back: Your Overpayment Waiver Rights

OPM overpaid a FERS retiree, then kept collecting. Federal employees can fight overpayment clawbacks with waivers under 5 U.S.C. 5584 and 8470. Here's how.

Paid Family Leave for Federal Employees: What's Paid in 2026

Federal employees get 12 weeks of paid parental leave under FEPLA, but other family/medical leave is still unpaid. What FEPLA covers, the gap, and the H.R. 9261 bill.

Am I At-Will Now? Schedule F and Whether You Can Be Fired

Schedule Policy/Career employees are at-will: fired on one written notice, no cause, no MSPB appeal. But not for an illegal reason. What you keep, what you lose, and deadlines.

Telework Arbitration Wins: When a Union Contract Beats the RTO Memo

Five federal agencies lost telework arbitrations in 2026. See the case-by-case record, whether your union contract protects you, and the FLRA appeal risk.

TrumpRx vs FEHB: When It Saves Federal Employees Money

TrumpRx is cash-pay and doesn't touch your FEHB deductible. For most drugs your FEHB copay wins, but GLP-1 weight-loss drugs (Wegovy $199 vs $728) are the exception.

TSP C Fund Passes $500 Billion: What You Actually Own

The TSP C Fund crossed $500 billion in May 2026, now 43.9% of the whole plan. See what's inside it, the megacap concentration, and C vs S vs I returns.

USERRA Reemployment Rights for Federal Employees (2026)

USERRA gives federal reservists and Guard members the right to their job back. Reemployment deadlines, the escalator rule, the 5-year cap, and the MSPB appeal path.

USERRA and Your TSP: Make Up Deployment Contributions (2026)

Returning from deployment? USERRA lets you make up missed TSP contributions and recover agency matching. The makeup window, the 60-day clock, and the lost-earnings catch.

What Is Your Federal Job Actually Worth in 2026?

Your federal salary is only part of the story. See how pension, TSP match, FEHB, and leave push a GS-12 package to nearly $158,000.

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.