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575 articles · page 8 of 24Pay & Compensation
What a 2027 Pay Freeze Won't Stop: Step Increases and More
A 2027 federal pay freeze would stop the annual raise, not your step increase. The grade-by-grade WGI dollar table, promotion math, and the August 31 deadline explained.
Career
REDUX Retirees Got 1.8%, Not 2.8%: The COLA Penalty Math
About 102,800 military retirees on CSB/REDUX lose 1 point of every COLA. Add the 9.7% Medicare Part B jump and a 2026 raise nearly vanished. The 20-year cost, computed.
Career
Reservist Differential Pay: SCOTUS Said Yes, OPM Hasn't Moved
Feliciano expanded differential pay for feds called to active duty, and a new lawsuit demands OPM catch up. Who qualifies, how to claim, and why many are owed $0.
Career
Remarry at 54 vs. 55: The $1.3 Million Survivor Benefit Line
Military surviving spouses who remarry before 55 lose both SBP and DIC, over $1.3 million lifetime for an E-7 family. The age-55 rules and the Love Lives On Act.
Career
Chapter 61 Retirement and Divorce: What Courts Can Divide
Medical retirement changes what a divorce court can touch. How USFSPA, Howell v. Howell, and a 2026 DoD rule change treat Chapter 61 retired pay.
Career
Federal Appeal Rights Change September 2: What You Lose
Four OPM final rules took effect September 2, 2026. RIF, probationary, and suitability appeals leave MSPB for OPM's own process. The notice date decides which rules you get.
Benefits
HSA for Feds: GEHA's $1,000 HDHP Pass-Through, 2027 Limits
GEHA's HDHP puts up to $2,000 a year into your HSA in 2027. See the 2026 and 2027 limits, FSA vs HSA for feds, the tax break, and the Medicare trap at 65.
Pay & Compensation
Federal Pay Raise History: Every Raise Since 2008
Every GS pay raise from 2008 to 2026 in one table, plus the number nobody publishes: what federal pay is worth today after inflation. Updated for the 2027 decision.
Benefits
The FEHB 72% Rule: What the Government Actually Pays
The government doesn't pay 72% of YOUR plan's premium. How the FEHB contribution formula really works, with 2026 dollar figures and the cap that changes everything.
Career
New FMCS Rule: What Happens to Your Pending Grievance
FMCS can now screen union grievances for arbitrability before assigning arbitrators at agencies covered by the 2025 anti-union orders. Your options, and the MSPB trap.
Pay & Compensation
GS Pay Scale 2027: Projected Tables and Freeze Tracker
0% freeze proposed Aug 28 and Congress's FAIR Act push for 4.1%. Projected 2027 GS pay tables by grade under each scenario, updated as facts land.
Career
2027 Military Retiree COLA: Official 3.6% (2.6% REDUX)
The 2027 military retiree COLA is official: 3.6% for High-3 and BRS, 2.6% for REDUX. The December 1 effective date, a chart by pay level, and the first-year proration trap.
Career
VA Union Contract After the Appeals Court Stay: Where It Stands
VA now treats its AFGE contract as expired after an October 2 appeals court stay. The union asked the judge to step in on October 16. What it means for grievances.
Retirement
Most FERS Employees Retire Too Late: The $246,816 Math
Half of FERS employees are still working 5 years after eligibility. The math on retiring at 58 vs 62: a $246,816 head start that waiting almost never beats.
Policy Updates
GAO: FEMA Lost 4,300 Staff in a Year, With No Workforce Plan
GAO-26-108427: FEMA separations jumped 55% in FY2025, SES departures quadrupled, and cuts happened without analysis. What it means for FEMA employees.
Career
GI Bill Years: The Cheapest Roth Conversion Window
GI Bill income is tax-free, so your bracket hits near zero in school. Converting Traditional TSP then can cost 3.56% instead of 22%, saving one E-5 $13,830.
TSP
Is the TSP a 401(k)? What's the Same, What's Different
The TSP is not legally a 401(k), but it shares the $24,500 limit, matching, and rollover rules. The full comparison: G Fund, fees, and spousal rules.
Policy Updates
Performance Ratings: What Your Union Can No Longer Negotiate
OPM's July 24 guidance puts forced distribution, Level 2 ratings, and grievances over ratings outside bargaining. What's still negotiable and what to do now.
Career
Veteran Job Discrimination: Your USERRA 4311 Rights
You never have to disclose your VA rating, and USERRA's motivating-factor standard is stronger than most bias laws. Your 38 U.S.C. 4311 rights, explained.
Policy Updates
USPS Four Scenarios: What Each Path Means for Your Job
The USPS OIG modeled four financial futures, from $20B a year in funding to 4-day delivery. What each scenario means for your FERS, TSP, PSHB, and career.
Benefits
FEHB Plans Discontinued for 2027: What Happens If You Don't Act
Nine FEHB plan options end after 2026, plus UHC HDHP codes, MHBP options and Presbyterian counties. Find your code, your default plan, and the December 14 deadline.
Pay & Compensation
GS Pay vs Inflation Since 2020: 3.9% Lost, 6.7% Coming
GS pay vs inflation since 2020: raises compound to +21.2% against +26.1% CPI-U, a 3.9% real pay cut growing toward 6.7% through the proposed 2027 freeze.
Benefits
Advanced Leave Clawback: What Feds Owe Back When They Leave
Leave federal service with a negative leave balance and the debt comes out of your final paycheck and leave payout. The rules, the three exceptions, and the math.
Retirement
FERS Redeposit: Buying Back Refunded Service in 2026
Refunded FERS years count toward retirement eligibility but add $0 to your annuity until you redeposit. The cost, the 4.25% interest, the SF-3108 process, the math.
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