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Pay raises, retirement planning, and benefits — expert guidance for every stage of your federal career, sourced and updated for 2026.
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328 articles · page 9 of 14Policy Updates
OPM Wants Your Medical Records: The 8M-Person Privacy Fight, Explained
OPM's December 2025 data proposal demands monthly patient-level medical claims on 8 million feds. Senators are fighting it. Here's what it means and what to do now.
Policy Updates
Military Got COVID Vaccine Backpay. Civilian Feds Got This Instead
Military service members got 4 years of backpay under EO 14184. Civilian federal employees got record expungement, not money. The full contrast and what to do now.
Policy Updates
Can AI Replace Federal Workers? The Mission Gap Says No.
59% of federal AI use cases are still in pilot. Meat inspectors, air traffic controllers, and claims adjudicators cannot be automated. Here's what the data shows.
Policy Updates
DHS Shutdown Day 65: Ordered Back With No Appropriation
DHS ordered all furloughed employees back on April 10. The shutdown is still going. Here's what's legal, what's paid, and what's at risk.
Career
Federal Employee Emergency Fund: How Much Cash You Actually Need
The 60-day DHS shutdown proved most feds aren't financially prepared. Here's how to build a shutdown buffer and when a TSP loan makes sense.
Policy Updates
Federal Employee Morale Hits 32/100: The Worst Score Ever
Federal workforce engagement fell to 32/100 after FEVS was canceled. Gallup shows only 48% of feds 'thriving.' Every agency declined.
Policy Updates
$165.6 Billion: The Real Cost of Federal Workforce Cuts
The Partnership for Public Service calculated Trump's federal workforce changes cost $165.6 billion. Here's how the math breaks down and what it means for you.
Benefits
FEHB After Leaving Government: TCC, ACA, and the 5-Year Trap
Leaving federal service? Your FEHB jumps from $251/month to $915/month under TCC. Here's every option and the 5-year rule that determines your retirement coverage.
Career
278,000 Former Feds Are Job Hunting: Where They're Landing
The largest federal layoff in history left 278,000 people job hunting. Here's where they're finding work, by job series and clearance level.
Policy Updates
HHS Lost 20,000 Staff. Kennedy Says He Found Better Ones.
HHS shrank from 82,000 to 62,000 employees in 2025. Kennedy says he replaced them with 'a better group.' Here's the component-by-component breakdown.
Career
How to Transfer to Another Federal Agency During a RIF
Facing a RIF? CTAP and ICTAP give you priority placement at other agencies. Here's the step-by-step process with deadlines and required documents.
Policy Updates
1.4 Million Tax Refunds Stuck: The IRS Staffing Crisis
IRS lost 27% of its workforce. Phone waits jumped 71%. Paper returns backed up 462%. Here's who's affected and what to do about your refund.
Policy Updates
600 NWS Staff Cut, 55 Offices Understaffed. Then Came the Tornadoes.
NWS lost 600 employees. 55 of 122 offices are critically understaffed. The April 13 Kansas tornadoes raised the question nobody wants to answer.
TSP
Roth TSP to Roth IRA: The 5-Year Trap Nobody Warns You About
Rolling Roth TSP to a Roth IRA? Your 5-year clock resets. Here's the decision matrix for keeping your earnings tax-free.
TSP
$1M in TSP Without Timing the Market: What 184,532 Feds Did
TSP millionaires average 27.93 years of consistent contributions. Here's the data on why timing the market costs you money.
Policy Updates
USAID Contractors Can Sue Over DOGE Terminations: What It Means
A federal judge ruled USAID contractors can proceed with their DOGE termination lawsuit. Bad faith claims survived. Here's what it means for federal contracting.
Retirement
USPS Suspended $2.5B in Pension Payments. Is Your Retirement Safe?
USPS stopped paying into FERS pensions. Your paycheck deductions and TSP match continue. Here's exactly what changed and what didn't.
Data Report
State of Federal Pay 2026: 50 Data Points for Every Fed
Federal employees in San Jose-SF earn 46.34% above base in 2026, the highest of 58 localities. Full data report with 50+ sourced statistics on GS pay.
Data Report
State of Federal Retirement Readiness 2026: 50 Data Points
Median FERS TSP balance is ~$50K while the average is $217K. OPM backlog hit 65,237. Full data report on federal retirement readiness with sourced stats.
Data Report
State of the Federal Workforce 2026: Smallest Since 1966
The federal workforce fell to 2,028,138 in Feb 2026, the smallest since 1966. 50+ sourced stats on RIFs, DRP cost, pay gap, morale, and telework.
Policy Updates
FEPCA: The Law That Should Force Your Pay Raise
FEPCA requires an automatic GS raise tied to private-sector wages. Every president since 1994 has bypassed it with a single letter. Here's what that costs you.
Retirement
FERS 5-Year Vesting: Refund vs Deferred Retirement
Leaving federal service after 5 years? The FERS pension math is worse than Reddit thinks. See why your hire year changes everything about the refund decision.
Policy Updates
The Government Paid $4.5 Billion to Feds Who Took the DRP
The DRP cost $4.5 billion in salary paid to employees who were not working. What that number means, who took the deal, and whether it was worth it for taxpayers.
Career
Federal Employee Relocation Guide: PCS Moves 2026
What federal employees need to know about PCS moves: what the government covers, service agreements, WTA/RITA taxes, and what happens if you decline.
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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.
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Data-backed allocation, contribution timing, and withdrawal news for every investing style.
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