The Federal Brief
The week's federal pay, benefits, and workforce coverage — issue of Aug 14 – Aug 19 — plus what federal employees are reading and running. A new issue lands each Friday.
This Week's Coverage (22 articles)
- Policy Updates · Aug 19 · 7 min readFederal Workforce Bills Tracker: What's Moving in Congress
Live tracker of federal employee bills in Congress: the FY2027 NDAA, paid leave, RECOVER PII Act, concurrent receipt, and the CR fight.
- FEHB & Insurance · Aug 19 · 7 min readFEHB Open Season 2027: The New 100% Family Verification Rule
OPM now requires agencies to verify every family member added during FEHB Open Season 2027. The documents you need and the deadlines that matter.
- Federal Employee Rights · Aug 19 · 7 min readNTEU Dues Direct Deadline: What Happens After September 5
NTEU members at agencies that lost payroll dues deduction must enroll in Dues Direct by September 5, 2026 or lose membership. Who's affected and what you keep.
- Policy Updates · Aug 19 · 7 min readRECOVER PII Act: Lifetime Coverage for OPM Breach Victims
S. 5217 and H.R. 10034 would make OPM breach identity protection lifetime instead of expiring September 30. What the RECOVER PII Act covers and its real odds.
- Retirement · Aug 19 · 8 min readUSPS Pension Halt: What It Means for Your FERS Retirement
USPS stopped paying $2.5B into FERS while the OPM backlog sits at 24,784 claims. What postal and federal retirees need to know, with 11 months of OPM data.
- Military · Aug 19 · 7 min readWhy VA Withholds Disability Pay From 122,000 Veterans
The VA is clawing back separation pay from 122,000 veterans' disability checks. How recoupment works and the two Senate bills that would change it.
+ 16 more from this issue in the Newsroom →
Get The Federal Brief by email
Every Friday: the week's rule changes, deadlines, and what other feds are reading — one email. Be first when the email edition launches.
What Readers Opened This Week
Ranked by Google Search clicks, 14 days through Aug 18.
- USPS Early Out 2026: September Rumors vs. What's ConfirmedPolicy Updates · 9 min read
- Average TSP Balance by Age 2026: Milestones & Am I On Track?TSP · 16 min read
- Federal Performance Awards 2026: Bonus Value After TaxPay & Compensation · 14 min read
- SES Pay Scale 2026: $151,661–$228,000 + All 5 Executive Schedule LevelsPay & Compensation · 9 min read
- GS Pay Scale 2027: Projected Tables and Raise TrackerPay & Compensation · 8 min read
Top Guides This Month
Most-clicked from Google Search, 28 days through Aug 13.
- USPS Early Out 2026: September Rumors vs. What's ConfirmedPolicy Updates · 9 min read
- Federal Performance Awards 2026: Bonus Value After TaxPay & Compensation · 14 min read
- VERA & VSIP Guide 2026: Take the Buyout?Retirement · 20 min read
- Average TSP Balance by Age 2026: Milestones & Am I On Track?TSP · 16 min read
- SES Pay Scale 2026: $151,661–$228,000 + All 5 Executive Schedule LevelsPay & Compensation · 9 min read
Top Military Reads
Most-read guides for service members, veterans, and military families.
- VERA & VSIP Guide 2026: Take the Buyout?Retirement · 20 min read
- DoD VERA/VSIP 2026: Component-by-Component Status + Sept 30 DeadlinePolicy Updates · 13 min read
- Navy DRP 3.0 in 2026: What's Confirmed vs. Rumored for CiviliansPolicy Updates · 16 min read
- Navy Civilian Reduction 2026: 10/15/20% GuidePolicy Updates · 15 min read
- Navy DRP 2026: Eligibility, $46,800 Severance Gap ExplainedPolicy Updates · 18 min read
Most-Used Calculators
Where federal employees ran their numbers, 28 days through Aug 13.
- GS Pay Calculator →
Calculate 2026 GS salary by grade, step, and locality. Includes all 2026 locality areas, the Executive Level IV cap ($197,200), and what-if raise scenarios.
- FERS Retirement Calculator →
Estimate your FERS pension with the official formula: High-3 × years × 1%/1.1%. Includes survivor benefits, early-retirement penalties, and sick-leave credit.
- TSP Growth & Withdrawal Calculator →
Project your TSP balance at retirement with 2026 limits ($24,500 + catch-up). Model the 4% rule, RMDs, and fixed withdrawals. Integrates FERS + Social Security.
- TSP Loan Calculator →
Estimate TSP loan payments, payoff timing, and potential opportunity cost before borrowing from your retirement account.
- GS Promotion Calculator →
Apply the GS two-step promotion rule with 2026 locality pay and the Executive Level IV cap to estimate your new grade, step, and salary.
- High-3 Salary Calculator →
Calculate your highest 36 consecutive months of basic pay. Enter salary history to find the optimal High-3 period for your FERS pension.
That's the week — want the next one delivered?
Join the list and the Friday Brief lands in your inbox when the email edition launches: deadlines, rule changes, and the week's most-read guides.
The Federal Brief is assembled from FedTools' own reporting and reader data. Browse the full archive in the Newsroom, or send us a tip.