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FERS Webinar
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FERS Webinar

Author: David Fei, CFP®, ChFEBC℠, AIF®
Comprehensive Guide to 2025 GS Pay Scale Adjustments

Deep Dive into 2025 GS Pay Scale Adjustments

Deep Dive into 2025 GS Pay Scale Adjustments   Introduction: Why the 2025 GS Pay Scale Matters for Your Take-Home Pay & Retirement For federal employees, even a modest pay bump can have ripple effects that touch everything from monthly cash flow to long-term retirement security. In 2025, General Schedule (GS) employees saw an average 2.0% pay raise, a 1.7% across-the-board increase combined with an average 0.3% boost in locality pay. While this is notably lower than the 5.2% jump

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TSP Calculator Guide: Maximize Your Federal Retirement Strategy

TSP Calculator Guide: Maximize Your Federal Retirement Strategy

TSP Calculator Guide: Maximize Your Federal Retirement Strategy   Introduction: Why Your Retirement Math Matters If you’ve spent decades serving our country in a federal or uniformed service role, you understand the importance of careful planning. After 25 or more years in service, the difference between simply “winging it” and using a Thrift Savings Plan calculator can amount to six figures of spendable income across your retirement. The math matters. Calculators can feel intimidating. They require imagining all the moving

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Federal COLA 2025: Essential Guide to Pay Adjustments for Federal Employees

Federal COLA 2025: Essential Guide to Pay Adjustments for Federal Employees

Federal COLA 2025: Essential Guide to Pay Adjustments for Federal Employees For both active and retired federal employees, understanding the 2025 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) and pay raise is a key part of retirement and compensation planning. In an environment with rising living costs, these adjustments protect your buying power and ensure you can maintain the lifestyle you’ve worked so hard to achieve. If you’re 55 or older and part of the federal or military workforce—active or retired—this conversation is especially

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TSP Balance Milestones: Are You on Track for Your Retirement Goals?

TSP Balance Milestones: Are You on Track for Your Retirement Goals?

TSP Balance Milestones: Are You on Track for Your Retirement Goals? Whether you’re in the midst of your federal career or transitioning into retirement, understanding how your Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) balance compares to key benchmarks can help you gauge progress and adjust course. Many federal employees wonder if they’re saving “enough”—particularly as they get closer to retirement age. When your future well-being depends on the decisions you make today, clarity is crucial. At PlanWell, our team is dedicated to

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Implications of Return to Office for Federal Employees in 2025

Implications of Return to Office for Federal Employees in 2025

Navigating the Federal Return-to-Office Landscape in Mid-2025 As we move through 2025, the federal workforce continues to adapt to evolving return-to-office (RTO) policies. Following guidance issued over the past couple of years, agencies have been increasing requirements for in-person work, shifting away from the broad remote and hybrid arrangements common during the pandemic peak. For many dedicated federal and military employees—especially those over 55 considering retirement—this ongoing “Fed RTO” transition raises important questions about daily routines, work-life balance, financial planning,

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Simplify Your FERS Pension: Effortless Calculation Guide

Simplify Your FERS Pension Calculation

Simplify Your FERS Pension Calculation For many federal employees—particularly those nearing retirement age—understanding the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) pension can feel like unraveling a complicated puzzle. Perhaps you’ve heard conflicting stories about how overtime factors into your highest salary years, or you wonder if online FERS pension calculator tools can deliver reliable estimates. In reality, with the right knowledge and guidance, calculating your federal pension does not have to be complicated. Each of the core components in the FERS

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Comprehensive Federal Benefits Guide for Military & Civil Service Families (2025 Revision)

Comprehensive Federal Benefits Guide for Military & Civil Service Families (2025 Revision)

Comprehensive Federal Benefits Guide for Military & Civil Service Families (2025 Revision) For over three decades, we at PlanWell have had the honor of guiding those who serve—whether in uniform or as faithful civil servants—through the many layers of federal benefits and survivor protections. We understand the anxieties that come with ensuring a loved one’s financial security, particularly when dealing with multiple agencies and evolving benefit programs. Armed with the Chartered Federal Employee Benefits Consultant℠ (ChFEBC), Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®),

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TSP Annuity Calculator: Why It’s Off the Table for Retiring Feds

TSP Annuity Calculator: Why It’s Off the Table for Retiring Feds

TSP Annuity Calculator: Why It’s Off the Table for Retiring Feds As more federal employees near retirement, many wonder if converting their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) into a lifetime annuity is the right path. Truth is, fewer than 1% of TSP participants actually choose this route. Despite the label “guaranteed income,” TSP annuities lock up your savings, limit flexibility, and often underperform other withdrawal methods. For those approaching retirement under FERS, CSRS, or within the military system, the far more

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FERS Retirement Planning: Your Essential Guide to a Secure Future

FERS Retirement Planning: Your Essential Guide to a Secure Future

FERS Retirement Planning: Your Essential Guide to a Secure Future   Introduction to FERS Retirement When the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) took effect on January 1, 1987, it represented a modern approach to securing the future of federal workers across all branches of government. FERS was introduced to replace the older Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), ensuring that federal employees could benefit from a more flexible and portable retirement program. Today, FERS covers the vast majority of active civilian

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