Pay & Benefits Watch

Age gap retirement planning for federal employees: Avoiding the 'Widow’s Penalty,' Medicare planning and more

How to think about the best ways to utilize your retirement and health care benefits when you may be older, or younger, than your spouse.

VA moves survivors’ help office, again, to make it easier to get benefits

The department is seeking to reverse a 2021 decision by the Biden administration that placed the Office of Survivors Assistance under the Veterans Benefits Administration.

Don’t get stuck with a tax bill in retirement: The federal retiree's guide to tax withholding 

While tax withholding is automatic while working, retirees face the responsibility of ensuring their income is withheld for federal and state taxes. With that in mind, here are some options to be aware of.

New rule would change the reamortized debt formula for Thrift Savings Plan loans

A proposed rule from the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board could recalculate how federal employees repay accrued interest on loans from the government’s 401(k)-style retirement plan.

House legislation seeks to add protections for probationary employees 

A bill from a newly-minted representative from Maryland is one of several proposed bills in response to the ongoing federal workforce reductions.

How tariffs and inflation may affect your TSP 

Though the upheaval of tariff policy has riled the markets, here's what to consider for the potential impacts on the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program.

Efforts to boost VA recruitment and promote BOP mental health get another push from House members

A pair of House bills seek to address personnel challenges within the Veterans Affairs Department and the Bureau of Prisons by offering new incentives and additional screenings, respectively. 

Stopgap bill includes permanent pay raises for firefighters

Federal wildland firefighters secured new special salary pay tables at all levels through the six-month continuing resolution package after Congress spent 2024 averting numerous pay cliffs. 

Your guide to pay and benefits during a shutdown

Congress has just days to reach agreement on a deal to keep federal agencies open past Friday.

A pair of House bills aim to give fired feds relief

Legislation from Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., and Derek Tran, D-Calif., seeks to secure benefits for federal employees recently fired by the Trump administration and help get some of their jobs back. 

Bipartisan bill returns to help feds and postal workers close retirement gap

A bipartisan group is again pitching legislation that would allow some federal and postal employees who began their careers as temporary workers to contribute to their federal retirement accounts for those years. 

Can I afford an early retirement? 4 things to consider before making the leap

COMMENTARY | From return-to-office mandates to the reappearance of Schedule F, many feds may be finding themselves on a fast track to retirement whether they wanted it or not. But are they financially prepared? What planning should be done before considering an early federal retirement?

OPM unveils its major plans and policy goals for federal health care in 2026

The Office of Personnel Management's 2026 Federal Employees Health Benefits program roadmap focuses on cutting red tape for feds and retirees while staying committed to key health care priorities—here’s what it could mean for you.

Feds affected by L.A. fires are eligible for paid leave transfers

OPM is allowing federal employees to donate their paid leave time to fellow feds impacted by the ongoing wildfires in California, a practice becoming more commonly deployed during increasing natural disasters. 

Congressional Republicans dial up multiple bills to cull telework flexibility 

The 119th Congress has started early on reintroducing or debuting new plans to reduce telework capabilities at federal agencies.