Benefits News 
Top News
- Data breach puts DHS workers at risk of ID theft
- DoD to pursue commercial alternative to VA's VistA system
- Obama to nominate Tangherlini as GSA administrator
- PHOTOS: Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal Finalists
- House GOP panel moves on deep budget cuts
- OMB fuels synergy between mobile, open data
- IRS official Lerner: 'I did nothing wrong'
- OMB reworking financial system requirements to focus on outcomes, not inputs
- Retirement funds temporarily tapped to avoid debt limit default
- VanRoekel to lead OMB management team
- SBA starting new lending program for veterans
- New Apple devices cleared to join DoD IT networks
- Bonuses under fire at GSA, other agencies
- Wednesday federal headlines - May 22, 2013
House committee takes up bill cutting federal retirement benefits
Federal unions and some lawmakers have lambasted a proposed bill that would make changes to federal retirement benefits. The "Securing Annuities for Federal Employees Act of 2012" is set to go before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Tuesday for a markup session, in which lawmakers will be able to introduce amendments.
Not your father's pay raise
Federal workers are considered lucky that the White House wants them to have a 0.5 percent raise next January. But what would G-men and women of your Mom or Dad's era have said to a pay raise of that — new word — minatude, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey wonders.
House pay freeze vote a preview of payroll tax decision?
As a House-Senate conference committee continues negotiations over how to extend the payroll tax cut, ahead of a Feb. 29 deadline, there's at least one issue that has never left the table: federal pay and benefits. The eight House Republicans on the conference committee all voted in support of the stand-alone pay freeze bill. Of the five House Democrats, only Rep. Allyson Schwartz, of Pennsylvania, voted yes on the bill.
Feds: Aggressive pitbulls or quaking chihuahuas
Now that government workers are under attack by politicians, how much clout do federal and postal workers have, and are they going to use it in November? Senior Correspondent Mike Causey searches for answers.
Senators take OPM to task over long wait for pensions
The Office of Personnel Management has a new strategy for tackling its backlog of 62,000 retirement applications. But, after 25 years of hearing such promises, lawmakers are skeptical. The Senate Homeland Security and Government Reform Subcommittee on Oversight brought agency director John Berry to Capitol Hill to explain why this strategy is different.
Group gives 25 lawmakers 'perfect scores' on federal report card
Federally Employed Women, which is aimed at improving the status of women working for the federal government, reviewed legislators' voting records on 10 bills mostly related to federal pay and benefits. The group gave its highest score — a 100 percent — to two senators and 23 House members, all Democrats.
Long-term impact of 'Pay Interruptus'
Is a temporary pay freeze better than a permanent cut in your federal benefits package? Or are people ignoring the long-term effects of a "temporary" pay freeze, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey wonders.
Preview of Roth TSP, January returns, pay freeze vote
Host Mike Causey is joined by Tom Trabucco, director of external affairs for Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, and Federal Times senior writer Stephen Losey.
February 1, 2012
Who's the $4 million fed?
Thanks largely to transfusions from outside retirement plans, Uncle Sam now has 208 employees with million-dollar Thrift Savings Plan accounts, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says,and there's at least one person whose 401(k) plan is worth more than $4 million.
House to vote on federal pay freeze extension
The House is scheduled to vote on a bill on Wednesday to extend the civilian federal pay freeze another year — through 2013.
Election-year survival kit — for politicians
A number of self-proclaimed insiders, reporters, lobbyists, think tank residents and a select group of psychics think they know what what's going to be in the election-year survival kit for members of Congress, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says ... and they say you are not going to like it.
TSP already complies with reporting fees ahead of new requirement for private plans
Tom Trabucco, joined In Depth with Francis Rose for an interview on all things TSP.
Financial planning for the new year
Joseph Sullender, vice president of investments at the Financial Strategies Group of Wells Fargo, talks about what you need to do to get your financial house in order.
January 30, 2012
The thumb of all fears
Congress is about to deal you a hand you won't like, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. So what if you could pick your predicament? What's the lesser of evils that may be coming your way?
Group surveying military pay, benefits ahead of proposed cuts
The Pentagon has unveiled details of a 10-year strategy for defense cuts — including reductions in military pay and benefits. But before any large-scale changes are made, service members should be given a chance to voice their opinions of their compensation packages, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary, a prominent defense think tanks argues. "The Pentagon is already starting to move to make changes in the compensation system," said CSBA senior fellow Todd Harrison. "And basically our point here is before we start tinkering with things, before we start making changes we need to understand first how service members actually view different parts of their compensation package."
Analysis: Proposed federal retirement cuts often boil down to 'perception'
Tammy Flanagan, the senior benefits director for the National Institute of Transition Planning, joined In Depth with Francis Rose to discuss recent proposals on federal retirements.
Raises, bases are potential victims of DoD budget cuts
The Pentagon begins the process of revealing its budget plan for fiscal year 2013. The proposal includes the scaling back of several weapons systems, savings on personnel costs, along with an assurance from top DoD officials that even though the military will be smaller, it will be more agile and more capable.
Feds need to develop a strategy to ease retirement path
The Office of Personnel Management received more the 15,000 new retirement applications this month. Ed Zurdorfer, registered employee benefit consultant, offers some advice on how federal employees can make the road to retirement less stressful.
Diet pensions on the menu?
While many federal workers are worried about their future retirement benefits, some experts say that a possible change in pension rules wouldn't be that big a deal, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey reports ... or would it?
NTEU decries proposed cuts to workers comp
The National Treasury Employees Union has denounced a Senate bill reforming the Postal Service because it would also reduce benefits under the federal workers' compensation program.
