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Rating your mate/date

How would you like it if your spouse or significant other rated your performance, then made his/her findings known to friends and neighbors? In this fantasy world, you would naturally hope your performance would be rated as superior, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. But what if you were rated less-than-satisfactory? Would you vow to get better, or would you really rather not even know?

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Scandals lay federal workforce bare

Citizens who follow the news — which is usually bad, and hence, news — must be thinking that feds are party animals, whether they are in Las Vegas or Colombia. But Uncle Sam has more than his share of good people, too, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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What do performance ratings really measure?

Is the performance-rating system in your agency rigged? Does a bear shed in the woods? Despite its noble intent, many workers say performance ratings where they work measure just about everything but performance, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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The Incredible Shrinking Postal Service

Even if you never, or hardly ever, go to a Post Office there's a good chance you went there Tuesday to mail your taxes, and get an SOS from some worried postal employees, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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For feds, it's 'WTH?' time

With 24/7 coverage of alleged scandals at GSA, DoD and the Secret Service, many feds are wondering: "What next?" So what do you do if your agency suddenly finds itself in the spotlight?

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And you're still working because...

It could be a long time before federal workers see another January pay raise. But for retirees, things are looking up.

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Whistleblowers: Who guards the guards?

Government workers are under orders to blow the whistle if they spot waste, fraud or abuse. But, for many, that is easier said than done. What if the crook or clown is your immediate boss? Or your agency head? So who guards the guards?

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The worst year to retire?

The combination of buyouts, a surge in baby boomer retirements and a hostile Congress may make this the worst year, maybe ever, to consider retiring, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Retirement: Cancun or the Titanic?

This year and the next could set a new record for federal retirements. Senior correspondent Mike Causey says that's good news if you are stuck on your agency's promotion ladder, but not so good news if it means finding a cookbook for ways to prepare cat food.

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GSA: Thank you, thank you!

Members of Congress and media watchdogs are thoroughly outraged over GSA's meltdown in the Nevada desert. But those guardians of public morality and safety are also delighted at the foul-up, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. And we love those YouTube videos too.

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Bad news, worse news: Feast or famine

After two weeks of dining on GSA's fiasco in the desert, the fickle American public is looking for some juicy, replacement news, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. It may be something to do with the Kardashians ... or even the Pentagon.

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GSA: Party animals or sacrificial lambs?

When your federal agency winds up as a top ten joke on the Jay Leno show, you know you are going to have some image problems for a long time, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. Take the General Services Administration ...

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Retiring - the only way to get ahead?

Worried about another pay freeze next year? Thinking about retiring to get a cost of living adjustment? Timing is everything, and for some people its already too late, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Divorce, federal style

Why is it that some federal workers will never retire? They plan to work till they drop, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. Is it love of the job, patriotism, friends at work or is it the ex-spouse lurking out there?...

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Fed haven for mad money

If you have a stash of cash and you want to park it in one of the safest, most generous places around, where do you go? Tip: It isn't the Thrift Savings Plan, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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The secret truth behind performance ratings?

When it comes time for your performance rating, do you ever feel like the honest, hard-working kid in the boxing movie who gets a shot at the title, only to be told that he must take a dive, or else? Senior Correspondent Mike Causey wants to know: Are your agency performance ratings rigged?

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Are you better off now than you were two years ago?

Thanks to the two-year pay freeze and two years of higher health premiums many federal workers today are taking home less money than they were in 2010, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. Some alert feds are also curious as to whether Congress has plans to extend their pay freeze until 2013, 2014 or maybe even until 2015.

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Swing-dancing feds: One step forward, two steps back

When you think of federal workers, the term "swinger" isn't the first thing that pops into your head. But after some of the changes politicians want to make, anything could happen.

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Does the buyout barrage have a silver lining?

Buyouts are popping up all over the government. And even if you are not in the market, they may have an impact on your job, your promotion potential and, if you are planning to retire anyhow, how quickly you get your first full annuity payment, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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When timing is (just about) everything

A prominent retirement planner said in an ideal world, the last check you write will bounce. Meaning you got the most for your money. The problem is knowing when that day will come, and managing your finances accordingly, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. So what to do ... ?

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