Federal Pension Advice and Insights

Jun 3, 2026

If you're a U.S. Forest Service employee weighing a separation incentive in 2026, here's the direct answer. VERA (Voluntary Early Retirement Authority) and VSIP (Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment) are two distinct offers that can let you leave federal service early. VERA lets eligible employees retire early on an immediate annuity. VSIP pays a one-time lump sum capped at $25,000.

Jun 2, 2026

The latest full-year data shows that more than 300,000 federal employees left government service during 2025. After new hires are counted, that produced a net federal workforce reduction of roughly 238,000 positions, according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and an analysis by the Pew Research Center.

Jun 1, 2026

DoD civilian workforce reductions have continued in 2026 through deferred resignation, restructuring, hiring limits, reassignments, and possible Reduction in Force (RIF) actions.

May 29, 2026

A TSP in-plan Roth conversion moves money from your traditional TSP balance directly into your Roth TSP balance without taking the money out of the plan. You pay ordinary income tax now. In return, you get tax-free growth and tax-advantaged withdrawals later.

May 28, 2026

The Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) was a federal workforce buyout offered to certain federal employees in early 2025, sometimes called the "Fork in the Road" offer.

May 27, 2026

TSP catch-up contributions are additional retirement savings amounts that federal employees aged 50 and older can contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan beyond the standard elective deferral limit. In 2026.

May 26, 2026

Thrift Savings Plan problems are the gaps, errors, and outdated choices in a federal employee's TSP account that quietly reduce retirement income if left unfixed before separation. These include wrong fund allocations, missed catch-up contributions, outdated beneficiary forms, untracked loans, and uncoordinated withdrawal strategies.

May 25, 2026

As of early 2026, roughly 185,000 to 195,000 TSP accounts held balances of $1 million or more, depending on the reporting date. Public reporting cited approximately 194,722 million-dollar TSP accounts as of January 1, 2026.

May 22, 2026

According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the average FEHB premium increase for 2026 is 10.2% overall. The average enrollee share is increasing by 12.3%, while the average government contribution is increasing by 9.2%.

May 21, 2026

A federal retirement checklist is a structured pre-retirement review covering the seven core areas every FERS employee must verify before separating from service: eligibility, the annuity calculation, TSP strategy,

May 20, 2026

A TSP rollover to Fidelity moves your retirement balance from the Thrift Savings Plan, the federal government's tax-advantaged retirement savings program, into a Fidelity Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

May 19, 2026

OPM proposed RIF rules are amendments to the federal Reduction in Force regulations issued by OPM, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, that would change how agencies select, notify, and place employees during workforce reductions.