What is the Difference between COLA’s and Pay Raises?

Dec 6, 2016

There is often confusion between a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) and a pay raise. While they both provide an increase in payments, whether annuity or...

Make Sure Your Retirement Forms are Correct Before Sending to OPM

Nov 30, 2016

Effective as of November 14, 2016, The Office of Personnel Management told benefits officers that corrections on certain forms and sections will no longer be...

Retirement Planning? Here’s What You Should Know

Nov 22, 2016

Planning for retirement can be a scary time. Many questions surround people as they start to think about retirement; Can I even afford to retire? When should...

Know Which Survivor Benefits Apply to You-Part 2

Nov 21, 2016

In part one of this post, we looked at survivor benefits that are available to your beneficiaries. This post will focus more on the amount of each benefit....

What Will Happen to My Annuity if I Leave Federal Service?

Nov 15, 2016

What Happens if I Leave Federal Service? Leaving federal service isn't an easy step to take, and you'll have to weigh all the details carefully. In some...

Federal Survivor Benefits: Death Benefits, Annuities, and What Your Family Can Expect

Nov 14, 2016

Survivor benefits are difficult to understand and frankly, may not be thought of very often. However, that could be a mistake. Not choosing a beneficiary in...

What Happens to Your TSP if You Leave Federal Service?

Oct 31, 2016

The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is available to federal employees and works very similar to a 401k. It is part of the three-tier FERS system, which also...

Member of a Union and Seeking Federal Disability Retirement?

Oct 27, 2016

Here at Harris Federal Law Firm, we help countless federal workers who are members of a union. Additionally, we offer discounts to those who are affiliated...

The Reconsideration Process of Federal Disability Retirement

Oct 24, 2016

All federal workers have the right to apply for Federal Disability Retirement if they have an illness or injury that prevents them from doing their essential...

Why Special Security Supplement is Important in Retirement Planning

Oct 17, 2016

The Special Security Supplement can be a tad confusing to understand. One of those reasons is because it has so many names; Bridge to 62, FERS Special...

What is the Cause for a Continuous Backlog at OPM?

Oct 11, 2016

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is notorious for taking months to process retirement applications. There is a continuous backlog. This is especially...

Federal Retirement Financial Planning

Oct 10, 2016

It is never too early to start thinking about retirement. Planning is key when it comes to this stage of life. Hiring a financial planner is a decision some...