The Triple Nickel, also known as the 5/5/5 rumor, has been circulating among federal employee forums for decades. The details vary, but the basic pitch is remarkably consistent: Congress will ...

The Medicare Open Enrollment Period (OEP) is an annual timeframe when individuals enrolled in Medicare (Medicare beneficiaries) can reevaluate their Medicare health plan and then add, drop or switch ...

Confused about how FERS actually works? This session breaks down eligibility, service credit, your annuity calculation, High-3, survivor benefits, and the critical decisions that determine how much ...

Most retirees want to use every dollar of income they receive. While that extra dollar in income will likely be taxable, an extra dollar of income can trigger thousands of dollars in surprise Medicare ...

If you’ve worked for the federal government for any length of time, you’ve probably accumulated a collection of SF-50s. You may have filed them away, saved them electronically, or simply ignored them ...

In this episode, Ed and Dan explain what happens to FERS retirement benefits when a former federal employee dies before receiving their deferred FERS annuity. They discuss when a surviving spouse may ...

The FedLife Podcast is your in-depth, biweekly deep dive into the world of federal benefits and retirement planning. Hosted by federal benefits expert Ed Zurndorfer and Dan Sipe of Serving Those Who ...

In the first two installments of FinPsych for Feds, we looked at how we discount the value of the future (present bias) and how we mentally organize our money (mental accounting). Now we turn to ...

Federal retirees who have enrolled in Medicare may have to pay more for their Medicare Part B (medical insurance) and Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage) monthly premiums. Any individual ...

Let the games begin! The 2026 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Open Season will officially run from November 9 through December 14, 2026, but make no mistake: finding the right FEHB coverage ...

With less than three months remaining in calendar year 2026, now is a good time for federal employees and retirees to perform year-end retirement and tax planning. Some tax legislation coming out of ...

Confirmation bias can lead us to favor information that supports what we already believe, while anchoring bias can cause an initial number or idea to exert more influence than subsequent information ...