Your Turn with Mike Causey

In addition to a proposed pay raise freeze in January 2019, the White House and Congress are recommending that Congress do away with cost-of-living adjustments for both current and future retirees under the FERS program, which covers most feds still working. They also want to, among other things, reduce the rate of return on the Thrift Savings Plan’s Government Securities Investment (G) fund, and base federal pensions for new retirees on the average of the highest five years of salary instead of the highest three. So what do these proposals mean? What are the odds that any (or all) of them will be enacted into law this year? Or at some point in your career? Jessica Klement, staff vice president, advocacy; and Jill Talley, deputy director, public relations, from the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association discuss. So what do these proposals mean? What are the odds that any (or all) of them will be enacted into law this year? Or at some point during your career? We’ll find out when we talk with Jessica Klement, staff vice president, advocacy; and Jill Talley, deputy director, public relations, from the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association on this episode of Your Turn with Mike Causey. Your Turn airs Wednesday’s 10 a.m. ET at Federal News Radio or WFED 1500 AM.

Did the recent stock market nosedive send you moving money from the stock indexed C and S funds into the G fund for safety? If so, was that a smart move? And what’s next? Are you waiting, as in sweating, a much bigger correction that many experts say is long overdue? We asked Arthur Stein, a Washington-area financial planner who tracks the Thrift Savings Plan what he thinks is going on. Did the recent stock market nosedive send you moving money from the stock indexed C and S funds into the G fund for safety? If so, was that a smart move? And what’s next? Are you waiting, as in sweating, a much bigger correction that many experts say is long overdue? We asked Arthur Stein, a Washington-area financial planner who tracks the Thrift Savings Plan what he thinks is going on. He’s our guest on this episode of Your Turn, a radio show (Wednesday's at 10 a.m. EST) streaming on Federal News Radio or at 1500 AM in the D.C. area.

The 2017 Tax Act: How does it affect you?

Big changes are coming to the Thrift Saving Plan. Kim Weaver, director of External Affairs for the TSP, joins host Mike Causey on this week's Your Turn to talk about the changes, which include making it easier for participants to make withdrawals from their accounts.

We have a triple-header on this Your Turn radio show. Reporters Jory Heckman and Nicole Ogrysko will talk about plans to decentralize federal operations based in the D.C. area and the outlook for feds in 2018. Morning Drive anchor Tom Temin will give us his take on President Donald Trumps State-of-the-Union address.

Now that things are back to normalfor three weekspro-fed politicians are explaining why they voted to continue this weeks government shutdown even though they profess to hate them. Democrats and Republicans are each claiming victory which seems to be the point of most shutdowns. Meantime people in federal centers around the country are watching the calendar to see if we are going to go through this again. Maybe for a more extended period. Or if maybe, just maybe, career politicians have learned that shutting it downwhile they continue to get paidis not the way to run a government. What next? So what happened this time? And whats likely to happen when Congress revisits the shutdown threat in February? Today on Your Turn, Greg Stanford, director of Government Affairs at the Federal Managers Association will talk about what led to the shutdown and the quick resolution and whats likely to happen in three weeks. You can listen live at 10 a.m. EST at www.federalnewsradio.com or on 1500 AM in the D.C. area.

This week on Your Turn, certified financial planner Arthur Stein joins host Mike Causey to talk about the Thrift Savings Plan and how to grow your retirement nest egg. He said returns were excellent for all the TSP stock funds last year, but the not-so-good news is that stock markets are overdue for major and even minor stock declines.

Jessica Klement, staff vice president for advocacy at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, talks about the save-the-benefits effort and what you can do about it. She also gives us background on what was threatened but didn't happen last year and talks about why 2018 may be different. And not as forgiving.

This week on Your Turn, Federal News Radio reporters Nicole Ogrysko and Jory Heckman join host Mike Causey to discuss what happened in 2017, what didn't happen but could have, and why. Also what might (as in M-I-G-H-T) be ahead for federal workers, postal employees, retirees, spouses and federal contractors in 2018.

This week on Your Turn, Federal News Radio reporters Nicole Ogrysko, Scott Maucione and Meredith Somers join host Mike Causey to discuss the top federal news stories in 2017 and what is (maybe) going to be on tap for 2018.

When they leave or retire from the government, just over half of Thrift Savings Plan participants move most or all of their TSP balances someplace else. This despite the fact that the TSP has some of the lowest administrative fees in the business and is subject to oversight by the Treasury, the Labor Department and many if not most members of Congress and their staffs belong to the TSP and have keen interest in seeing it does well. But now that Congress has authorized a modernization of the TSP, many suspect that it will be more attractive to feds when they leave or retire and that they will stick with it. Financial planner Arthur Stein will explain why when he joins host Mike Causey on this weeks Your Turn. He will also talk about how the changes implemented under the TSP Modernization Act will affect you.

Nearly half the questions health insurance hunters have involve or revolve around Medicare Part B. As in, do I need it? Can I afford it? What, if any, are the alternatives to Medicare Part B? What happens to the premium if I delay taking it? And by the way, what is it? The short answer is that it depends. On your age, health, financial situation, etc.

Your health plan in jeopardy

Most feds will stay in the same health plan theyve been in for years. Maybe even decades. Walton Francis, editor of Consumers Checkbook Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees, says thats a mistake. Francis says all of the plans are good, but some may be wrong for you. Or too expensive for what they cover. Francis will be the guest today at 10 a.m. ET on Your Turn. Hell be answering questions sent in by listeners over the last two weeks. If you have one, fire it off to host Mike Causey (before showtime) at: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com. Listen at 10 a.m. ET on Federalnewsradio.com or at 1500 AM in the D.C. area. The show will also be archived on our home page so you can listen later.

Every year Uncle Sam holds an open season, when federal workers, retirees and their survivors can update, enroll in or change their benefits package.