BROWSE OUR BLOG TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RETIREMENT PLANNING, TAXES, AND MORE!
Retirement Planning Refresher: What Retirees Need to Know About SECURE Act 2.0
The SECURE Act 2.0, signed into law in late 2022, brought significant changes to retirement savings and planning—namely, the rules around how retirement accounts work and can be used. As a retiree or someone approaching retirement, understanding these changes is crucial for optimizing your financial strategy. Let's explore some key aspects that may directly impact you. Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) [...]
Back to the Basics of Retirement Accounts
Retirement accounts are a cornerstone of today’s retirement strategies. While everyone might recognize the terms “IRA” or “401(k),” it’s important to familiarize yourself with how they work so you can understand how they may play a role in your own retirement strategy and timeline. Once you approach retirement, there are so many ways you can use these types of accounts, [...]
Tips on Updating Beneficiaries to Your Federal Benefits
An important topic that many federal employees overlook is making sure that their beneficiaries are up to date on several federal benefits. On the surface, this may seem like just another kind of administrative topic, but there’s actually a lot more to it — such as what benefits are available that warrant a beneficiary, and what your family can expect [...]
Navigating Market Volatility: What Retirees Should Know About August’s “Japanese Carry Trade”
In August of 2024, the financial world was abuzz with discussions about the Japanese carry trade and its impact on global markets. For retirees and those nearing retirement, understanding these developments may help you understand why markets are moving, but it's equally important to maintain a focus on long-term financial security rather than reacting to short-term market fluctuations. Regardless, the [...]
A Recent History of Federal Reserve Policy
The past quarter century has held times of economic prosperity and crisis in this country. Because your retirement hinges on your financial options and decisions, the economic health of certain parts of the financial world can dictate if and how you struggle, survive, or thrive in retirement. As such, it's arguable that no other institution has as much of a [...]
6 Important Facets of an Estate Plan
Estate planning is often viewed as something only the wealthy need, but the reality is that everyone can benefit from having an estate plan. Whether you have considerable wealth or modest assets, ensuring your assets and finances are handled according to your wishes is crucial. Without a will, a probate court may decide how your assets are distributed, which might [...]
Quitting Your Federal Job Before You’re Fully-Eligible to Retire?
A question that we often hear is, “I have plenty of years in the federal system (but I am nowhere near the required age), yet I want to retire now! Can I retire today and still get a pension?” Like most questions we get, it isn’t as simple as answering that question alone. First, we probably need to explain what [...]
The Great Wealth Transfer: Why Generation X is Set to Inherit Big
As the baby boomer generation ages and begins to pass down their fortunes, a significant shift in wealth distribution is on the horizon. While millennials and members of Generation Z often capture headlines regarding inheritances, it is Generation X that stands to benefit the most in the near term. According to a recent study by Wealth-X, the average age of [...]
