Your Turn with Mike Causey - Federal News Network | Hubbard Radio

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Maximizing your retirement benefits Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

Thanks to the Federal Employees Retirement System, the Civil Service Retirement System and Social Security retirement programs many people will have guaranteed lifetime payments worth $1 million to $2 million. And that is in addition to their investments in the Thrift Savings Plan. Tom O’Rourke, a Washington area attorney whose practice is limited to estates, trusts, tax and federal pension matters, said most active and retired feds are worth more than they think, “especially if you are entitled to receive a lifetime annuity at retirement.” On this episode, O’Rourke talks about what feds and their survivors should be doing to maximize their cash benefits. These include things such as wills, powers-of-attorney (two kinds), trusts and the like to protect you and yours. He also discusses the steps you need to take to minimize tax liabilities, and what you need to include as part of your estate plan. You can listen to the show streaming on www.federalnewsradio.com or on 1500 AM in the D.C. area. Your Turn airs live at 10 a.m. EDT Wednesdays on 1500 AM in the Washinton D.C. metro area and streaming nationwide at federalnewsradio.com. Remember all our Your Turn shows are archived on our homepage so you can listen later, listen again or recommend them to a friend or coworker. See, you really are worth more than you thought.

FERS & the federal pay raise: What's the latest? Jul 24, 2018

Show notes

Earlier this year President Donald Trump proposed a zero pay raise for January 2019. In its place would be a yet-to-come system that would give agencies more flexibility and cash to reward outstanding workers with outstanding raise.

FERS & CSRS: What's next? Jul 17, 2018

Show notes

The two largest white-collar federal unions, the American Federation of Government Employees and the National Treasury Employees Union, are challenging provisions in two of the three executive orders President Donald Trump issued in late May.

TSP investing: The good, the bad & the ugly Jul 10, 2018

Show notes

So, how often do you look at your Thrift Savings Plan account balance, and does it affect your investment decisions? Do the ups and downs of your TSP account keep you up at night? Are you financially nervous in the civil service, or do you think you have the wrong mix of funds in your retirement nest egg? If so, financial planner Arthur Stein has the answers to your retirement questions. Stein will discuss these and other TSP investing topics on the Your Turn radio show Wednesday at 10 a.m. Questions for him or Mike Causey can be sent before the show to mcausey@federalnewsradio.com Listen at www.federalnewsradio.com or 1500 AM in the Washington, D.C. area.

Estate planners: Are you richer than you think? Jun 19, 2018

Show notes

Long ago a financial planner told me the key to success was to have a steady job, invest in any company 401K plan that is offered, get and stay married to the same person, buy a house in an up-and-coming neighborhood, live within your means and wait. Tens of thousands of federal/postal workers and retirees fit the profile, except maybe for the one spouse rule. Even so, the fact is that a lot of people fit the profile of somebody who has done very well financially, especially if they have been with one employer for 20 or 30 years, and if that employer offers a 401K plan, a generous company match and a retirement plan. Maybe they fit it better than they realize. Estate attorney Thomas O’Rourke said the key tools in most estate plans include wills, powers of attorney, medical directives, and trusts. O’Rourke was the guest on this week’s episode of the Your Turn radio show and he talked about things you should be doing to plan for retirement, and how often you should review your plan. Tune in to the show Wednesdays at 10 a.m. at www.federalnewsradio.com or 1500 AM in the D.C. metro area.

TSP: Can you afford to “play it safe?” Jun 12, 2018

Show notes

When financial times get tough and a bull market rears its ugly head, many Thrift Savings Plan investors head for the safety of the bond index F Fund or, more likely, the super-safe never has a bad day G Fund. To many people, the U.S. Treasury-backed securities are the safest haven in an uncertain market. During the Great Recession many TSP investors pulled out of the stock market (C, S and I funds) into the G Fund. Although the market bottomed out March 9, 2009, and rebounded with a vengeance, many investors never returned. Certified financial planner Art Stein said there is safety and then there is “safety,” the latter actually used by people to mean a lack of volatility. Stein was the guest on this week’s episode of the Your Turn radio show and he discussed the price that investors pay for safety. Tune in to the show Wednesdays at 10 a.m. at www.federalnewsradio.com or 1500 AM in the D.C. metro area.

Will Congress change your federal retirement benefits? Jun 05, 2018

Show notes

The Trump administration has submitted a legislative package that would, among other things, eliminate cost-of-living adjustments for current and future workers retiring under the Federal Employees Retirement System. Under the White House plan, the employee contribution to the FERS program would also rise one percent each year, over each of the next six years. It also proposes eliminating the FERS supplement which is a payment workers now get if they retire before age 62, when they are eligible for Social Security. So what are the odds any of the proposed changes will happen this year? John Hatton, deputy director for Advocacy of the National Association of Active and Retired Federal Employees outlines the proposals and talks about their chances on this week’s Your Turn radio show. Listen live at 10 a.m. EDT Wednesdays on www.federalnewsradio.com or at 1500 AM in the D.C. area.

AFGE: The impact of President Trump’s executive orders May 29, 2018

Show notes

In the news business the best way to bury a story is to release or leak it on the Friday before a major national holiday. Such was the case this Memorial Day weekend when three executive orders designed to whip the bureaucracy in shape were issued Friday afternoon via a telephone conference call with reporters. The three EOs fulfill — at least on paper — President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to drain the D.C. swamp and to snip the red tape that makes it next to impossible to prod nonperforming bureaucrats either to action or the unemployment line. AFGE President J. David Cox joins host Mike Causey on this week’s show to talk about the executive orders and their potential impact. Your Turn is 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 TSP: Are the law of averages on your side? May 15, 2018

Show notes

When it comes to the federal Thrift Savings Plan, the average annual returns don’t tell you everything because TSP stock funds do not have many “average” years. “The typical ways to view TSP returns is to look at the total return over a certain time period — annually, quarterly, year to date — or over a number of years,” according to financial planner Arthur Stein. He says patterns are easier to spot when returns are ranked by size. Your Turn is a radio show (Wednesday's at 10 a.m. EST) streaming on Federal News Radio or at 1500 AM in the D.C. area.

Are changes coming to your retirement package? May 08, 2018

Show notes

This week the White House revived old proposals to make feds pay more for, and get less from, their retirement package. The Trump administration submitted a proposal to Congress that, if approved, would: eliminate the gap payment, require current FERS employees to contribute an additional one percent a year and eliminate the cost of living adjustments (COLAs) for current and future FERS retirees. National Active and Retired Federal Employees President Richard Thissen and Federal News Radio reporter Nicole Ogrysko discuss on Your Turn with Mike Causey. They'll explain the proposed changes, their cost to you and the odds of any, or all of them, becoming law this year — and what, if anything, you can do about it. The show airs at 10 a.m. EDT at www.federalnewsradio.com or 1500 AM in the metro Washington area.

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