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Changes, More Military Credits, & Retiree Jobs

Posted By Dennis Damp On In BENEFITS / INSURANCE,EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS,ESTATE PLANNING,FINANCE / TIP,LIFESTYLE / TRAVEL,RETIREMENT CONCERNS,SOCIAL SECURITY / MEDICARE,SURVIVOR INFORMATION | Comments Disabled
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Changes to the Savings Bond Program

OPM recently sent retirees a letter announcing the phasing out of paper savings bonds through traditional savings plans. If you have savings bonds withheld, they will be stopped automatically in October, the last month you will receive a bond. You can continue to purchase savings bonds through the Treasury Direct online program or you can still purchase paper savings bonds through your local bank.

The benefits of Treasury Direct, www.treasurydirect.gov [2], is that you can sign up, manage your account, purchase and redeem savings bonds online plus print out detailed account holdings. Individuals can also purchase U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected (TIPs), and Treasury Bills, Notes and Bonds for your account and the money is easily transferred from and to your designated local bank savings or checking account. I always liked paper bonds because you can keep them in your safety deposit box and cash them in at any bank.  It’s like having cash instead of just credit cards.

This does create a double edge sword so to speak. Our society is totally dependent on the Internet today, we can’t do anything without it; from pumping gas, everyday purchases, to ATM withdrawals. It would seem to even the most casual observer that we are becoming too dependent on this one venue. That being said, the Treasury Direct program is very easy to use and you can purchase Treasury Inflation Protected bonds called (TIPs), a good substitute for I Bonds, without any annual dollar limits. Find out more about other financial considerations [3] for federal employees and retirees.

Social Security Adjustment – Additional INCREASES for Active Military Service

Don, a retired federal manager, former associate and friend, emailed me earlier this month about this credit. If you served on Active Duty your Social Security may be increased. For example, I served on active duty from 1969 through 1972. According to Social Security, go to http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/military.htm [4] to check this out for yourself, I will be credited with $300 in additional earnings for each calendar quarter in which I received active duty basic pay.  Don said that this isn’t automatic and that he was advised that you must take your DD-214 form with you when you sign up for Social Security to receive this credit.  This isn’t just for federal retirees; it’s for anyone who served on Active duty. This does make sense considering that when I was on active duty my starting pay was $97 a month, YES just $97 a month and when I was discharged In 1972 I was making $270 a month! If you lost or misplaced your DD-214 form you can get a replacement from the National Archives [5].   Visit our Social Security page [6] for more details.

Additional Retiree Job Options

More companies are trying to attract retired federal employees and those close to retirement due to their special skills, knowledge and abilities. We continue to receive job postings from companies desperately seeking to fill critical jobs with qualified federal workers and retirees. Visit our jobs board [7] for complete listings. You will find new listings for:

Learn more about your benefits [8], employment [9], and financial planning issues [3] on our site and visit our Blog frequently at https://fedretire.net [10] to read all forum articles.

Visit our other informative sites

The information provided may not cover all aspect of unique or special circumstances, federal regulations, and financial information is subject to change. To ensure the accuracy of this information, contact your benefits coordinator and ask them to review your official personnel file and circumstances concerning this issue. Retirees can contact the OPM retirement center. Our articles are not intended nor should they be considered investment advice. Our reply is time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic economic factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change.”

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