Posted on Monday, 28th June 2010 by Dennis Damp

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, 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 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 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.   Visit our Social Security page 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 for complete listings. You will find new listings for:

• Instructor – Federal Acquisitions
• Radar/Automation (Retired FAA Tech)
• Navaids/Comm (Retired FAA Tech)
• Contracting Specialists
• Retirement & Benefits Specialist

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

Visit our other informative sites

• http://federaljobs.net (Federal Career & Job Center)
• http://federalretirement.net (FREE Retirement Planning Guide)
• http://federalretirement.net/jobs.htm (Retiree Job Opportunities)
• https://fedretire.net (Retiree BLOG)
• http://fedcareer.info (Career Development Center)
• http://postalwork.net (Postal Career Center)
• http://searchfedjobs.com (Job Search – All Sectors)
• http://ehsjobs.org (Environmental Health & Safety Job Center)
• http://stolenplates.com (What to do if this happens to you)
• Educational Opportunities (Find educational opportunities in your area)

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.”

Posted in BENEFITS / INSURANCE, EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS, ESTATE PLANNING, FINANCE / TIP, LIFESTYLE / TRAVEL, RETIREMENT CONCERNS, SOCIAL SECURITY / MEDICARE, SURVIVOR INFORMATION

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Posted on Saturday, 5th June 2010 by Nancy Holston

Think you can’t afford a Hawaiian Vacation?  You might be surprised!

Here you are sitting on Waikiki Beach as the sky is fading from the picture perfect blue to shades of yellow, orange and red.  The Palms overhead are swaying and you feel the trade winds in your hair and on your face while you relax to the sound of the waves lapping on the sand.  You hear the conch shell announce the end of the day as Hawaiian Natives run down the beach lighting the Tiki Torches.  As the sun sets on Waikiki you hear a Ukulele playing a familiar Hawaiian song and as you walk down the beach you find the source of the music.  Sit down on the grass and enjoy the music and Hula dancers providing the entertainment.  Then wander across the street to one of the night spots for a traditional Mai Tai with a float of dark rum.  This is what awaits you every evening on Waikiki.

Wake up to cool breezes as you walk along the beach with the sand in your toes.  Grab a coffee and your favorite breakfast item and enjoy it on the beach.  Later in the day you won’t find better shopping anywhere on the islands.  Waikiki is lined with high end shops and everyone’s favorite, the ABC shops with everything from essentials to souvenirs.  You can also grab a shuttle to Hilo Hattie’s to purchase reasonably priced traditional Hawaiian clothing and souvenirs or stop at the Ala Moana Mall.

When you find you’re in the mood to explore the island there’s plenty to see and do:  Pearl Harbor, the North Shore, the Dole Pineapple Plantation, visit the Polynesian Cultural Center, snorkel at Hanauma Bay, or swim, sunbathe or try surfing at a sparsely occupied beach which are all over the island.

The temperatures in Hawaii only vary by two degrees between summer and winter.  If you plan to go to the tops of any of the volcanoes on the islands, then you’ll need a jacket at a minimum in the winter time, a sweatshirt in Spring/Summer.

Getting There

You can let airfare deals pick your dates.  This is only a problem if you are planning to do some whale watching.  The whales are plentiful from January through March.  If whale watching isn’t on your list of things to do, then you will have the freedom to let the airfare deals guide your travel dates.  There are several websites that will help find airfare deals.  They email you daily or weekly to advise you of the latest deals for destinations you have asked the website to monitor.  You’ll have to use your best guess to determine if it’s the right time to buy.  Good airfare prices for west coast travelers are around $350 to $400, but East coast travelers can expect $550 to $600 as their best deal.

Airfare monitoring sites: KAYAK.com, Airfarewatchdog.com, Bookingbuddy.com

Booking Sites:
Priceline.com Flights – Choose your EXACT flight & time!
Book Air + Hotel together and SAVE with Travelocity

Where to stay

Once you’ve purchased your airline tickets it’s time to find a good hotel deal.  There are several websites that have good prices.  Some will only give you the price without revealing the hotel.  This can be risky.  Most will tell you the hotel if you are packaging a rental car with your hotel purchase.  Beware though, these sites usually require full payment when you make the reservation and generally don’t give refunds.  They do have insurance incase your plans hit a snag, but a full refund is still very limited.  Make sure you read the small print before you complete your purchase.  You can also look at vacation rentals on the islands.  Do some research though to make sure the home is located in an area that appeals to your activity list, is close to beaches and/or tour operations.  For Military retirees there is Fort De Russy Military Reservation, which is essentially a resort for members of the armed forces.  It is located right next to the Hilton Hawaiian Village, which provides plenty of places to shop and eat.  There are lots of vendors set up in that area for activities on the water.

Hotels:

Priceline.com Hotels – save up to 50%
Travelocity – Top Hotel Deals in Honolulu
No hotels.com Change or Cancel fees on lodging bookings
Hotwire.com,

Vacation Homes:
Hawaii Vacation Rentals
VRBO.com has great deals because you are renting from the owner and not paying the middle man that manages the property.

Island Transportation

If your plans are to spend your time at Waikiki, I recommend you skip a car rental.  The parking fees at most hotels can be nearly as much as the daily cost of the rental.  You can catch the Roberts shuttle from the Honolulu airport.  A round trip ticket is only $15, and two people can go round trip for less than a one way taxi ride to your hotel.  You say you don’t want to spend everyday at Waikiki?  No problem!  Enterprise car rental has an office on Waikiki, Seaside street that is within easy walking distance (they will pick you up, but you may have to wait a couple of hours due to how busy this office is).  You can rent a car for the day starting around $35.  The Waikiki Trolley will take you up and down the beach for $2, and goes to the malls near Honolulu.  You can also get a free shuttle to Hilo Hattie’s for shopping.

Dining on Oahu

Grab those Tourist booklets as soon as you arrive.  They are everywhere including conveniently located in the Baggage Claim area at the Honolulu Airport!  These books have coupons for everything, tours, shopping and dining, early bird specials, two-for-one’s, etc.  I also recommend asking the locals for the best local restaurants.  Early bird specials aren’t so special if the food isn’t good.  One of my favorite places is Round Table Pizza and the Spaghetti Factory on Ward Avenue, not far from the Ala Moana Mall.  You’ll find lots of chain restaurants at Waikiki, but the prices will run about 20% higher than what you pay at home.  Waikiki has many different types of cuisine and fine dining restaurants.  Asian food offers an abundance of choices.  If you plan to attend a Luau, I recommend you do some research.  If you have a vision of being on the beach for the meal and the Hawaiian show after the meal you may be disappointed when you find that the Luau takes place on the roof of a parking garage (as is the case at the Hilton Hawaiian Village).  The best Hawaiian Luau is on Maui.  The Paradise Cove Luau may meet your expectations.  Prices will be approximately $80 per adult.  I’m always surprised at how much I spend eating on Oahu.  It can easily exceed $100 a day for two people.

Activities

For beach information I use this link:  http://oceansafety.soest.hawaii.edu/v/2.0/?i=oahu

It will help you determine the safest place for the beach activity you are planning.  For info on tours, http://www.oahutours.net/ is very inclusive covering just about anything you might find of interest.  Check with the website or service you use to book your hotel.  Sometimes they have special deals for Luau’s or the more popular tours on the islands.

Aloha!

Nancy Holston

Learn more about your benefits,  employment, travel, and financial planning issues on our site and visit our Blog frequently at https://www.fedretire.net to read all forum articles.

Visit our other informative sites

• https://www.federaljobs.net (Federal Career & Job Center)
• https://www.federalretirement.net (FREE Retirement Planning Guide)
• https://www.federalretirement.net/jobs.htm (Retiree Job Opportunities)
• https://fedretire.net (Retiree BLOG)
• https://www.fedcareer.info (Career Development Center)
• https://www.postalwork.net (Postal Career Center)
• http://searchfedjobs.com (Job Search – All Sectors)
• http://ehsjobs.org (Environmental Health & Safety Job Center)
• http://stolenplates.com (What to do if this happens to you)
• Educational Opportunities (Find educational opportunities in your area)

The information provided may not cover all aspect of unique or special circumstances. Travel policies and packages are subject to change without notice. To ensure the accuracy of this information, contact travel providers and hotels at the time of your bookings to confirm pricing, itinerary, and all costs. The comments and observations are limited to the author’s personal experience and your results may vary significantly. This article and replies to comments are not intended to substitute for professional travel services. Our reply is time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic economic factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change.”

Posted in LIFESTYLE / TRAVEL, WELLNESS / HEALTH

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Posted on Wednesday, 2nd June 2010 by Dennis Damp

The TSP and markets in general have been on another roller coaster ride AGAIN this past month or so.  I fortunately shifted all of my TSP account to the G Fund several weeks ago feeling that the market was overdue for a correction.  I discussed my intention to switch to the G Fund in my March article. The icing on the cake, that convinced me to move to safety, was the Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain (PIGS) blowout, and the BP oil spill. Just too many negatives converging at one time and when you add government’s out of control spending, it just made sense to seek higher ground and avoid insanity for another round.  Only time will tell if I made the right move but either way, the G Fund is guaranteed to never decrease in value and it still pays a hefty yield compared to CDs and Money Market accounts.  After the market recovers I’ll reallocate my funds back into stocks. Explore your TSP options to better understand how to manage your account.  As always, I don’t recommend anyone changing their TSP allocations based on my personal preferences

If you purchased stocks, mutual funds, or ETFs, when the Market hit its low back in 2008 it was time for many to lock in profits. The recent 1000 point drop in the DOW average was a subtle reminder of just how far a market can and will go in freefall.  Small investors often find selling stocks a difficult chore. I use to be that way and have learned over the years that you “can’t always get what you want,” especially when it comes to market highs. About 4 or five weeks ago the market culminated a long run up and it had pretty much gone straight up over the last year, a very unusual path for a market to take without a breather.  Many were talking about a V shaped recovery and few considered a double dip recession. How fast things change.  The jury is still out and only time will tell, but the long and short of it for the small investor is to take your profits when you have them because they can easily disappear in short notice.  It is a hard decision to sell for a number of reasons.

Many small Investors are optimists and buy and hold, loosing interim profits along the way. If you have a 25, 40, 100 or 400% profit I belief it makes sense to take them and look for other attractive investments especially when you think they are getting overprices. You can always buy them back 30 days later, often at a lower price. Look at Ford (F), it sold for as little as $1.87 in January of 2009. In April of 2010 it hit a high of $14.57 a share.  When it hit $14 many investors that purchased at less than $2 were holding on believing it was going to $20. When the market started its fall last month and the stock hit $11 the hard liners said they weren’t selling until it returned to $14 or more, why sell, I’m losing money they would say.  Even at $11, if they sold, their profits were in the 580% range!  GREED kills profits.  Just like the gambler that hits a jackpot and then plays and looses everything he won.

Retiree Job Options

If you are looking to retire but still want to stay in the game or you are retired trying to keep your head above water, there are many job options available for workers with federal government experience. Our jobs board continues to grow and Money Magazine recently listed four “Best Jobs for Retirees“ in their May issue . Here is a partial listings of jobs or services that welcome retirees and older workers:

• Energy Auditor – Inspect homes for energy efficiency, Salary $42,000 to $66,000. Visit www.aeecenter.org for more information.
• Patient Advocate – help clients with prescriptions, file paperwork, and arrange transportation. Salary from $36,000 to $52,000. Visit www.nahac.memberlodge.com for more information.
• Nonprofit Manager – Transfer your federal management skills to the private nonprofit arena. Salary from $40,000 to $69,000. Visit www.bridgestar.org for more information.
• Public School Teacher – Sciences and math teachers needed. Salary $47,000 to $52,000. Visit www.teach-now.org for more information.
• The US 2010 Census – Part time work. Call their national jobs hotline at 1-866-861-2010 or apply online at http://www.census.gov/hrd/www/index.html.  The pay is good and the hours are flexible.
• Private Sector job search, all occupations – Visit http://searchfedjobs.com/joblistings.htm to find jobs for all occupations nationwide and overseas.

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

Visit our other informative sites

• http://federaljobs.net (Federal Career & Job Center)
• http://federalretirement.net (FREE Retirement Planning Guide)
• http://federalretirement.net/jobs.htm (Retiree Job Opportunities)
• https://fedretire.net (Retiree BLOG)
• http://fedcareer.info (Career Development Center)
• http://postalwork.net  (Postal Career Center)
• http://searchfedjobs.com (Job Search – All Sectors)
• http://ehsjobs.org (Environmental Health & Safety Job Center)
• http://stolenplates.com (What to do if this happens to you)
• Educational Opportunities (Find educational opportunities in your area)

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 artilces 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.”

Posted in BENEFITS / INSURANCE, EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS, FINANCE / TIP, LIFESTYLE / TRAVEL, RETIREMENT CONCERNS

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Posted on Tuesday, 25th May 2010 by Chuck Jumpeter

Spring has come and although the weather has been erratic, to say the least, I have been noticing all the normal spring-like activities taking place in my neighborhood and all across this area.

Folks are fertilizing their lawns and spreading crabgrass preventer to stop that nasty plant from overtaking their gardens. Others are waxing their cars to keep the summer sun from fading the paint. Many are touching up the paint on their homes and decks to prevent the elements from causing damage to their property. The county is spraying the trees to keep the gypsy moths from eating all the foliage and killing the forests and even on the golf course the superintendent is carefully using fungicides to keep unwanted organisms from destroying the greens.

Yes, people will buy the best lawn products, the finest car waxes, the most expensive paint, all because we want our stuff to look great and last a long time. Why? Well, we recognize that it costs a lot more to replace our stuff than it does to maintain it properly. For those areas where we might not be able to do-it-ourselves, we hire professionals. Just today I had my HVAC contractor in doing seasonal maintenance on my air conditioning system. In the fall, he’ll be back to check my heating system. Yes sir, we do love our stuff and we maintain it well. And, we should.

As I watch all this activity and think of all the money being spent to prevent damage to our “things,” I can’t help but wonder why we have such a difficult time taking care of ourselves with the same diligence that we use for our stuff?

Those thoughts lead me to our next bus stop along the road to good health.

#8 – An Ounce of Prevention. As I was growing up, my folks always reminded me that an ounce of prevention was worth a pound of cure. I’ll bet you also heard – and probably used – that saying many times. It was true then, and it’s even truer today.

I grew up during the 1950’s and 60’s. My mom would buy bushels of fruits and vegetables during the growing season and jar them so we had fresh goodies all year long. There were far fewer chemicals used to grow the crops and it was much easier to ensure our food was as nutritious as possible.

Since then, over 100,000 new chemicals have been introduced to our lifestyles. Very few of these have been tested for safety, and, interactions have had little or no testing. Many of these chemicals are being used in some of the most common household products. In a recent 15 year study presented at the Toronto Indoor Air Conference, it was noted that women who work “at home” have a 54% higher incidence of cancer than those who work “out of the home.” The primary reason stated was the toxicity of household cleaners. The environmental toxins in these products have been linked to autism, allergies, asthma, reduced immune system function, cancer and numerous other wellness challenges. So, our first ounce of preventions will be to eliminate all these toxins from our homes and replace them with environmentally safe, effective cleaners. A great way to do this is with Shaklee’s GetClean product line. Not only will these products keep your environment spotless and safe, they’ll fatten your wallet too! Check them out at Click here for GetClean.

Mom also used to tell me that “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Now, I’ll bet you’re thinking I going to suggest you eat more fruit, and I will, but for now, I’m suggesting that sometimes, keeping the doctor close at hand is good too. No matter how hard we try, we still may get sick once in a while, so having an annual checkup with your doctor is a great idea. Not only will it help you establish a baseline for your state of wellness, but it will provide early identification of any health challenges. So, if it’s been a while, pick up the phone, call your doctor and get a physical. You know it’s the right thing to do.

OK, so if you’re listening, you have cleaned up your environment and gotten yourself a checkup, and that’s a good start. Now let’s look at what you can do to give yourself every possible opportunity to enjoy optimum wellness.

We’ll start with your diet. Here’s where I get to sound like a broken record. I wish I had some creative new way to tell you to eat a more plant based diet, minimize animal protein, reduce your caloric intake, minimize fatty foods, drink plenty of pure water daily and get regular exercise, but I don’t. You all know this. So? What are you waiting for?

I know it’s not easy, but if you use the resource links from my last article you’ll have the tools you need. Here they are again, in case you forgot: www.mypyramid.gov and www.eatright.org/nnm.

Finally, even if you improve your diet and add an exercise routine, you’ll probably still be missing many of the nutrients you require on a daily basis, so sensible supplementation is a must. At the beginning of this article I noted how we spare no expense to protect our stuff, so don’t scrimp here. Hitting the local big box store and buying the cheapest product available assuming “they are all the same” is a big mistake as I’ll show you later.

The program I use daily is Tru-Infinity Rx for a Healthier Life Pack. This package provides everything you need for optimum health. Click this link to learn more.  As a minimum, everyone should be using one of the Vitalizer systems. This strip contains 80 bio-optimized nutrients with a unique, patented delivery system that ensures that each nutrient is released and delivered at the exact point in the digestive system to ensure maximum absorption. The combination of nutrients in Vitalizer was developed based on a clinical study, called The Landmark Study. The results of this study speak for themselves.

A recent clinical study in collaboration with the University of California Berkeley School
of Public Health shows that people who used Shaklee supplements had markedly better
health than both other multivitamin users and those who used no supplements.

Here are the facts:

1 – This clinical study compared 3 groups of people
2 – Shaklee group used supplements for at least 20 years
3 – All 3 groups average ages in the 50’s and 60’s with the Shaklee group being the oldest

**For example: “Shaklee users” had 2.9 cases of diabetes per 100 people
whereas “single multivitamin users” had 11.1 cases of diabetes per 100 people

“The study results were very impressive and support
the potential benefits of long-term use of dietary supplements.”

Gladys Block, Ph.D.
Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health Nutrition

There you have it, three simple steps to better health. 1) Clean up your environment; 2) Improve your diet; and 3) Add a complete and sensible supplementation regimen. Incorporate these tips into your daily routine and see how much better you can feel.

Yours in Good Health,

While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in providing wellness and general health information, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this forum and Website, replies to site visitor questions, or prepared articles, and they specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Readers are strongly cautioned to consult with a physician or other health-care professional before using any information contained in this forum. No forum can substitute for professional care or advice. Extreme caution is urged when using the information and exercises contained in the articles that are posted on this site. The authors and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical services. If medical problems appear or persist, the reader should consult with a qualified physician or other health-care professional. Accordingly, the authors and publisher expressly disclaim any liability, loss, damage, or injury caused by the contents posted on this health care forum.

Visit our other informative sites

http://federaljobs.net (Federal Career & Job Center)
http://federalretirement.net (FREE Retirement Planning Guide)
http://federalretirement.net/jobs.htm (Retiree Job Opportunities)
http://searchfedjobs.com (Consolidated Job Search)
http://fedcareer.info (Career Development Center)
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Posted in UNCATEGORIZED

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Posted on Friday, 30th April 2010 by Dennis Damp

Everyone, regardless of whether or not you’re retired, could use extra income to do with as you please. Several companies have posted new full and part time job opportunities on our career center recently at http://federalretirement.net/jobsboard.htm. You will find full time, part time, and work from home job vacancies and when you add in the 1 million plus 2010 Census part time jobs there are openings nationwide in most areas for you to consider.  Gary, a retired fed and friend from central Pennsylvania, was called three times to report for Census jobs but had to turn them down for personal reasons.

The companies posting jobs are looking for federal retirees to fill critical positions that often require the skills that many retirees attained throughout their careers.  One of the interesting jobs is for instructors that can work from home to develop course content and then will be paid to travel to training locations around the country to conduct classes. There are also positions for employee relation specialists, customer service, personnel, database specialists, engineers, and many more. Check them out if you are looking for a challenge and second income source in retirement.

Travel Update

The first three years of retirement my wife and I stayed close to home and I worked to expand my business.  Two years ago we decided to break out of our routine and travel more while we are still healthy enough to enjoy it.

I’ve talked about the advantages of XM radio, audio books, On Star, the Magic Jack, and other travel issues in my lifestyle articles and decided to expand our travel venue. This June we will be adding a new Travel Forum that will be hosted by Nancy Holston, a well traveled federal retiree. Her first article will focus on her recent trip to Hawaii. She will tell us about interesting places along the way, things to avoid, best restaurants and side trips, discounts and specials to take advantage of, best air fares, and the ins and outs of the many exotic places she has traveled to.  You will find her articles insightful and they will be sent out to our subscriber email newsletter and posted on our Blog at https://fedretire.net for you to read and print out for future reference.

On a recent trip to South Carolina we listened to the audio book titled “John Adams” by David G. McCullough, an 8 CD series. I read the book several years ago and my wife is interested in the revolutionary war and our founding fathers. It really passed the time and I purchased the audio book at Half Price Books, a great deal.

I mentioned in a previous article that the hot water at our vacation home often has a foul odor and has sediment in the tank when we first arrive. We typically run the hot water for at least 30 minutes to clear it up. I discovered, after several trips, the way to avoid this is to turn off the hot water tank the night before we leave and in the morning run the hot water until the water is cold, about 15 minutes or so.  This cleared up the problem for us. When we arrive now the hot water is close to normal.

The Inevitable

One of the reasons why we decided to travel and enjoy life more is because life is too short! Most tend to put off activities thinking we have the time to do them next year and when next year shows up we have a good excuse to put it off for just one more year. Then the inevitable happens, sickness, financial distress, and yes even premature death and then it’s too late for our dreams to ever become reality.

Why do we do this to ourselves I’ll never really know. What I do know is that if you don’t take the bull by the horns and get off the couch you’ll never get to where you once really wanted to be.  Maybe it’s the fear of the unknown, the unwillingness to let loose of the purse strings, or simply we become to set in our ways to take a chance on LIFE!

Since I retired in 2005 I lost both of my sisters at relatively young ages; my sister Florence at 67 and Connie at 68, just last week.  I’m the youngest at 60, soon to be 61 and my brother will be 65 this year.  In the past I frequently put off pleasurable activities for work and have come to the conclusion that even though I thoroughly enjoy the work that I do, all work and no play often leads to a less than desirable outcome.

Many retirees get stuck in a rut when there are so many things we can do to enhance not only our lives but the lives of our loved ones.  If you are stuck in neutral think about what you always wanted to do when you were working and dreaming about retirement. Did you want to complete a college degree, travel more, pursue a hobby, volunteer your time or improve your health through exercise and proper diet?  Now is the time to step up to the plate and give it a try. You may strike out a few times but that shouldn’t dissuade you from your goals. We often fail at things and from those failures we grow into better and more aware individuals.

Thoughts

If you are an active federal employee or know a federal employee that desires a better job, upward mobility, or simply would like to improve their skills, have them visit our new and improved Federal Employees Career Development web site at www.fedcareer.info.  Also, the new second edition of my book, Take Charge of Your Federal Career; A Practical, Action-Oriented Career Management Workbook for Federal Employees will be available in June of this year.  Pre orders for the book start May 15^th.

We expanded www.federalretirement.net this year and our free email newsletter subscriber database has grown significantly.  Please forward and share this newsletter with your friends and associates that will benefit from the information provided.  The site and forum hosts are here to assist federal employees and retirees in all aspects of their lives and if you would like us to focus on a specific issue, area or benefit just let us know your preferences.

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

Visit our other informative sites

• http://federaljobs.net (Federal Career & Job Center)
• http://federalretirement.net (FREE Retirement Planning Guide)
• http://federalretirement.net/jobs.htm (Retiree Job Opportunities)
• https://fedretire.net (Retiree BLOG)
• http://fedcareer.info (Career Development Center)
• http://postofficejobs.info (Postal Career Center)
• http://searchfedjobs.com (JOb Search – All Sectors)
• http://ehsjobs.org (Environmental Health & Safety Job Center)
• http://stolenplates.com (What to do if this happens to you)
• Educational Opportunities (Find educational opportunities in your area)

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 artilces 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.”

Posted in ANNUITIES / ELIGIBILITY, BENEFITS / INSURANCE, LIFESTYLE / TRAVEL, RETIREMENT CONCERNS

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Posted on Wednesday, 31st March 2010 by Chuck Jumpeter

Once again it’s time to hit the road on our Bus To Great Health. In my last article, at stop #10 – Plan Your Journey, we learned the acronym GETFIT which taught us to set Goals, ensure adequate Evaluation of our journey, to have realistic Time frames, to get and stay Fit, to track and record the Information for our progress and to be Tenacious in our efforts.

I’m sure that all of you have set your goals, established your tracking parameters, and are tenaciously working toward a new you. If you haven’t, go ahead and do it now. I’ll never know.  Personally, I’m practicing what I’m preaching. To provide an example of how goals translate into action I am going to share one of my goals and how I’m going about achieving it.

My first goal for 2010 is: “By the end of this golfing season I will have increased the length of my drives by 20 yards.” This may not seem like a fitness related goal, however, in order to accomplish this goal I need to increase my physical strength, greatly improve my flexibility and stamina, and, of course, improve my golf swing. I’ve acquired a flexibility program specifically for addressing the golfing muscles and have been following it religiously since the beginning of the year. My treadmill and Soloflex have been getting the workouts of their lives, I’ve established a practice routine to work on my swing, and I’ve recommitted myself to my weight management program –yes, of course I’m using the Shaklee Cinch program. The golf flexibility routine is absolutely outstanding and I highly recommend it to everyone whether or not you’re a golfer. I can’t believe the difference in my mobility. I do this daily and it really helps. Check it out at Fredericks Golf. To date, I’ve lost 20 pounds and 1.5” from my waist, doubled the time I can spend on the treadmill (I have a NordicTrack manual treadmill) and, although I’ve only been able to play golf a few times so far, I can tell that my golf swing is longer and more fluid. I’ll have more details once I can begin measuring and tracking distances, but I have no doubt I’ll achieve my goal. With that as a backdrop, it’s time for our next stop on the Bus to Great Health.

#9 – Back To Basics. I’m sure you’ve all heard the old adage that without a solid foundation, any structures you build will soon crumble. This is also true where your health and wellness is concerned, and March is the perfect time to discuss these basics.

March is National Nutrition Month, a nutrition information and education campaign sponsored annually by the American Dietetic Association, designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. For more info on this visit www.eatright.org/nnm.

This year’s theme is Nutrition from the Ground up and fits perfectly into our back to basics concept. A healthier life doesn’t happen instantly. You need to start slowly, build a solid foundation, stay committed and tenacious and, over time, you’ll build that healthier life we all want.

Here are a few suggestions to improve your nutrition from the ground up as suggested by the American Dietetic Association and strongly endorsed by yours truly:

Focus on fruits and veggies. If you’ve been reading my articles, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I continually encourage everyone to eat a more plant-based diet. The quantity of fruits and veggies required varies by age and sex. More information on this can be found at www.mypyramid.gov. I know that not everyone likes all fruits and vegetables, so find those you like and add them to your diet until you get to the recommended amounts. Try adding a serving each day to a meal and increase it every few weeks. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.

Support your local markets. With spring comes the new growing season and lots of fresh, local produce. Yummy! Get out there and support your local growers. You’ll not only be helping the economy, but you’ll be getting these important nutrients in their freshest and best form. Choose lots of colorful plants. They contain essential phyto-nutrients and antioxidants as well as essential vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Lo-Cal is not necessarily better. We often tend to classify foods as “good” or “bad” based on their caloric content. Often times, those lo-cal foods are void of the essential vitamins and minerals that we’re eating them for in the first place. A rule of thumb is that people, with an average lifestyle, require approximately 1500 calories/pound of body weight to maintain that weight, and each pound represents 3600 calories. Therefore, a 200 pound person requires 3000 calories/day to stay at 200 pounds. If that same person wants to weigh 175 pounds and goes on a 2000 calorie/day diet, they would be reducing their intake by 1000 calories/day and would lose approximately 1 pound every 3.5 days, and reach their goal in about 3 months. More specific info on how any calories you may need can also be found at www.mypyramid.gov. Of course, you can also drop me a note and I’ll be glad to work with you and help you reach any weight related goals.

The Basics and your taste buds. The basics of any well-designed eating plan emphasizes fruits and vegetables (fresh if at all possible), whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy, lean meats, poultry, fish, beans and nuts, and ½ your body weight in ounces of pure water daily. Within these foods you will find numerous opportunities to tantalize your taste buds. Get creative, try new things, experiment and you may find that you’ll have some new favorites to add to your weekly shopping list, and improve your health at the same time.

Finally, even though you may be following all these suggestions, getting all the nutrients we need for a healthy lifestyle may not be possible with food choices alone. Adding a quality supplementation program will guarantee that you’re getting your daily values of all required vitamins and minerals. The best I’ve come across is Shaklee’s Vitalizer strip. These convenient strips include everything you need on a daily basis and comes in formulations for men, women and seniors. To get more information and to order your supply, Click Here for Vitalizer.

In my next article I’ll focus on stop #8 on our Bus To Great Health, Prevention. Until then, I remain,

Yours in Good Health,

Cj

While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in providing wellness and general health information, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this forum and Website, replies to site visitor questions, or prepared articles, and they specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Readers are strongly cautioned to consult with a physician or other health-care professional before using any information contained in this forum. No forum can substitute for professional care or advice. Extreme caution is urged when using the information and exercises contained in the articles that are posted on this site. The authors and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical services. If medical problems appear or persist, the reader should consult with a qualified physician or other health-care professional. Accordingly, the authors and publisher expressly disclaim any liability, loss, damage, or injury caused by the contents posted on this health care forum.

Visit our other informative sites

http://federaljobs.net (Federal Career & Job Center)
http://federalretirement.net (FREE Retirement Planning Guide)
http://federalretirement.net/jobs.htm (Retiree Job Opportunities)
http://searchfedjobs.com (Consolidated Job Search)
http://fedcareer.info (Career Development Center)
http://postofficejobs.info (Postal Career Center)
http://ehsjobs.org (Environmental Health & Safety Job Center)
http://stolenplates.com (What to do if this happens to you)
Educational Opportunities (Find educational opportunities in your area)

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Posted on Saturday, 27th March 2010 by Dennis Damp

I receive many calls and emails from federal employees, annuitants, executors, attorneys, and banks asking for contact information and guidance for key benefit areas. There are many organizations and government offices that you MUST be able to contact to effectively manage your annuity, insurance, investments, and estate.

I compiled a list of key contacts, with links to comprehensive guidance for your use.  Print this article and keep a copy with your annuity and estate files and visit our site for updates from time to time.

• OPM – Retirees must contact OPM to initiate changes to their benefits, change allotments or direct deposit, report an annuitant’s death, or to obtain duplicate 1099-R tax forms and request other services.Web Address: http://www.opm.gov/retire, E-Mail: retire@opm.gov
  toll free 1-888-767-6738(weekdays between 7:30 AM to 7:45 PM EST), fax requests to 1-724-794-6633, oremail questions to retire@opm.gov . Call early in the day if possible to get through and you must have your retirement claim number or Social Security number available. OPM advises that “the internet is not a secure environment for transmitting personal information via email.  Replies via email typically take 15 days or more.ON-Line Services: Federal retirees can sign up for online support, add or change allotments, purchase savings bonds, print out duplicate 1099-R statements, and view monthly pay statements at http://www.servicesonline.opm.gov. You must obtain a user ID from OPM to access this site. If you call their number and give them your CSA number they will send you a user ID and password to access this excellent site.Direct Deposit forms and instruction: visit http://federalretirement.net/retireforms.htm#SF-1199A_Instructions for downloadable forms, mailing address and procedures.

NOTE: Click on the program title for detailed information about each subject.

•  FEGLI (1-800-633-4542) Call for life insurance benefits information or to report a death.
• Medicare(1-800-633-4227) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for assistance.
• Social Security(1-800-772-1213) or visit http://www.ssa.gov/mystatement .
• TSP (Thrift Savings Plan)1-877-968-3778,Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST. Web Site: http://tsp.gov
• FEHB Programs and Contact Numbers: Call your provider direct, a contact number is printed on your benefits card and in plan brochures.
• Federal Records Center: (314) 801-9250, FAX: 314-801-9269. The Federal Records Center is the depository for official personnel folders of persons no longer in the Federal service. Federal agencies, generally, transfer employment records to the Federal Records Center thirty days after the employee has been separated from Federal service. No requests for information from personnel or any other type of records will be accepted by telephone or e-mail. The mailing address and guidance is available online.
• Survivors Guide: Print out the Survivor’s Guide and place a copy with your important papers.

FERS Redeposit Update – Forms Now Being Accepted

Effective immediately, your personnel office is accepting the current FERS Application to Make a Deposit, SF 3108, from employees wanting to make a FERS redeposit. The individual must indicate on the application that the period of service was refunded. OPM advised you not to submit a payment with the application.  If a payment is sent to OPM before the deposit amount is calculated and the account established, they will have no way of identifying the payment and applying it correctly.  The Service Credit System is in the process of being modified to include a FERS Redeposit module. Once testing is completed and the new version is ready for production, OPM will begin processing FERS redeposits.

Much Ado About Everything

Major new health care legislation was enacted last week that will impact and infringe on every aspect of our lives and our children’s lives. The estimated $1.3 trillion price tag, when including the Doctor fix, along with Social Security and Medicare insolvency may very well bankrupt this country in the not too distant future. The signed bill calls for over 140 new government agencies and commissions, 17,000 new IRS agents will be hired to enforce regulations and penalize companies and individuals that don’t purchase government mandated coverage, and the federal government took over the entire student loan program!

Our legislators, from both parties, have abandoned the principals of fiscal responsibility, restraint, and personal accountability. The outcome may lead to hyper inflation, increased unemployment, social unrest, and a major drain on all in America.  Our standard of living is destined to decline dramatically as we digress down this path and I can’t imagine just how hard it is going to be to get an appointment with our doctors and the medical care we need when this all comes into play.

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that our country’s credit rating may be downgraded,  Social Security for the first time will pay out more this year than it is taking in and Social Security and Medicare’s unfunded liabilities now exceed 107 TRILLION DOLLARS.

The U.S. National Debt Clock shows that each American citizen’s share of this debt is an astonishing $350,000; a family of four owes $1.4 million!!! Our politicians are out of touch with their constituents and they are selling out our Republic and the principals this country was founded on.  Term limits are needed to insure this doesn’t continue and the only way we can make a difference is vote them out of office in November.  This administration is openly supporting massive redistribution of wealth that will impact all retires that have investments of any kind. Taxes on capital gains, interest, and dividends are increasing dramatically next year and this will cut annuitants fixed income and effect all of us.  It won’t stop there; AT&T reported $1 billion and Caterpillar Inc. reported  $100 Million of new cost increases due to the implementation of this bill and these costs will be passed on to YOU the consumer. Nothing is ever FREE, someone and in this case everyone will pay.  Companies have the options to cut benefits, lay off employees, or pass on the cost to consumers, either way it’s bad for the economy.

We must let our representatives know that this out-of-control spending must stop and we must return to our republic’s free market principals before it’s too late.  Call your representatives to tell them how you feel about this and ask them, NO…. Tell them, to STOP THE INSANITY. We can’t afford this any longer.  Contact your Congressman and Senators. This is no time to be complacent and the representatives that continue down this path MUST be voted out of office.

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

Visit our other informative sites

• http://federaljobs.net (Federal Career & Job Center)
• http://federalretirement.net (FREE Retirement Planning Guide)
• http://federalretirement.net/jobs.htm (Retiree Job Opportunities)
• https://fedretire.net (Retiree BLOG)
• http://fedcareer.info (Career Development Center)
• http://postofficejobs.info (Postal Career Center)
• http://searchfedjobs.com (JOb Search – All Sectors)
• http://ehsjobs.org (Environmental Health & Safety Job Center)
• http://stolenplates.com (What to do if this happens to you)
• Educational Opportunities (Find educational opportunities in your area)

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 artilces 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.”

Posted in ANNUITIES / ELIGIBILITY, BENEFITS / INSURANCE, FINANCE / TIP, RETIREMENT CONCERNS

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Posted on Tuesday, 16th March 2010 by Linda Sherman

For years you have been contributing to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), building your retirement savings.  After you leave federal service, have you considered what you should do with your TSP savings?  You could choose one or any combination of these options:

• Leave your money in TSP.
• Withdraw all or some of your TSP funds.
• Purchase an annuity.
• Transfer to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or new employer’s tax deferred retirement plan.
• Transfer all or some of your TSP to a ROTH

Financial planning is a key element of any retirement plan and the TSP is a major asset for most federal retiree’s. Visit our financial planning forum for assistance with developing your personal comprehensive retirement plan.

Leave your money in TSP – You could leave all your money in TSP.  Money within the TSP account can still be moved to and from the TSP investment fund options available: G, F, C, S, I and L funds.  The advantages of leaving your money in TSP are the low administrative fees and no trading costs. There is one withdrawal option available with TSP that is not available with an IRA.  If you leave federal service after you turn 55, but before you are 59 ½, you can withdraw money without the 10% early withdrawal penalty you would incur with an IRA.  If you left federal service before you turned 55, or you transfer your TSP account to an IRA, there is a 10% penalty for most funds withdrawn prior to age 59 ½.  There are number of issues to consider when deciding what to do with your TSP when you retire.

Withdraw all or some of your TSP funds – You could elect a partial withdrawal, a series of monthly payments, a full withdrawal, or a mixed combination of withdrawal options.  All withdrawals are subject to a mandatory 20% federal income tax withholding, unless the funds are transferred directly to a traditional IRA.

Partial withdrawal – A one-time partial withdrawal must be $1000 or more and is available only if you did not previously receive an age-based, in-service withdrawal while you were employed.

A series of monthly payments – Monthly payments over $25 can be a specified dollar amount or distributed according to the IRS life expectancy tables.  TSP calculators can estimate how long the series of payments will continue before the account is depleted.  If you received monthly payments based on life expectancy tables, the amount of the payments will change every year based on your age and account balance. You must receive your first Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) by April first of the year after you turn 70 ½.

A single lump sum withdrawal – You could withdraw your entire TSP balance in a single payment often used to pay off a home mortgage or consumer debt at retirement.  Although you may be longing to scream, “I’m debt FREEEEEEEE!,” it is not a decision to make without considering the tax consequences and your long term retirement income needs.  Any withdrawal from TSP is taxable in the year you receive the funds.  You should discuss your withdrawal plans with a financial planner and/or tax professional before making a major withdrawal decision.

Mixed Withdrawal – You can create any combination of the above and/or purchase an annuity and/or transfer money directly to an IRA.

Purchase an annuity – One option to consider is purchasing an annuity.  An annuity is an insurance product providing a continuous stream of money over your entire lifetime.  Annuities may be for your lifetime only, or for your lifetime and the lifetime of a joint annuitant, usually your spouse.  TSP annuities also have the option of paying a fixed amount each month or an amount that increases from 0-3% with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).  If you purchase the annuity through TSP, the annuity provider is Met Life, which has a superior A+ rating according to the AM Best rating system.  You could purchase an annuity from another insurance provider, but make sure you compare and consider companies with similar quality ratings.

The advantage of an annuity is that you will never outlive the payments from the annuity no matter how long you live.  The disadvantages include inflation risk and reduced inheritance. Generally, annuities are appealing to conservative individuals.  You enjoy the security of continued payments for your entire lifetime.  Yet, you may not have considered the effect inflation could have on your annuity.  While inflation rates in the past ten years have been relatively low, even low rates have an adverse effect on disposable income.  For example, if you elected $2000 in level monthly payments beginning in 1999, it would only be worth $1521 in 2009 due to inflation over the past ten years.  If you had elected this same $2000 per month payment in 1970, by 1980 the equivalent payment would only have been $1008, because of the double digit inflation during this period.  Even if you had elected the increasing payments option, the increase would have been limited to 3% and would not have kept up in years with high inflationary rates.

Another concern when purchasing an annuity is that once the money is paid to the annuity company, there is no money left for an inheritance.  You could purchase a survivor benefit or cash refund feature for the annuity, but this will lower your monthly annuity payments.

Transfer to an IRA – The main advantages of transferring your TSP to an IRA are the investment options and withdrawal options.  There are an almost limitless number of investment choices with an IRA.  The most common assets held in an IRA are stocks, bonds and mutual funds.  You could research and select the investments yourself, or you could pay an investment advisor to help manage your investment choices.  If you hire an investment advisor, there will be fees or commissions for the services provided.  Investment advice can be extremely valuable in selecting assets that match your risk tolerance and in optimizing the portfolio performance.  If you hire an advisor, you should meet with the advisor at least annually to measure your portfolio’s performance against appropriate benchmarks, and discuss any changes in your investment objectives.

Money in an IRA is usually more accessible than in TSP.  You can take money out of an IRA at any time, provided you pay the income taxes and the 10% early withdrawal penalty (if applicable).  With TSP you can only take a partial, one-time withdrawal after you separate from federal service.  Additional post-employment withdrawals must be either for the entire amount in TSP or in a series of payments.  While you are employed with the federal government, you can only take money out of TSP for two reasons: a financial hardship, or a one-time, age-based withdrawal (at age 59 ½ or older).  Therefore, maintaining a separate IRA outside of TSP could be advantageous if you need to access the funds.

An IRA has additional withdrawal options which avoid the 10% early withdrawal penalty.  With an IRA, you can withdraw money for a first-time home purchase, educational expenses, or elect substantially equal periodic payments paid over your life expectancy without penalty.

* IRS must determine if withdrawal meets the IRS definition of disability.
Source: Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits for Financial Planners, by M Dalton

Required Minimum Distributions – The IRS requires minimum distributions to begin by April first of the year following when you reach 70 ½ for both TSP and traditional IRAs.  If the minimum distribution is not distributed by the required date, a 50% excise tax is charged on the amount not distributed.  The percentage of the distribution increases as you age.  The distributions are made according to the Uniform Lifetime Table unless the spouse is ten years younger, or more, than the owner of the IRA, in which case a Joint Life Expectancy Table is used.

What should you do with your TSP savings? Talk with your trusted financial advisor and consider utilizing multiple options including: TSP, an annuity and an IRA with diversified investments.  Develop a comprehensive plan to manage your money that adjusts to changes in your portfolio’s investment value and inflation, so your retirement income can last a lifetime.

Additional sources of information:

TSP Overview

• TSP Fund Choices
• TSP Considerations

TSP Roth Conversion
Inflation information
TSP Annuity Calculator
TSP Withdrawal Options after Leaving Federal Service
Important Tax Information About Payments from Your TSP Account
Full Withdrawal Form
Partial Withdrawal Form
Financial Hardship Withdrawals
Disability Withdrawals
Tax information on in-service withdrawals
Thornburg endowment spending policy

While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in providing retirement and benefits information, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this article and they specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a financial professional where appropriate.

Visit http://federalretirement.net often to learn more about retirement options, benefits, and estate planning issues and I suggest signing up to receive my FREE monthly benefits newsletter.

Linda Duncan

Visit our other informative sites

http://federaljobs.net (Federal Career & Job Center)
http://searchfedjobs.com (Federal, State, & Private Sector Job Search)
http://federalretirement.net (FREE Retirement Planning Guide)
http://federalretirement.net/jobs.htm (Retiree Job Opportunities)
http://fedcareer.info (Career Development Center)
http://postofficejobs.info (Postal Career Center)
http://ehsjobs.org (Environmental Health & Safety Job Center)
http://stolenplates.com (What to do if this happens to you)
Educational Opportunities (Find educational opportunities in your area)

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