Posted on Thursday, 26th February 2026 by Dennis Damp

Fixed‑income opportunities continue to evolve as investors evaluate shifting interest‑rate expectations, inflation pressures, and a challenging global economic growth environment. After two years of central bank tightening, bond markets have entered a more balanced phase—one defined less by rate shocks and more by subtle positioning, yield‑curve dynamics, and various opportunities across credit sectors. The annual […]

Tags: CDs, Daily Brief, I Bonds, Market Projections, Retirement Savings, Rule of 100, Savings Bonds, TIPS, Treasury Bills, Treasury Bonds, Treasury Notes
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• ANNUITIES / ELIGIBILITY
• BENEFITS / INSURANCE
• ESTATE PLANNING
• FINANCE / TIP
• General Information
• RETIREMENT CONCERNS
• SOCIAL SECURITY / MEDICARE
• SURVIVOR INFORMATION

Posted on Thursday, 19th February 2026 by Dennis Damp

Federal retirement planning comes with its own rulebook. Between FERS calculations, TSP strategies, and benefit elections, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the complexity. But here’s the good news: with the right checklist and timeline, you can navigate this process confidently and avoid costly mistakes. This detailed checklist complements and expands on our abbreviated “Ultimate […]

Tags: 1 Year Before Retirement, 2026 Retirement Checklistd, 5 Year Plan, Daily Brief, Early Retirement, Federal Employees Timeline, FERS Retirement, Key Benefit Elections, Medicare, OPM's Processing Timeline, Social Security, Three Retirement Pillars
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• ANNUITIES / ELIGIBILITY
• BENEFITS / INSURANCE
• ESTATE PLANNING
• FINANCE / TIP
• General Information
• OPM UPDATES
• RETIREMENT CONCERNS
• SOCIAL SECURITY / MEDICARE
• SURVIVOR INFORMATION

Posted on Friday, 13th February 2026 by Dennis Damp

This service was launched in July of last year, and my article titled “Apply for Retirement on OPM’s Online Application Service” outlined how to sign up for and use this service.  I state in the article that, “Effective July 15, 2025, OPM will no longer accept paper retirement applications. Any paper submissions created on or […]

Tags: Daily Brief, Federal Retirement Processing, LES Statements, Military Time, Online Retirement Application, ORA, Retirment Processing Timeline
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• ANNUITIES / ELIGIBILITY
• BENEFITS / INSURANCE
• ESTATE PLANNING
• FINANCE / TIP
• General Information
• OPM UPDATES
• RETIREMENT CONCERNS
• SURVIVOR INFORMATION

Posted on Saturday, 7th February 2026 by Dennis Damp

Many, if not most, FEHB providers now offer Medicare-eligible individuals a Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) through the Employer Group Waiver Plan (EGWP). All GEHA standard and high plan retirees with Medicare Parts A and B, who live in the United States, are eligible for a PDP/EGWP prescription plan through SilverScript. GEHA offered this for the […]

Tags: Caremark, Daily Brief, EGWP, Medicare Part D, Opting Out of SilverScript, PSP. GEHA PDP
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• BENEFITS / INSURANCE
• ESTATE PLANNING
• FINANCE / TIP
• General Information
• SOCIAL SECURITY / MEDICARE
• SURVIVOR INFORMATION

Posted on Friday, 23rd January 2026 by Dennis Damp

I often refer to OPM’s statistics for my retirement planning articles, and OPM’s new FWD website allows anyone to review these statistics in a pleasing graphical presentation that was not available under the legacy system. Actually, you will find a lot of interesting information readily available on this site. The new Federal Workforce Data (FWD) […]

Tags: Daily Brief, Employment Statistics, Federal Downsizing Statistics, Federal Workforce Data, FWD, Workforce Size
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• General Information
• OPM UPDATES

Posted on Thursday, 15th January 2026 by Dennis Damp

When inflation raised its ugly head in May of 2022, I-Savings bonds were paying 9.62%. Many purchased these bonds to partially offset the near-zero interest rates they earned on their fixed income over the past decade. It is easy to set up an account, and currently, the I-Bond yield is 4.03%, including a .90% fixed […]

Tags: Daily Brief, Savings Bond Calculator, Savings Bond Calculator Problems, Treasury Direct, Treasury Direct Problems
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• ESTATE PLANNING
• FINANCE / TIP
• LIFESTYLE / TRAVEL
• RETIREMENT CONCERNS
• SURVIVOR INFORMATION

Posted on Friday, 12th December 2025 by Dennis Damp

My wife and I enrolled in the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program’s Future Purchase Option when it was first offered in the early 2000s. Our monthly premium for Mary was $35.59, and I was paying $37.98 for 5 years of coverage with a maximum lifetime benefit of $228,125. The daily benefit amount was $125. […]

Tags: Daily Brief, FLTCIP, FPO, FPO Options, Future Price Option, Insurance, Long Term Care Insurance, Opting Out of Increase
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• BENEFITS / INSURANCE
• ESTATE PLANNING
• FINANCE / TIP
• RETIREMENT CONCERNS
• SOCIAL SECURITY / MEDICARE
• SURVIVOR INFORMATION
• WELLNESS / HEALTH

Posted on Friday, 21st November 2025 by Dennis Damp

I rolled over my traditional Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) to my personal Fidelity IRA last month. The TSP was established in 1987 concurrent with the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), and I retired in 2004 under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), leaving me only 17 years to fund my TSP. There were many factors […]

Tags: BPA, Daily Brief, FERS Accounts, Inherited IRAs, Rollovers, Transfers, TSP Inheritance Guidance, TSP Rollovers, TSP Withdrawals
Posted in

• ANNUITIES / ELIGIBILITY
• BENEFITS / INSURANCE
• ESTATE PLANNING
• FINANCE / TIP
• RETIREMENT CONCERNS
• SOCIAL SECURITY / MEDICARE
• SURVIVOR INFORMATION