Dan and Chelsea discuss retirement planning for mixed households, with one spouse in the federal sector and the other in private, offering helpful tips and insights. They also cover 2026 COLA predictions, inflation trends, and a recent survey highlighting growing concerns among seniors about rising costs impacting retirement savings.
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The Fed15 Podcast: Retirement Planning for Mixed Households & 2026 COLA Predictions
Dan explores mixed retirement households where one spouse is a federal employee and the other works in the private sector. He compares TSP for federal workers with 401(k)s and similar plans for the private sector, covering topics like Social Security claiming strategies and fund differences. He discusses catch-up contributions, lifecycle funds, and the importance of retaining FEHB in retirement. Dan also emphasizes the need to strategically plan which retirement accounts to withdraw from, and the importance of working with a financial professional for optimal planning.
Chelsea reviews TSCL's 2026 COLA prediction, compares it to 2025, and explains how COLA is calculated using the CPI-W. She examines inflation trends since 2022, rising healthcare premiums, and concerns from a survey of over 3,000 seniors about rising costs draining retirement savings, particularly for those relying on fixed incomes like CSRS/FERS pensions and Social Security. Chelsea also highlights the TSCL director's call for a minimum 3% COLA to keep up with increasing costs.
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