Social Security benefits are designed to replace a portion of the earnings an individual (and in some cases , the individual’s family) loses because of the individual’s retirement, disability, or…
To help individuals save for their retirement, Congress passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2022 (SECURE Act 2.0). SECURE Act 2.0 was signed into law…
In accordance with the Internal Revenue Code, the IRS limits the amount that employees can contribute via payroll deductions to their qualified retirement plans. Qualified retirement plans include 401(k), 403(b)…
At most federal agencies, January 11,2026 is the beginning of the 2026 leave year. Many employees and retirees would agree that the 2025 leave year was in fact a tumultuous…
A 42-page PDF from the FEDZONE Vault by Ed Zurndorfer: "What Federal Employees Should Know About the Coordination of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, TriCare and Medicare"
During 2024, the IRS issued final guidance for individuals who inherited IRAs after December 31,2019, explaining the rules for inherited IRA required minimum distributions (RMDs). The first inherited traditional IRA…
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) announced that starting January 28, 2026, TSP participants will be able to convert portions of their traditional (before-taxed) TSP balance to the Roth (after-taxed) TSP…
A recent FEDZONE column (“TSP Announces Start of Roth TSP In-Plan Conversions”) presented an overview of the newest Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) option. Starting January 28, 2026, traditional TSP participants…
Federal employees who are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) associated with a health savings account (HSA) are able to make both tax-deductible contributions to their HSAs and tax-free…
The annual benefits “open season” can be a challenging time for federal employees and retirees. This year’s benefits “open season” which started November 10,2025 and will conclude December 8,2025, is…