The FEDZONE contains all articles written by Ed Zurndorfer:
A former career Federal employee, Ed has published a staggering 1,200+ separate articles on Federal Benefits and Retirement!
Just “Google” his name, and you are likely to find a plethora of sites that contain his writings. Drawn to its mission to reach, teach
and serve Feds, Serving Those Who Serve is the only financial planning practice with which Ed has chosen to affiliate in over
20 years teaching. In addition to conducting Federal Benefits seminars for Serving Those Who Serve, you can find Ed’s
writings here on our blog in the FedZone, and on Fed-Soup, MyFederalRetirement, FederalNews Radio and NITP. He is a
member of the Maryland Society of Accountants, the National Association of Enrolled Agents, the International Society of
Certified Employee Benefits Specialists, the Financial Planning Association, the National Association of Health Underwriters,
and the Society of Financial Service Professionals. Since 1999, Ed has taught many thousands of Federal employees about
their benefits, in person and at Federal agencies all over the country. Ed is a true national treasure.
Many individuals own IRAs. IRA means one of three things, namely: (1) Individual Retirement Arrangement; (2) Individual Retirement Account; or (3) Individual Retirement Annuity. When most individuals hear IRA, they…
A recent FEDZONE column (Getting Ready for the Start of Trump Accounts in July 2026) discussed Trump Accounts which are expected to start on July 4,2026. Trump Accounts were created…
A provision coming out of SECURE 2.0 (2022) may allow for penalty-free distributions from certain qualified retirement plans to pay long-term care (LTC) insurance premiums without the 10 percent early…
In this episode, Ed and Dan take a deeper look at the tax consequences of Roth TSP in-plan conversions beginning in 2026, with a focus on how the IRS “five-year…
In this episode, Ed and Dan explain recent changes to the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. The…
This column discusses the mortgage interest income tax deduction changes resulting from the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBBA). Before discussing these changes which could…
April 1,2026 is the deadline for federal employees and retirees born between January 1 and December 31,1952 and who own traditional IRAs to take their first traditional IRA required minimum…
In this episode, Ed and Dan explain what happens when federal employees contribute too much to their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), especially if they also participated in another employer-sponsored retirement…
Two key deadlines are approaching for some federal employees and retirees. The first deadline is for those federal employees and retirees born between January 1 and December 31, 1952, and…
In July 2025, President Trump signed into law Public Law 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) of 2025. Among the provisions passed into law is…