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.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) first became available in 2006 to individuals aged 70.5 and older. QCDs were initially available only through the 2007 tax year. But Congress extended the December…
This is the first of four FEDZONE columns discussing the withdrawal options that are available to separated Thrift Saving Plan (TSP) participants. In these columns, a “separated” TSP participant means…
Social Security is one of the three components of the FERS retirement. When a FERS employee retires before age 62 under the immediate retirement rules, the FERS employee will receive…
in this episode, Dan and Ed explain HCFSA and LEXHCFSA accounts, how they’re funded, and what happens to them when federal employees retire or leave. They also cover HSAs, their…
Many financial advisors recommend “529” education savings plans to their clients in order to help for the future cost of higher education. Among the advantages of “529” education savings plans…
On January 10, 2025, the IRS issued proposed regulations that facilitate the implementation and operations of one of the provisions passed as part of SECURE 2.0. This provision is that…
The way the average American is employed has changed through the years. Parents of the “baby-boomer” generation typically worked for the same employer when they started working in their 20’s…
In this episode, Dan and Ed break down the tax implications of the Social Security Fairness Act and how it affects federal retirees. They discuss the impact of retroactive lump-sum…
Long-term care (LTC) insurance started in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s in response to the growing recognition of the need for financial protection against the prohibitive costs of LTC…
In this episode, Dan and Ed break down what it means to be vested in your FERS retirement and TSP. They explain when employees become eligible for deferred retirement, what…