Katelyn examines two strategies for boosting retirement annuities: retirement redeposits and military buybacks, detailing their potential benefits and processes. Additionally, she provides an update on the 2026 pay raise, analyzing the factors that impact this adjustment and its probability.


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Katelyn explores two potential strategies for enhancing retirement annuities: retirement redeposits and military buybacks. She begins by outlining who might benefit from retirement redeposits, detailing its advantages and the process involved. Next, she delves into military buybacks, discussing the benefits, eligibility criteria, and how this approach can strengthen your retirement plan. Katelyn wraps up by addressing important factors such as timing and interest implications.

Next, Katelyn dives into the COLA update for 2026, covering the OMB's proposal of a 3% federal pay raise. She reviews the pay raises from 2023 and 2024, compares them to the projected 2025 figures, and explains the factors contributing to any discrepancies between proposed and actual raises. Katelyn explores the process through which a pay raise is developed and implemented. Finally, she assesses the likelihood of the proposed 3% raise in 2026 and outlines the key considerations influencing this potential adjustment.

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Podcast for Federal Employees: COLAs for CSRS and FERS