In this episode, Dan and Katelyn discuss retirement strategies for federal employees, with a focus on age-gap couples. They cover Medicare, Social Security, Roth conversions, and withdrawal planning, as well as early 2026 COLA projections and their impact on CSRS and FERS retirees.
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The Fed15 Podcast: Planning for Age Gaps, and the 2026 COLA Outlook
Katelyn discusses key financial considerations for couples with an age difference. She highlights the importance of tailored planning to help reduce the risk of health insurance gaps, uneven income years, and potential tax surprises. Her discussion includes Medicare and health insurance planning, Social Security income strategies, required minimum distributions (RMDs), Roth conversions, and withdrawal approaches.
Then, Dan discusses the 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) estimate and its potential impact on CSRS and FERS retirees. He reviews how COLAs work and outlines the early projections for 2026. He also explains the differences in how COLAs are applied to CSRS versus FERS benefits. In addition, he highlights the importance of building flexibility into a retirement income plan and covers related topics such as spousal benefits, TSP distributions, and annuity payments.
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