This week’s FEDtalk show features attorneys from the law firm of Shaw Bransford & Roth (SBR) to discuss personnel issues and trends emerging from the pandemic era.

The pandemic caused an immediate shift in both legal investigations and the federal workforce. As a result, many previously routine procedures and protocols had to adapt to a “new normal.” Attorneys from the firm discuss which pandemic-era reforms are here to stay and how investigations into personnel disputes will be changed by the new processes.

The group also discusses the changing nature of the federal workforce, and how the onset of new workplace flexibilities has changed the landscape of personnel disputes.

SBR Senior Attorney James Heelan hosts the program with SBR Partner Conor Dirks and Associate Attorney Michael Sgarlat.

The show aired live on Friday, June 3, 2022, at 11:05 am EST on Federal News Network. You can stream the show online anytime via the Federal News Network app and listen to the FEDtalk podcast on all major podcasting platforms.

FEDtalk is brought to you by Shaw Bransford & Roth P.C., a federal employment law firm. Bringing you the insider’s perspective from leaders in the federal community since 1993.

July 4, 2022 on ForYourBenefit, host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director, NITP.

This topic has become more complicated for employees retiring under the three-tiered FERS retirement system that includes Social Security, the FERS Basic Benefit (government pension) and the Thrift Savings Plan.

Today’s program will focus on the “best dates” to separate from Federal service under CSRS and FERS, and will also address the questions that are on many employee’s minds:

• Teleworking over the past two years has caused many to consider retirement, especially if being ordered to return to the office.
• Learn how to prepare for delays in retirement processing that have occurred throughout the retirement planning process.
• There are clues to know when it’s “time” for retirement.
• The best retirement date may not be the same as your coworkers.
• There are important retirement planning steps everyone should take during the months leading up to your retirement date.

The discussion may also include the following related topics:

• There are mental, financial, and tax preparations that need to be done before selecting your date.
  • It is important to have an idea of how you will spend your time in your life after retirement.
  • Retirement can last a long time.  Some Federal retirees receive benefits for more years than they worked for the government.  How to prepare for longevity risk.
  • Retirement is a taxable event!  Learn how your benefits will be taxed in retirement.
  • Gross vs. Net:  Understand the withholdings and reductions that will impact your net income during retirement.
• Selecting the best date to retire under FERS and CSRS:
• The last day of the month for FERS, CSRS and CSRS Offset optional retirements
• The first three days of the month for CSRS and CSRS Offset
• Any day might be a great day for your retirement
• The rules are a little different for disability, early retirements and deferred retirements
• The end of the leave year remains a popular date for many Feds
• Be sure to include your leave balance in the retirement planning process
• Thrift Savings Plan drawdown:
  • You can use your TSP to supplement your monthly FERS and Social Security benefits.
  • Be sure that you have a plan for managing your TSP post-retirement.
  • Applying for withdrawals from the TSP will get easier this summer!
• Know when to “turn on” your Social Security retirement:
  • How would you answer the following questions?
  • What if you are working past your full retirement age?
    • Do you plan to work after you retire?
    • Are you retiring under age 62?
    • Are you married, widowed or divorced?
    • Did you start a family later in life?
    • Do you have a history of longevity in your family?
    • Will you receive a CSRS retirement benefit?  Consider the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset.

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

But change happens all the time. Emerging crises and demands around the globe require a continual shuffling of priorities. What’s more, by the time funds are appropriated for ongoing programs, the needs often no longer align to the dollars.

In this exclusive e-book, we will take a look at these topics and then some, while also gathering insights from military leaders on where DoD processes need retooling. We hope it will help your agency think about how it can tackle its own comparable planning and budgeting challenges, even if your agency has a civilian mission.

June 27, 2022 on ForYourBenefit, host Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director NITP, welcomes Mary Beth Franklin, Certified Financial Planner®, Contributing Editor for InvestmentNews, President of RetirePro, and foremost Social Security expert.  Tammy and Mary Beth will explore the following important topics:

1. What are the claiming strategies for Social Security that will maximize your retirement security?
2. When does it make sense to claim Social Security at 62?
3. When does it make sense to delay claiming Social Security?
4. Can you still do-over your Social Security election or can you suspend your benefit payments?
5. What is the difference between payroll taxes and the income taxes you may have to pay on your benefits?
6. What are the “Social Security Trust Funds?”
7. How is Social Security financed?
8. Is Social Security going broke?
9. What does the 2022 Social Security Trustees report mean when it states: The fund’s reserves will become depleted and continuing tax income will be sufficient to pay 77 percent of scheduled benefits?
10. What are the likely changes that lawmakers will make to reduce or eliminate the long-term financing shortfalls in Social Security and Medicare?
11. What is the purpose of the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment?
12. Inflation is at near record highs; will the COLA keep up with inflation?
13. If I delay Social Security past age 62, will I miss out on the COLAs?

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

FEDtalk is celebrating Pride Month with a discussion on LGBTQ+ inclusivity in government. The program begins with a fireside chat with The Honorable Shawn Skelly and continues with a discussion on the issues with Linda Ortiz, LGBTQ Program Manager at the Internal Revenue Service, and Karla Walter, Senior Director for Employment Policy at the Center for American Progress.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness Shawn Skelly discusses her experience in government and the value of inclusivity for national security. Ortiz and Walter continue the conversation with their views on the current state of LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the workforce. Ortiz and Walter will discuss barriers to inclusivity and how to break past them.

The show airs live on Friday, June 17, 2022, at 11:05 am EST on Federal News Network. You can stream the show online anytime via the Federal News Network app and listen to the FEDtalk podcast on all major podcasting platforms.

FEDtalk is brought to you by Shaw Bransford & Roth P.C., a federal employment law firm. Bringing you the insider’s perspective from leaders in the federal community since 1993.

June 20, 2022 on ForYourBenefit, host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Joe Sullender, CFP®, to talk about strategies for late savers.

The basic tenets are:

• It is never too late to develop a plan
• You likely still have a long-term timeframe
• Do not worry about what you have and have not done in the past

Strategies to consider:

• Often later in life we have more clarity in our goals
• The opportunity to retire from Federal service and work elsewhere, banking the annuity (hyper-saving)
• Time is of the essence – Act swiftly and avoid further delays

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

As the Government Accountability Office detailed in 2021, keeping pace with China illustrates the multifaceted challenges that DoD (and the government generally, to be fair) faces in competing globally. “The good news is that DoD knows this and is taking action, although our work has found that DoD will need to continue its course and strengthen its capabilities to be best positioned to face this threat,” notes Cathy Berrick, managing director of GAO’s Defense Capabilities and Management Team.

In this ebook, Federal News Network provides a look at the breadth of those challenges as well as offers insights about how federal agencies and organizations are tackling or plan to tackle the great power competition. We have included experts from:

·      Congressional Research Service
·      Defense Department
·      International Development Finance Corporation
·      Government Accountability Office
·      National Defense Industrial Association
·      NSF’s National Science Board
·      National Security Agency
·      National Security Commission on AI
·      Special Competitive Studies Project

Click here to download “Expert Edition: Great Power Competition – Taking the Long View.”

June 13, 2022 on ForYourBenefit, host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes WAEPA CEO M. Shane Canfield and Tony Zerante, Senior Vice President, Operations.  The Worldwide Assurance for Employees of Public Agencies has served the needs of Civilian Federal Employees and their families for over 75 years.

• How does inflation impact the Civilian Federal Workforce?
• What is WAEPA doing to help its Membership during these uncertain economic times?
• How has WAEPA adapted to serving its Members’ needs as we emerge from the pandemic?
• How does WAEPA help its Membership and their long-term financial planning needs?
• The Future of WAEPA:
  • WAEPA’s constant evolution of providing new products since it was founded during World War II
  • What WAEPA is doing to address the coverage gap
  • The importance of service to our country

WAEPA offers resources online at WAEPA.org

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

This week’s FEDtalk show features attorneys from the law firm of Shaw Bransford & Roth (SBR) to discuss personnel issues and trends emerging from the pandemic era.

The pandemic caused an immediate shift in both legal investigations and the federal workforce. As a result, many previously routine procedures and protocols had to adapt to a “new normal.” Attorneys from the firm discuss which pandemic-era reforms are here to stay and how ir Dirsnvestigations into personnel disputes will be changed by the new processes.

The group also discusses the changing nature of the federal workforce, and how the onset of new workplace flexibilities has changed the landscape of personnel disputes.

SBR Senior Attorney James Heelan hosts the program with SBR Partner Conor Dirks and Associate Attorney Michael Sgarlat.

The show airs live on Friday, June 3, 2022, at 11:05 am EST on Federal News Network. You can stream the show online anytime via the Federal News Network app and listen to the FEDtalk podcast on all major podcasting platforms.

FEDtalk is brought to you by Shaw Bransford & Roth P.C., a federal employment law firm. Bringing you the insider’s perspective from leaders in the federal community since 1993.

June 6, 2022 on ForYourBenefit, host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Kathy Lavinder, the founder of executive search firm SI Placement.

Whether it’s the Great Resignation or the Great Reshuffle, many people are re-examining their careers. Kathy will offer advice for thinking about your career options and provide specific advice on how to execute any new priorities.  With especially low unemployment now, the power dynamic has shifted in most organizations.  Workers have more power than ever before so it’s a good time to learn when and how to speak up, develop your value proposition, find new opportunities, and possibly change things up.

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

May 30, 2022 on ForYourBenefit, host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Bob Braunstein, Federal Benefits Specialist, to talk about CSRS Offset coverage.

• What is it?
• How did it happen?
• When did it begin?
• Who does it cover?
• What is the difference between CSRS and CSRS Offset coverage?
• Which Federal employees are required to pay Social Security who are not in FERS coverage?
• Why is CSRS Offset considered to be the best of all worlds for CSRS?

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

This week’s FEDtalk show spotlights the Department of Justice’s post-pandemic reentry plans. As DOJ strives to reach a “new normal,” groups representing Department attorneys discuss how telework availability is impacting employee morale, recruitment, and retention.

Joining from the DOJ Gender Equality Network is President Stacey Young and Vice President Melanie Krebs-Pilotti. Young and Krebs-Pilotti are also co-founders of the organization. Also joining the program from the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys is Vice President Adam Hanna. All three guests are current DOJ attorneys, although they join entirely in their capacities as association representatives.

The show airs live on Friday, May 20, 2022, at 11:05 am EST on Federal News Network. You can stream the show online anytime via the Federal News Network app and listen to the FEDtalk podcast on all major podcasting platforms.

FEDtalk is brought to you by Shaw Bransford & Roth P.C., a federal employment law firm. Bringing you the insider’s perspective from leaders in the federal community since 1993.

May 23, 2022 on ForYourBenefit, host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Marc Levine, Esquire.  During today’s broadcast, Marc will answer commonly asked questions about Estate Planning such as:

• What Estate Planning does your young adult need?  Planning for the 18 to 24-year-olds.
• When does a Power of Attorney end? “Mom died and the bank won’t listen to me anymore.”
• What really happens if you die without a will?

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

I started my time in the federal service after four years serving in the Air Force (1964-1968) as a radar surveillance and identification specialist for the North American Aerospace Defense Command. My official NORAD title was aircraft control and warning operator.

After my USAF service, I attended the University of Maryland for several semesters and then decided to apply for an air traffic controller position with the Federal Aviation Administration. I took the exam in 1969, but unknown to me at the time, FAA had a hiring freeze in place.

Rather than wait, I went to work as a GS-4 bailiff at the DC Court of General Sessions (today, known as the District of Columbia Municipal Court). At that time the DC government was under the federal General Schedule system. After slightly less than a year there, I received a telegram to interview for an air traffic controller position at the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) in Leesburg, Virginia.

I started my career as a controller there, as a GS-5 developmental controller, in March 1970. I advanced over the next five years to GS-12. After six and a half years there, I decided to transfer to the flight service option of FAA Air Traffic Control, communicating directly with pilots. I spent 10 years in Millville, New Jersey, at a small facility at Millville Airport.

I transferred back to the Leesburg area in 1986 and worked at the Flight Service Station there, advancing to the flight watch position. In 1996, I went to the Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) in Herndon, Virginia, along with six other flight watch specialists for a trial period to provide weather services to the ATCSCC. The test was successful, and we were made permanent and promoted to GS-13.

I spent the last eight years of my career there, including working on 9/11 during the national emergency. I retired in January 2005, with 35 years with FAA, one year with the D.C. government and four years with the Air Force, for a total of 40 years federal service.

I loved aviation ever since I was a child and had a rewarding career, including learning to fly, which enhanced my career and allowed me to experience aviation from both sides of the radio frequencies.

Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) honors the efforts of government employees at the local, state, and federal levels for making #GovPossible. Over the course of this past week, local and national events celebrated government service, educated the public about civil service, and honored outstanding employees. These exhibitions of talent and service offer the public a glimpse into public service—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

This week on FEDtalk, host Jason Briefel discusses the importance of public service recognition with Loren DeJonge Schulman, Vice President of Research, Evaluation, and Modernizing Government; Rachel Klein-Kircher, Director; and Jordan LaPier, Senior Communications Manager at the Partnership for Public Service (PPS).

Among the resources available to celebrate PSRW, the Partnership has offered a celebration toolkit, social media templates, and a number of audience guides tailored toward teachers, federal agencies, and Capitol Hill officials to highlight the value of federal workers.