Headlines about "Government plans - federal"
Gathered from the web by the editors at BenefitsLink.com.
Thinking About Funding Federal Retirement Plans
Excerpt: "Most U.S. Federal retirement plans are now fully funded, but since plan assets must legally be invested in Federal securities, fund surpluses are used to reduce overall Federal budget deficits. As a result, current taxpayers are not charged with the cost of future Federal retirement obligations. Nevertheless, Federal rules do require the employing Federal agency to budget for current personnel's accruing liability of retirement promises. Therefore policy decisions regarding the number of Federal civilian and military personnel and the design of their retirement benefits may be made with a better understanding of the costs." (Pension Research Council; registration required to download fulltext of paper)
Retirees May Be Abusing Disability Insurance, Long Island Rail Road Says
Excerpt: "On Tuesday the railroad gave the state attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, and the inspector general of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority evidence raising the possibility that hundreds of its employees were buying private disability insurance policies knowing that the federal railroad board would declare them disabled." (The New York Times; free registration required)
Leaving Employment by the Federal Government Before Retirement? What Happens To Your Benefits?
Excerpt: "What happens to Your Benefits if you leave before you retire? As many of us periodically think of leaving federal service for various reasons (the grass is greener or the boss from Hell are common reasons) this information is important and can help us make the right decision when or if the time comes." (FedSmith Inc.)
Congressional Measure Reforms Alaska and Hawaii Federal Worker Retirement
Excerpt: "A bill approved by the U.S. Senate would reform the way retirement benefits for federal employees based in Hawaii, Alaska, and U.S. territories are determined. An Associated Press report said the measure would do away with non-foreign cost of living allowances and phase in locality pay over a three-year period. According to the report, because the cost of living payments are not taxable, they are not considered to be included in a worker's base pay for retirement purposes, while locality pay is taxed and is factored into the retirement benefit determination." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
Administrative Costs of State Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution Systems
Excerpt: "This chapter compares the administrative costs of public sector defined benefit and defined contribution systems offered by the Federal government and many states. Administrative expenses are presented as percentages of both income and assets, and we discuss how administrative expenses might enter into the decision by a public sector employer as to whether to establish a defined contribution plan." (Pension Research Council; registration required to download fulltext of paper)
Partner Benefits for Gay Federal Workers Make Sense
Excerpt: "When U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, pointed out that providing benefits to the partners of gay employees would be a smart way for Uncle Sam to attract and keep talented workers, she explained why she's sure: The strategy is a success in her home state. 'The state of Maine has already worked through (possible stumbling blocks). And has a lot of safeguards built in,' Collins said at the first congressional hearing on legislation to give gay partnered federal workers the same benefits as married heterosexuals. These include health care, retirement benefits, relocation expenses and coverage under the Family and Medical Leave Act." (The Detroit News)
Federal Employee Health Insurance Costs to Jump an Average 8 Percent
Excerpt: "Health insurance premiums for federal employees will jump almost 8 percent, on average, in 2009, a sharp increase over the 2.9 percent increase this year and the 2.3 percent increase in 2007, the Office of Personnel Management announced yesterday." (The Washington Post; free registration required)
OPM Opposes Domestic Partnership Benefits Bill - Says Could Lead to Insurance Fraud
Excerpt: "Howard Weizmann, OPM deputy director, said the agency opposes a bill (S. 2521) offering such benefits to gay and lesbian federal employees' partners because OPM requires state-issued marriage certificates to prove that heterosexual couples are married in case of a question or dispute -- and no comparable documentation exists for many same-sex couples. He said OPM would have to rely on sworn affidavits from couples in long-term committed relationships, and that some might not report the end of a relationship to keep insurance benefits." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
New York Governor Wants Congress to Investigate Long Island Rail Road Disability Plan
Excerpt: "Gov. David A. Paterson Tuesday asked Congress to launch an investigation into possible abuses of a federal disability compensation plan by employees of the Long Island Rail Road. Paterson's call came on the same day that a member of the obscure federal agency that has been recently criticized for rubberstamping LIRR disability claims spoke out against 'an outdated ... system that desperately needs fixing.'" (Newsday)
Another Question is Answered in the Stop, Look & Listen: Railroad Retirement Q&A Column
The quarterly financial report of the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust report (March 31, 2008)shows investments in JP Morgan and Lehman Brothers. How concerned should railroad employees be in regards to their Tier II benefits? Should a employee who is near retirement (3 years away) postpone retirement? (BenefitsLink.com)
Federal Pensions: Judicial Survivors' Annuities System Costs (PDF)
21 pages. Excerpt: "Pursuant to the Federal Courts Administration Act of 1992 (Pub. L. No. 102-572), GAO is required to review JSAS costs every 3 years and determine whether the judges' contributions fund at least 50 percent of the plan's costs during the 3-year period. If the contributions fund less than 50 percent of these costs, GAO is to determine what adjustments to the contribution rates would be needed to achieve the 50 percent ratio." (U.S. Government Accountability Office)
[Guidance Overview] Military Retirement Benefits - Structuring Payments as Deductible Alimony
Excerpt: "To be deductible as alimony by the payer, the payment must satisfy the requirements of IRC section 71. A recent Tax Court decision involving the payment of military retirement benefits under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act (USFSPA) to the former spouse of a retired serviceman sheds light on the treatment of alimony payments." (The New York State Society of CPAs)
[Official Guidance] Text of OMB Advance Notice of Proposed Regs on Harmonization of PPA Funding Rules with Federal Cost Accounting Standards for Contractor Reimbursement
Excerpt: "SUMMARY: The Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Cost Accounting Standards Board, invites public comments concerning an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the harmonization of Cost Accounting Standards 412 and 413 with the Pension Protection Act of 2006. DATES: Comments must be in writing and must be received by November 3, 2008." (U.S. Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Office of Management and Budget)
Retiree Question About Leaving the Government's Thrift Savings Plan
Excerpt: "I am a Federal government retiree and 68 years old. I currently have $122,500 in my Thrift Savings Plan. I did not yet roll it into an IRA. What is a good company to roll the TSP into -- Vanguard? T Rowe Price? Fidelity? Which company might have the lowest fees? All three of the companies you mentioned would be solid choices. However, I would probably put in a plug for keeping your money where it is. The government's Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is as close to perfect a plan as you will likely find." (The Boston Globe)
OPM Publishes Final Rules for Federal Employees' Dental, Vision Program
Excerpt: "The final regulations clarify that federal employees cannot be denied enrollment or benefits coverage in the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program due to a pre-existing condition. But a carrier may determine that coverage does not extend to replacements for teeth missing before the effective date of enrollment in the program, OPM stated." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
Career Status Bonus/Redux a Bad Deal for Military Servicemembers
Excerpt: "While the bonus has been frozen at $30,000 since it was introduced in 2001, individuals who take it today forfeit, on average, nearly $100,000 more in lifetime retired pay than bonus takers did seven years ago . . . ." (Stars and Stripes)
New Data on Federal-Private Compensation Gap Rekindles Debate
Excerpt: "Recent data indicating that the average federal employee enjoys better pay and benefits than the typical private sector worker is misleading, according to federal employee groups and nonprofit organizations. The data, released last week by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, does not break down compensation by profession or geographical area, critics noted." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
H.R. 6500, The Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act of 2008 (PDF)
6 pages. Excerpt: "On July 16, 2008, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform approved H.R. 6500, the Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act of 2008, by voice vote. [This report describes the legislation.]" (U.S. Congressional Research Service)
Social Security Benefits and the 'Windfall Elimination Provision'
Excerpt: "Most people would love to have a financial windfall. A chunk of unexpected money that appears out of nowwhere. But there is another kind of windfall. It is a formula that can eat into the Social Security benefit anticipated by tens of thousands of long-time (CSRS) federal workers, school teachers and employees of some nonprofits. It also takes a huge chunk out of the Social Security benefits received each month by millions of retired federal and postal workers." (Federal News Radio)
Telework for Federal Workers Becomes More Attractive As Quality-of-Life Concerns Spike
Excerpt: "In the face of all [the] challenges, the federal government is turning to the little workforce policy that could. Telework might not solve all the federal government's workforce ills, but it's providing relatively cheap and easy relief for agencies struggling to make themselves more resilient and performance-oriented. And telework is a major weapon in the fight to make the federal government an ahead-of-the-curve employer." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
Federal Employees' Sick Leave
Excerpt: "Federal employees hired since 1984 could be just months away from being able to cash out their unused sick leave at retirement.Last week, the House passed a measure that would allow workers covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (generally those hired in 1984 or later) to apply their leftover sick leave toward their retirement annuity. The measure seeks to correct a disparity between FERS and the older Civil Service Retirement System, under which employees receive credit for unused sick leave." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
Thrift Savings Plan Changes Included in Tobacco Legislation
Excerpt: "The purpose of the legislation is to protect public health by providing the Food and Drug Administration with authority to regulate tobacco products. Most readers would not have inferred from the name of the bill that the legislation would also increase annuity payments for some federal employees who are in the FERS retirement program . . . ." (FedSmith Inc.)
House Approves Thrift Savings Plan Automatic Enrollment Measure
Excerpt: "The bill was rolled into a larger piece of legislation, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (H.R. 1108), which also advances a measure that grants federal employees who were hired after 1984 credit for unused sick time in their pension calculations." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
CRS Report for Congress: H.R. 6500, The Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act of 2008 (PDF)
6 pages. Excerpt: "On July 16, 2008, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform approved H.R. 6500, the Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act of 2008, by voice vote . . . [which] would provide for newly hired federal employees to be enrolled automatically in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) at a default contribution rate of 3%; require the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board to establish within the Thrift Savings Plan a qualified Roth contribution program that provides for after-tax contributions and tax-free distributions; give the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board authority to include self-directed investment options in the TSP . . . ." (Congressional Research Service, U.S. Library of Congress)
Senate Aging Committee Challenges TIAA-CREF and Fidelity Ads
Excerpt: "The problem, according to Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, is that the ads mislead people who are retiring that it is imperative for them to roll their [federal Thrift Savings Plan] money into an IRA, The Wall Street Journal reports. The reality, Kohl says, is that the TSP charges a mere 15 cents for every $1,000 in the plans, and that might be a better choice for investors." (Money Management Executive via On Wall Street)
House Backs New FERS Sick Leave Policy
Excerpt: "The House passed a measure Wednesday giving federal employees hired since 1984 the opportunity to get credit for unused sick leave in their pension calculations. Currently, employees covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (generally those hired in 1984 or later) do not earn credit toward retirement for unused sick leave. Those under the older Civil Service Retirement System do receive such credit." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
GSA Raises Mileage Reimbursement Rate for Federal Employees
Excerpt: "The General Services Administration on Monday followed a recent Internal Revenue Service announcement by raising the mileage reimbursement rate for government employees using their personal vehicles on the job to 58.5 cents per mile." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
Washington, D.C. Court Employees Want Retirement Plan Fixed
Excerpt: "When the D.C. Revitalization Act was passed in 1997, the law required employees of D.C. Superior Court and the D.C. Court of Appeals to participate in the federal pension system. But the law didn't provide for counting years worked under the former retirement plan." (Law.com)
House Panel Passes Thrift Savings Plan Automatic Features Bill
Excerpt: "A House Committee has approved a measure to auto enroll new federal workers in the Thrift Savings Plan with a 3% deferral. The bill okayed by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee would also designate the TSP's Government Securities Fund, known as the G Fund, as the default investment option. As is typically the case in auto enrollment, federal workers would have the opportunity to opt out of the plan." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
Federal Thrift Savings Plan Automatic Enrollment Bill Clears House Committee
Excerpt: "The legislation (H.R. 6500) would require agencies to invest the automatic contributions in the plan's stable government securities fund. The bill originally called for default investment in the life-cycle funds, which initially focus on riskier but higher yielding investments and then switch to a more conservative mix of investments as an employee nears retirement." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
Federal Thrift Savings Plan Moves Forward on Spousal Benefits and IT Modernization
Excerpt: "The Thrift Savings Plan is on track to undergo a major technology modernization and is moving forward with efforts to allow spousal beneficiaries to keep funds in the TSP. But changes to the plan's offerings and the enrollment process were the subject of debate at the first joint meeting of the Employee Thrift Advisory Council and the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board on Monday." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
Federal Pay and Benefits Watch
Excerpt: "Here's a look at several pieces of current legislation that would affect the pay and benefits of feds . . . ." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
House Passes Legislation That Would Institute Paid Parental Leave Policy for All Federal Employees
Excerpt: "The House voted 278-146 to pass H.R. 5781, which would provide four weeks of paid maternal or paternal leave for the birth or adoption of a child. It would, for the first time, let new parents use their accrued sick leave for an additional eight weeks of paid leave." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
State of Administration Policy on H.R. 5781 – Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2008 (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "Given the significant benefits already available to Federal employees and the more comprehensive option proposed by the Administration to fill the short-term disability gap, the Administration does not support passage of H.R. 5781." (Executive Office of the President)
House Panel Backs Retirement Benefits Boost for Border Officers
Excerpt: "Rejecting a White House proposal, a House subcommittee this week approved additional funding for enhanced retirement benefits for Customs and Border Protection officers." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
OPM Suspends Contract for Electronic Retirement System
Excerpt: "The Office of Personnel Management has suspended a 10-year, $290 million contract awarded to Hewitt Associates to create a new electronic retirement system. Two federal sources who requested anonymity said on Thursday that OPM Director Linda Springer decided late Wednesday to suspend the contract with Hewitt, a human resources consulting company based in Lincolnshire, Ill. Under the contract, Hewitt would create a database that would allow employees to view their work history and salary, calculate different annuity scenarios, and process their retirement online." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
OPM Halts Work on Retirement Calculator
Excerpt: "The Office of Personnel Management sent a 'stop work' letter to the contractor developing a software system to calculate retirement benefits for federal employees, officials said yesterday. The contractor, Hewitt Associates, was given 10 days to propose a remedy for flaws and defects uncovered by the OPM during tests of the benefits calculator. Only five of 61 functions worked as intended during recent testing." (The Washington Post; free registration required)
The Federal Thrift Savings Plan: A Model for the Private Sector? (PDF)
4 pages. Excerpt: "For [many] reasons, it is impossible for private-sector participant-directed plans to achieve TSP-like results. The TSP enjoys efficiencies of size and workforce composition, limitations in investment choices and participant services, defrayal of some plan costs by U.S. taxpayers, fewer regulatory requirements, and lower compliance costs -- all of these factors in combination make the TSP unique in the world of employer sponsored retirement plans." (Investment Company Institute)
OPM Calls for End to Pension Penalty for Rehired Federal Retirees
Excerpt: "Allowing federal retirees to return to work without an offset to their pensions could help address many of the government's future workforce challenges, the Office of Personnel Management told a House subcommittee on Tuesday." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
Lawmakers Propose Sweeping Federal Thrift Savings Plan Changes
Excerpt: "A new proposal would allow the federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) to institute wide-ranging changes including adding additional investment options on its own, starting auto enrollment with a target-date fund default and adding a Roth option and a mutual fund window." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
Tax-Free Roth Option Proposed for Thrift Savings Plan for Federal Employees
Excerpt: "Three House members who oversee the Thrift Savings Plan have proposed opening the program to new investment options, including a Roth feature that would allow tax-free withdrawals of retirement savings." (Washington Post; free registration required)
U.S. House Committee Aims to Improve Thrift Savings Program
Excerpt: "Chairman Waxman, Subcommittee Chairman Danny Davis, and Ranking Member Tom Davis requested comments from the Chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board on legislation the Committee is considering to strengthen the federal Thrift Savings Program." (U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)
Sick-Leave Abuse by Federal Employees Prompts Calls to Compensate for Unused Time
Excerpt: "There is no limit on how much sick leave an employee can carry forward into the next year, and IRS employees had an average balance of 43 days of accumulated sick leave at the end of 2006. 'We believe that the lack of compensation for unused sick leave at retirement has contributed to the higher amount of sick leave used by FERS employees,' the report said . . . ." (Washington Post; free registration required)
House Subpanel Votes to Hike Maximum Dependent Age for Federal Health Benefits
Excerpt: "The measure, which raises the maximum age of dependents eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan from 22 to 25, passed by unanimous voice vote after a hearing in which representatives of federal employees' unions urged its passage." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
[Opinion] Older Workers: Federal Agencies Face Challenges, But Have Opportunities to Hire and Retain Experienced Employees (PDF)
30 pages. Excerpt: "The Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging asked GAO to discuss (1) the age and retirement eligibility trends of the current federal workforce, (2) the strategies federal agencies are using to hire and retain older workers, and (3) our observations on how these strategies position federal agencies to engage and retain older workers." (U.S. Government Accountability Office)
Federal Thift Savings Plan Wants Agencies to Automatically Enroll New Employees
Excerpt: "The board, which oversees the TSP, is proposing legislation that would permit the automatic enrollment of new employees, with 3 percent of their basic pay deducted for investment in the savings program." (The Washington Post; free registration required)
A Serious Look at Expensive Drugs Used by Federal Employees and Retirees
Excerpt: "The Office of Personnel Management is undertaking a review of how much federal employees and retirees pay for certain types of expensive, specialized prescription drugs that help treat such diseases as cancer, multiple sclerosis and hepatitis." (The Washington Post; free registration required)
Federal Thrift Savings Plan Places Limit on Participant Interfund Transfers
Excerpt: "A rule posted in the Federal Register for April 24 says the plan's interfund transfer regulations have been amended to limit the number of interfund transfer requests to two per calendar month. Additional interfund transfers can be made only into the Government Securities Investment (G) Fund until the first day of the next calendar month, the rule says." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
[Guidance Overview] CRS Report for Congress: Survivor Benefits for Families of Civilian Federal Employees and Retirees (PDF)
6 pages. Excerpt: "Federal employees with permanent appointments are eligible for retirement and disability benefits under either the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). . . . Both FERS and CSRS provide survivor benefits for spouses and dependent children of employees and retirees. . . . The federal government pays compensation to dependent survivors of federal civilian employees who are killed while performing their duties; however, a survivor eligible for both an annuity under CSRS or FERS and for survivor compensation cannot receive both." (Congressional Research Service, U.S. Library of Congress)
Dozens of Federal Health Plans Require High Co-Payments for Specialty Drugs
Excerpt: "More than 87,000 federal employees have health insurance that requires them to pay higher prices for certain specialized drugs than they would under standard co-payment systems, Government Executive has learned. And more insurers may turn to such pricing plans." (GovernmentExecutive.com)
Federal Employee Paid Family-Leave Plan Is Reduced to Four Weeks
Excerpt: "A proposal to provide eight weeks of paid parental leave to federal employees was cut to four weeks by a key House Democrat yesterday as Republicans expressed concerns about the benefit's cost." (The Washington Post; free registration required)
Federal Employees to Be Covered for Certain Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment
Excerpt: "The Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI) coverage will reimburse doctors who screen their patients for a full spectrum of substance-use behaviors, including ones related to alcohol, illicit drugs and prescription drug abuse/addiction." (AISHealth.com)
[Opinion] The Federal Taxpayers' Subsidy of Bill Clinton
Excerpt: "The Clintons' tax returns raise [an issue which] requires public discussion: The federal subsidy the Clintons have received over the last seven years while earning in excess of $100 million. Mr. Clinton's aggressive pursuit of post-presidential income is incompatible with the extensive public support he has received from federal taxpayers since leaving office. That public support was designed to preclude the nation's chief executives from facing financial hardship after their terms of office. It was not intended to subsidize the aggressive pursuit of a post-presidential fortune." (Oxford University Press USA blog)
[Guidance Overview] Retirement and Survivor Annuities for Former Spouses of Federal Employees (PDF)
6 pages. Excerpt: "A former spouse of a federal employee may be entitled to a share of the employee's retirement annuity under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) if this has been authorized by a state court decree of divorce, annulment, or legal separation. An employee also may voluntarily elect a survivor annuity for a former spouse. A state court can award a former spouse a share of the employee's retirement annuity, a survivor annuity, or both. A court also can award a former spouse of a federal employee a portion of the employee's Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account balance as part of a divorce settlement." (Congressional Research Service via BenefitsLink.com)
Thrift Savings Plan Is a 'Benefit for Life'
Excerpt: "Two of three military members who separate or retire do so without having opened a government-run Thrift Savings Plan account, a benefit that has been available since 2002. Those who depart without an account leave behind a valuable tool that they could use over and over again to dampen their costs while investing for retirement . . . ." (Stars and Stripes)
[Official Guidance] Proposed Dept. of Defense Regs on Relationship between TRICARE and Employer-Sponsored Group Health Plans (PDF)
3 pages. Excerpt: "This proposed rule implements Section 1097c of Title 10, United States Code. This law prohibits employers from offering incentives to TRICARE-eligible employees to not enroll, or to terminate enrollment, in an employer-offered Group Health Plan (GHP) that is or would be primary to TRICARE. Cafeteria plans that comport with section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code will be permissible so long as the plan treats all employees the same and does not illegally take TRICARE eligibility into account." (U.S. Department of Defense)
CSRS Employees Ask - Should I Deposit Money to Cover Earlier Temporary Federal Employment?
Excerpt: "HR folks refer to this as 'deposit service'. That is service, usually early in your career, where CSRS retirement deductions were not taken from your pay. This service might have been as a seasonal postal worker when in college (mine was), or time spent in some types of temporary employment. At that time there was no expectation on your part, or on the government's part for that matter, that you would sometime later become a federal employee who would ultimately retire from federal service." (FedSmith Inc.)
OMB Announces New Cap on Executive Compensation Costs in Federal Contracts
Excerpt: "The ceiling on executive compensation costs under government contracts is $14,284 higher in fiscal 2008 than in fiscal 2007, according to an administration memo released Tuesday." (National Journal Group, Inc.)
OPM Urges Health Insurers to Increase Hearing Benefits
Excerpt: "The federal employee health insurance program yesterday urged health insurance companies to strengthen their coverage for adults who need hearing aids or have problems hearing. . . . Last year, OPM asked insurance companies to increase coverage of hearing benefits for newborns and children, noting that hearing loss is one of the most common congenital birth defects. Some companies increased those benefits, at little or no additional cost to enrollees, OPM said." (The Washington Post; free registration required)
CRS Report Studies the Government Pension Offset
Excerpt: "A recent report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) addresses the ongoing debate about retention of the Government Pension Offset (GPO) provision of the Social Security Act. Currently, five bills are pending in Congress to modify or repeal the GPO." (Wolters Kluwer)
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