Insights and news on your Federal employee benefits
This week I attended a webinar titled “Your TSP Account - What to Think About When Nearing Retirement or Considering Leaving Government” presented by the SEC Office of Investor Education and Advocacy and the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board as part of World Investor Week. Let's learn how to keep your TSP safe after retirement.
During the benefits training sessions that I conduct, I typically ask Federal employees if they have set the month, day and year that they’re going to retire. Most simply shake their heads no, although there will usually be one or two in the class who are close to retiring and know the date that they will be leaving. They’re always happy to
“What if I get married after I retire, can I still get a survivor benefit for my new spouse?” This question comes up frequently in benefits training sessions that I conduct. Or, sometimes it’s a variation of that question. Rather than ‘can I give my spouse a benefit?’, it’s ‘do I have to give a survivor benefit to my new spouse?'. The short answer is that you can elect to provide a survivor benefit, but you’re not required to provide one. After answering the question, the real value that I provide is in asking a better question -- should you?
