How does the market respond to wars – hot wars and trade wars? It seems the theme of 2025, thus far, is WARS! We went from trade wars to hot war with Iran. It’s scary, I get it. I’ve already had a couple of clients move everything to the G fund, against my wishes.
Q&A Should I retire before the proposed legisation takes affect? Question I’m concerned about the recent legislative proposal regarding the possible elimination of the FERS Annuity Supplement, as well as changing from high-3 to high-5. My plan to retire this December could be negatively impacted if this passes. Do you think I should retire sooner
New Webinar: 5 Ways to Lower Your Taxes Lower taxes means more money in your pocket. Sounds great! However, when would you like more money in your pocket? Now or later? This is the essence of tax planning. This webinar is designed to help federal employees understand and apply effective tax-lowering strategies while considering both immediate
Economic News We are all noticing the stock market sink. Clearly investors are not happy where the economy is heading. Here are the facts: This is a mix of bad and good data. Nothing to justify the drop in the market. So what’s going on? In my previous report, I highlighted 6 Trump policies to
Trump’s tariff have caused a massive sell off. The stock market is down big time. And investors are obviously worried. Should you be worried too? We will address this in our upcoming webinar, Wednesday April 9th 11am ET. Register Now
RIF & your retirement benefits Yes, if there’s a RIF, you may be eligible for an immediate pension and continuation of your FEHB. As shocking as this sounds, it’s actually pretty straight forward. With a RIF, you may be eligible for a retirement known as Discontinued Service Retirement (DSR). DSR applies to employees who are
VERA and Accessing your TSP before 59.5: The general rule for Traditional retirement accounts such as IRAs, 401(k)s, TSP is that they can only be accessed at age 59.5. If you dare access them before 59.5, the IRS slaps you with a 10% early access penalty. But there are two notable exceptions to the age
Should you take the “Deferred Resignation” Offer? I wanted to share the general guidance I’ve been giving my clients. Although this should not be viewed as personalized advice, I hope it helps clarify the thinking that surrounds this “fork in the road” decision. If you need my assistance, please email me. stephen@stephenzelcer.com Wishing you all the best, Stephen
I’m sure you got the memo. President Trump is offering something that appears to be 8 months’ severance pay. You could stop working on Feb. 6th, collect payment and full benefits until the end of September, and then end your federal employment at the end of September. Should you do this? First of all, please
Join me in my upcoming webinar: “Goals & Inefficiencies – the Core of Financial Planning” and we’ll address the three broad benefits of financial planning:
New Webinar: Trump’s 2.0: Should I Be Concerned? People have expressed worry about President Trump’s 2nd term. Join us in this class where we’ll review some of the common concerns and see which, if any, are valid. Key Topics: Job Security and Career Planning: Planning for possible reductions in force (RIFs) or early outs. Retirement Benefits
Here we go with a second Trump term! Once Trump go elected, the post-election reactions started pouring in. Here’s a sampling, with slight edits to simplify reading, preserve the flavor but also conceal identity: “I am a recent federal retiree that panicked amid the last election outcome by moving my tsp to bonds. I am
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