Mileage Reimbursement Rate Headed Up?
The Internal Revenue Service is raising the mileage reimbursement rate because of the increasing cost of filling up a car with gas. How will this decision impact federal employees?
Author: Ralph R. Smith
Inflation, COLA’s and the 2009 Federal Pay Raise
Everyone has noticed that prices are going up. Inflation may have an impact on your paycheck next year. The annual increase in retirement checks will go up next January, probably at least 4.5%. Current federal employees may be looking at an average increase of 3.9%–but locality pay will make a big difference in the actual check for current employees.
S Fund Leads May Returns as Most Thrift Savings Plan Funds Go Up
The stock market continues to go back up and the recent returns from the TSP funds reflect this change of direction. All but one of the TSP funds are up again in May. Check out the returns for your TSP funds with our charts that display the monthly, year-to-date and 12-month returns for each fund.
180 Day Suspension for Hatch Act Violation
A NASA employee is hit with a suspension of 180 days as a result of violating the Hatch Act. With election season already upon us, and another five months to go before the election, federal employees need to think and understand restrictions on political activity before putting their careers in jeopardy.
Projecting Your 2009 Federal Pay Increase
The 2009 federal pay raise will be influenced by a number of factors. Here are some of the events that will influence the amount of next year’s average federal pay raise.
TSP Trends: Fund Returns Up, Fund Transfers Down, More L Fund Investors
Here are the trends in the TSP universe. The TSP funds have been kind to TSP investors so far in May and the number of investors in the lifecycle funds continues to go up. Active trading in the funds is down.
The Aging–and Retiring–Federal Workforce
If you were a big fan of the Beatles singing “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” you remember President Kennedy addressing the nation during the Cuban missile crisis; and you recall seeing Governor George Wallace standing in the door at the University of Alabama to block integration of the public school system on a black and white television set, you are older than most Americans. But many federal employees do recall these events because they were alive when they occurred.
Love in the Federal Workplace
Our patterns of courtship have changed with new technology. Ardent, would-be lovers are not the only people to use the Internet. One government employee found herself the victim of a scam–and the scammer got her personal information from her government computer.
TSP Funds Turn Up in April
A few billion dollars were moved out of the TSP stock funds during the first quarter of this year. If you are a contrary investor, that may be a signal that stocks are headed up. And, for April at least, that is the case as all of the TSP funds are up for the month–with one exception.
$16 Million Is Not a Low Number
Comments sent in by readers on proposed changes to interfund transfers within the TSP were unusually harsh. Similar comments may have been sent in directly to the TSP board as well. A new Federal Register notice finalizes a final rule limiting TSP trading activity. The official notice is blunt in addressing the comments opposing the changes. Here is the outcome but watch for future changes as well.
