Advertise on podcast: Confident Federal Retirement

For many federal employees, the period between retirement and the start of Social Security or required minimum distributions creates a temporary tax planning window. During this time, your FERS pension may provide the income floor while you decide how much to withdraw from your TSP, whether Roth conversions deserve consideration, and how future Medicare premiums could be affected. In this episode, you'll learn: How the tax window works for FERS federal employees. How your pension, FERS supplement, TSP, and Social Security fit together. How to think through Roth conversions without assuming they are right for everyone. Why age 63 income can affect Medicare premiums at age 65 through IRMAA. How Social Security timing changes your retirement income plan. Why required minimum distributions eventually change the tax picture. Which three dates you and your spouse should put on one page. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

Are you a federal employee within five years of retirement with money in the Roth Thrift Savings Plan, or Roth TSP? Before you roll that money into a Roth IRA, it's important to understand how the Roth TSP five-year clock and Roth IRA five-year clock work. These clocks are separate. The time your money spent in the Roth TSP generally does not transfer to the Roth IRA clock after a rollover. Depending on your age, contribution history, and retirement timeline, that difference could affect when Roth earnings are available tax-free. In this episode, you'll learn: What the Roth TSP five-year rule actually controls How Roth TSP contributions and earnings are treated differently Why Roth TSP and Roth IRA five-year clocks run separately How a small Roth IRA contribution may start your Roth IRA clock years before retirement How Roth conversions and in-plan Roth TSP conversions fit into the timeline When a qualified Roth TSP rollover may make the clock less important Why the timing matters for federal employees retiring before age 59½ --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

Are you a federal employee within about five years of retirement? Your Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) has probably been running in the background throughout your career. At retirement, you make a set of choices about it, and some of them cannot be undone. In this episode, you will learn: The four pieces of FEGLI (Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance) and what each one covers The five-year rule that decides what you can carry into retirement The choices on the SF 2818 and which decisions are permanent How FEGLI coverage changes after age 65 What unreduced Option B can cost in your 70s and 80s How to decide whether to keep, reduce, or replace your coverage --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

If most of your retirement savings are in a traditional TSP or traditional IRAs, Roth conversions may be worth considering. But the important question is not simply whether Roth is "good." It is how much to convert, when to convert, and how to pay the tax without creating a new problem. (Encore episode, originally published July 30, 2026.) In this episode, Tom explains: How Roth conversions work for federal employees Why the years between retirement, Social Security, and RMDs can matter Three ways to pay the conversion tax Why outside cash may be preferable when available How pension withholding and estimated payments may fit Why Medicare income thresholds also need to be considered A simple case study and checklist for getting started --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

Are you a federal employee in your 50s or early 60s whose spouse is also in federal service?  If so, you may be wondering how much cash to hold before and during retirement. The usual rules, like three months or six months of expenses, were built for people with a paycheck. Retirement requires a different way to think about cash. In this episode, Tom explains how to match your cash reserve to your retirement income gap and the amount of time you would want to avoid selling investments after a market decline. In this episode, you will learn: Why traditional emergency fund rules may not fit retirement. How to calculate your retirement income gap.  Why the gap may change when the FERS supplement ends at age 62. How sequence-of-returns risk affects early retirement. How to account for known expenses like a vehicle, roof, or family commitment. How to build a cash target without relying on a generic rule of thumb. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

Are you a federal employee in your 50s or early 60s whose spouse is also retiring under FERS? When both spouses have federal pensions, it's easy to assume survivor benefits are unnecessary. Sometimes that is the right decision. But the choice can affect pension income, Social Security, taxes, household cash flow, and FEHB coverage. In this episode, you'll learn: How full, partial, and no survivor benefits work under FERS What each option costs on each spouse's pension Why dual-federal couples should evaluate each pension separately How income may change after the first spouse dies Why losing one Social Security check matters What FEHB questions to review before waiving a survivor benefit --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

Are you a federal employee in your 50s or early 60s whose spouse is also in federal service? One of you may be ready to retire while the other keeps working. That decision affects your household income, FERS pension timing, TSP withdrawals, FEHB coverage, and taxes. The right answer depends on how those pieces work together. In this episode, you'll learn: How to measure the real income gap when one paycheck stops. Why one spouse retiring first may help the other reach a better pension date. How TSP withdrawal rules can differ between the retired and working spouse. Why moving TSP money to an IRA can change early withdrawal considerations. How married federal couples may coordinate FEHB coverage when one spouse retires. Why salary, pension, TSP withdrawals, and annual leave can create a high-income tax year. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

Are you a federal employee in your late 50s or early 60s with most of your retirement savings in a traditional TSP? When one spouse retires, household income may drop. That lower-income period can create a Roth conversion window before Social Security, Medicare premiums, and required minimum distributions begin adding income back into the picture. In this episode of Confident Federal Retirement, Tom Poltersdorf, CFP®, explains how federal employees can think through Roth conversions after retirement without guessing or relying on a one-size-fits-all answer. In this episode, you'll learn: What a Roth conversion is and how it applies to the TSP and traditional IRAs. Why retirement can create a lower-income planning window. How FERS pensions, Social Security, and TSP withdrawals work together. How required minimum distributions can affect future taxable income. Why Medicare's two-year lookback and IRMAA premiums matter. How the FERS annuity supplement earnings test fits into the analysis. The questions to ask before deciding whether a Roth conversion makes sense. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

If you're a married federal employee within about five to ten years of retirement, your two TSP accounts may look completely different. One spouse may have most of their money invested in the stock funds, while the other has almost everything in the G Fund. That does not automatically mean one person is right and the other is wrong. But it can create a problem if the account carrying the most market risk is also the account funding your first retirement paychecks. In this episode, Tom Poltersdorf, CFP®, explains how to look at two TSP accounts as one household income plan instead of two separate investment accounts. In this episode, you'll learn: Why married federal couples often develop opposite TSP strategies How to calculate your combined household allocation Why the account funding your first withdrawals matters How sequence risk can affect your early retirement income Why being too conservative can affect future purchasing power How to match each account to your retirement paycheck --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

If you are a federal employee within the next few years of retirement, the date you choose to leave federal service can affect more than your final day at work. For FERS employees, your separation date may affect when your annuity begins, whether you complete the full pay period for annual leave accrual, and when your unused annual leave payment is issued and taxed. In this quick episode, Tom explains the calendar details to check before choosing a December or January retirement date. In this episode, you'll learn: Why separating on December 31 may allow your FERS annuity to begin January 1. Why separating on January 2 may delay your annuity start date until February 1. How completing the full pay period can affect annual leave accrual. Why your annual leave payment is generally taxable when you receive it. What to confirm with your human resources and payroll offices before submitting your retirement paperwork. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

Are you a federal employee in your late 50s or early 60s trying to decide whether to retire at 57, 60, or 62? The decision is not only about the largest pension. Your retirement date may affect your FERS pension, TSP withdrawals, FERS Supplement, Social Security, FEHB coverage, survivor benefits, taxes, health, and time with your family. In this episode, you'll learn: What changes when you retire at 57, 60, or 62. Why age 60 may be an important middle option. How the FERS Supplement fits into your income plan. Why the 1.1 percent FERS formula matters at age 62. How to compare your pension with your TSP withdrawals. Why FEHB and survivor benefits belong in the decision. How to build a simple retirement date scorecard. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

This episode is for federal employees within about five to ten years of retirement, especially those with most of their retirement savings in the Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP. Many federal employees assume the TSP works just like an IRA. It does not. The differences can affect your retirement income, taxes, spouse, children, charitable giving, and rollover decisions. In this episode, you'll learn: What may happen to your TSP after both spouses are gone. How the age 55 rule may help you take penalty-free income from the TSP before age 59.5. Why TSP withdrawals may come proportionally from your investment funds. Why the Roth TSP five-year rule does not simply transfer to a Roth IRA. How qualified charitable distributions generally work through an IRA. Why "roll everything into an IRA" and "leave everything in the TSP" are both incomplete answers. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

Can I Retire at 60 With a FERS Pension and TSP? 7 Steps to Check Are you a federal employee in your late 50s or early 60s wondering whether you can retire from federal service? You may have a FERS pension, a six-figure TSP, Social Security, FEHB, and possibly outside IRAs. But even with those pieces in place, it can still be difficult to know whether your retirement income will support the life you want. In this episode of Confident Federal Retirement, Tom Poltersdorf, CFP®, walks through seven important questions for federal employees considering retirement around age 60. You'll learn how to: Look at your FERS pension, TSP, and Social Security as one retirement income plan Decide whether retiring at 60 or working until 62 makes sense for your situation Define your true retirement spending number, including travel and family goals Build a cash and investment strategy for the first years of retirement Evaluate required minimum distributions, Roth conversions, and future taxes Coordinate FEGLI, survivor benefits, and other forms of spouse protection Plan for financial responsibilities involving aging parents and adult children --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

If you're a federal employee within about ten years of retirement, you may already have a FERS pension and possibly a FERS supplement. You may also have most of your savings in the TSP and be unsure when to begin Social Security. The decision is about more than claiming at 62 or waiting until 70. You also need to consider your pension, TSP withdrawals, spouse protection, taxes, and Medicare premiums. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the FERS supplement is separate from Social Security. What happens when the supplement ends at age 62. How claiming early or late changes your monthly benefit. Why married couples need to plan for the surviving spouse. How taxes and Medicare fit into the decision. Why a break-even chart should not be your only tool. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

If you are a federal employee within about five to ten years of retirement, and most of your retirement savings are in the traditional TSP or traditional IRAs, you may be wondering whether Roth conversions make sense for you. Roth conversions can create more control over future taxes, but they are not automatically right for every FERS or CSRS employee. Your pension, Social Security timing, TSP balance, Medicare enrollment, required minimum distributions, survivor planning, and available cash for taxes all matter. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Roth conversions may matter for federal employees. How FERS pension income, Social Security, and required distributions can stack together. How to identify a potential Roth conversion window. Why smaller annual conversions may provide more control. How the Medicare two year lookback affects planning. Four common Roth conversion mistakes to avoid. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf