Yearly Archives: 2014

Is The ‘Survivor Benefit’ Best For You? By Todd Carmack

http://www.psretirement.com/pension-survivor-benefit-options/ Both CSRS and FERS have an option when they retire to choose a Survivor Benefit option which allows their spouse continued partial pension payments in the event of your death. For CSRS, the Survivor Benefit option would provide a 55% annuity payout. For FERS, the Survivor Benefit has two options: a 25% or 50%Read… Read more »

5 Dos and Don’ts of Priority or Outcome-Based Budgeting

Performance-based budgeting or budgeting for outcomes (BFO) has taken center stage and not in the best light. Earlier this summer, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) introduced the world to BFO — the idea of linking spending to performance — and showed how unrealistic goals, inadequately managed performance measurement systems and improperly used, inaccurate dataRead… Read more »

Alan Balutis Talks Potential New Legislation

Everyone is talking about IT reform – but does anyone know how to implement it? Doesn’t seem like it. It’s like your friend who just learned a new word but constantly keeps using it incorrectly. Legislators just learned about IT procurement, but don’t have the knowledge to apply it well. Many CIOs, however, have ideasRead… Read more »

Are You Ready for the Internet of Things?

Dr. Michael Chui, partner and senior fellow at McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) speaking at GovLoop’s The Internet of Things: The Connected Government event. The physical world is turning into an information super highway. Yes, this might sound like science fiction and something out of Star Trek, but much of our physical infrastructure is now connectedRead… Read more »

Re-Imagining Cloud With Open Source

GovLoop’s recent guide, How Cloud is Reinventing Government, explores the how cloud is helping agencies unlock innovation and improve service delivery. The report includes four government case studies, best practices and insights from industry leaders. Below is an excerpt from our guide. Read the full report here. Government has used open source solutions in aRead… Read more »

Ten Rules for Developing Knowledge Management Solutions

One of the hot topics in many organizations right now is knowledge management. Whether its in the context of customer service, business strategy, human resources, or information technology managing knowledge is a serious concern in most organizations. Whenever one of these projects or programs is getting ramped up the temptation is always there to tryRead… Read more »

Social Security for FERS Employees, by Todd Carmack

http://www.psretirement.com/social-security-fers-employees-todd-carmack/ I am often asked by clients “When should I start taking my Social Security payments?”. There is no single right answer to that question because everyone designs their retirement differently. This added income can make a difference on when you decide to retire and how much of a benefit you are willing to accept.Read… Read more »

Understanding Your FEGLI Coverage, by Todd Carmack

Understanding Your FEGLI Coverage, by Todd Carmack As a benefit counselor and retirement income specialist, I have come to realize that a lot of employees do not remember what they signed up for or understand their federal employee group life insurance (FEGLI) coverage. An outline of FEGLI coverages available; Basic FEGLI Coverage – if elected,Read… Read more »