Your Turn with Mike Causey

This week on Your Turn from Federal News Radio, Washington area estate tax attorney Thomas O’Rourke joins host Mike Causey to discuss the 2017 Tax Act and how it affects your tax and estate plan. Topics include: Do I need an estate plan in view of the changes in the estate tax law? If I do need an estate plan, what should be included as part of this estate plan? Wills, trusts, powers of attorney? Does it still make sense to contribute to the TSP? You can listen live at www.federalnewsradio.com or at 1500 AM in the D.C. area. If you have questions for Thomas O’Rourke, send them to me before showtime at: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com.

Big changes are coming to the Thrift Saving Plan. Kim Weaver, director of External Affairs for the TSP, joins host Mike Causey on this week's Your Turn to talk about the changes, which include making it easier for participants to make withdrawals from their accounts.

We have a triple-header on this Your Turn radio show. Reporters Jory Heckman and Nicole Ogrysko will talk about plans to decentralize federal operations based in the D.C. area and the outlook for feds in 2018. Morning Drive anchor Tom Temin will give us his take on President Donald Trumps State-of-the-Union address.

Now that things are back to normalfor three weekspro-fed politicians are explaining why they voted to continue this weeks government shutdown even though they profess to hate them. Democrats and Republicans are each claiming victory which seems to be the point of most shutdowns.Meantime people in federal centers around the country are watching the calendar to see if we are going to go through this again. Maybe for a more extended period. Or if maybe, just maybe, career politicians have learned that shutting it downwhile they continue to get paidis not the way to run a government.What next? So what happened this time? And whats likely to happen when Congress revisits the shutdown threat in February? Today on Your Turn, Greg Stanford, director of Government Affairs at the Federal Managers Association will talk about what led to the shutdown and the quick resolution and whats likely to happen in three weeks.You can listen live at 10 a.m. EST at www.federalnewsradio.com or on 1500 AM in the D.C. area.

This week on Your Turn, certified financial planner Arthur Stein joins host Mike Causey to talk about the Thrift Savings Plan and how to grow your retirement nest egg.He said returns were excellent for all the TSP stock funds last year, but the not-so-good news is that stock markets are overdue for major and even minor stock declines.

Jessica Klement, staff vice president for advocacy at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, talks about the save-the-benefits effort and what you can do about it. She also gives us background on what was threatened but didn't happen last year and talks about why 2018 may be different. And not as forgiving.

This week on Your Turn, Federal News Radio reporters Nicole Ogrysko and Jory Heckman join host Mike Causey to discuss what happened in 2017, what didn't happen but could have, and why. Also what might (as in M-I-G-H-T) be ahead for federal workers, postal employees, retirees, spouses and federal contractors in 2018.

This week on Your Turn, Federal News Radio reporters Nicole Ogrysko, Scott Maucione and Meredith Somers join host Mike Causey to discuss the top federal news stories in 2017 and what is (maybe) going to be on tap for 2018.

When they leave or retire from the government, just over half of Thrift Savings Plan participants move most or all of their TSP balances someplace else.This despite the fact that the TSP has some of the lowest administrative fees in the business and is subject to oversight by the Treasury, the Labor Department and many if not most members of Congress and their staffs belong to the TSP and have keen interest in seeing it does well.But now that Congress has authorized a modernization of the TSP, many suspect that it will be more attractive to feds when they leave or retire and that they will stick with it.Financial planner Arthur Stein will explain why when he joins host Mike Causey on this weeks Your Turn. He will also talk about how the changes implemented under the TSP Modernization Act will affect you.

Nearly half the questions health insurance hunters have involve or revolve around Medicare Part B. As in, do I need it? Can I afford it? What, if any, are the alternatives to Medicare Part B? What happens to the premium if I delay taking it? And by the way, what is it?The short answer is that it depends. On your age, health, financial situation, etc.

Most feds will stay in the same health plan theyve been in for years. Maybe even decades.Walton Francis, editor of Consumers Checkbook Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees, says thats a mistake. Francis says all of the plans are good, but some may be wrong for you. Or too expensive for what they cover.Francis will be the guest today at 10 a.m. ET on Your Turn. Hell be answering questions sent in by listeners over the last two weeks. If you have one, fire it off to host Mike Causey (before showtime) at: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com.Listen at 10 a.m. ET on Federalnewsradio.com or at 1500 AM in the D.C. area. The show will also be archived on our home page so you can listen later.

Every year Uncle Sam holds an open season, when federal workers, retirees and their survivors can update, enroll in or change their benefits package.

Your federal retirement could last decades so it pays to plan ahead. As in having a plan.Doing the right/smart thing now means a payoff for you, for your spouse/significant other and your children. And peace of mind. The way you get your financial ducks in a row can be a major gift emotionally as well as financially for those who may wind up taking care of you.So do you have an estate plan? Does it include beneficiary designations and property ownership arrangements? Do you know the difference between a will and a trust? And which is best for you?Tom O'Rourke is a Washington area attorney who specializes in estate planning. Many of his clients are active and retired federal workers. He says that many feds are worth a lot more than they think.

Are there people in your office who love their jobs and dread retirement but who are putting in their papers effective at the end of this month? Why are so many federal workers suddenly very nervous in the civil service?Some, maybe many, feds are convinced that Congress is going to make big-time, devastating-to-feds, changes in the retirement plan. There are a half dozen plans that if approved by the House and Senate would deal a major body blow to some or all of the retirement program.

Are you excited, dazzled and worried sometimes at the same time by the stock market boom? Are you concerned about what many experts say is a long-overdue market correction? Do you still have the occasional nightmare about the Great Recession? If so, welcome to the club.Obviously, nobody knows when, if and for how long, any correction might be. But we asked financial planner Arthur Stein for his take.

Are you one of hundreds of thousands of federal workers who could retire tomorrow if you wanted to?What if Uncle Sam made you a once-in-a-lifetime cash offer you couldnt refuse. And what if that payment, now $25,000, was bumped up by $15,000?Does the possibility of a $40,000 buyout however remote tempt you to hang on to see what happens?The good news is that the Senate may (as in MAY, MAYBE, MIGHT) consider and pass legislation that would raise the maximum for all government buyouts to $40,000. Currently, only Defense can offer feds that much money to take regular or early retirement. Other agencies are limited to $25,000 which, after all those deductions, doesn't have the buying power it did in the 1990s.

Although buyouts are out there, the odds that you personally will get a $25,000 to $40,000 payment to leave are slim and none. You can wait, and hope, and maybe, just maybe get lucky. But the deck is stacked against you.

Congress and the White House are considering several proposals to slim down or eliminate portions of the federal retirement program. Will they pass and if so, how will they affect you? Find out when NARFE Legislative Director Jessica Klement joins host Mike Causey on this weeks Your Turn. September 13, 2017