26, 2024 on ForYourBenefit, our host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes back our original program guests Tammy Flanagan, NITP Senior Benefits Director, Karen Schaeffer, CFP®, Marc Levine, Esquire, and Tom O’Rourke, Counsel.

This is our final episode.  We have enjoyed our weekly conversations for the past 18 years.  Thank you to our loyal listeners for tuning in as we discussed topics ranging from benefits to finance to estate planning and everything in between.

Our guests gather today to share their memories, stories, and closing thoughts.  Join us as we reminisce about the years of hosting this radio program.  We hope you have learned a great deal over the years and encourage you to visit our website to stay in touch with NITP.

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post ForYourBenefit Farewell first appeared on Federal News Network.

February 19, 2024 on ForYourBenefit, host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Herb Casey, Federal Retirement Specialist.

In retirement, some will decide to relocate to a different location or residence.  Maybe you want to live in a warmer climate or move closer to family.  Herb will discuss the main considerations and resources available in making this decision.

And if you plan to relocate, it’s important to manage the possessions you have collected over the years.  How do you determine what to keep?   Understanding the reasons why it may be necessary to downsize possessions and the steps necessary in the process will be discussed.

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post Relocating and Downsizing in Retirement first appeared on Federal News Network.

February 12, 2024 on ForYourBenefit, our host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Marc Levine, Esquire.  We will discuss how your assets pass to your loved ones:

• Through joint ownership of land;
• Through joint ownership of bank and brokerage accounts;
• Through government beneficiary forms (including new rules for the TSP); and
• Through non-government beneficiary forms, and how often they may differ from each other.

We will also discuss what we can do when the unexpected and unplanned transfer happens.

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post Estate planning without estate planning: How joint ownership and beneficiary designations transfer assets at your death first appeared on Federal News Network.

February 5, 2024 on ForYourBenefit, our host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Brian Kurrus, CFP®.  The new year is a great time to review:

• Investment allocations and rebalancing needs
• Cash flow and budgeting for the new year
• Retirement contributions, plans and projections
• Insurance coverage, needs and premium changes

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post Finance Review for the New Year first appeared on Federal News Network.

January 29, 2024 on ForYourBenefit, our host Bob Leins, CPA®, welcomes Bob Braunstein, Federal Benefits Specialist.  Have you ever considered how much additional income your loved ones might need if you were suddenly gone?  Have you planned their survivor benefits?  Today’s program will focus on answering these questions:

• What types of Federal survivor benefits would go to your loved ones if you pass away?
• How can you be sure the benefits you have planned/elected for your survivors will be enough?
• If you have not elected benefits or designated specific beneficiaries, will your survivors be eligible for them anyway?
  • What survivor benefits must be elected?
  • Can you make these elections later or must they be in place before you pass away?
• Who ensures your survivors receive benefits?
  • What is your Federal agency’s responsibility?
  • OPM’s responsibility?
• Should survivor benefits be part of your financial plan?
• Are these benefits taxable?  Which are and which are not?

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post Survivor benefits: Their importance and how to ensure they are in place for your loved ones first appeared on Federal News Network.

January 8, 2024 on ForYourBenefit, our host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Herb Casey, Federal Benefits Specialist.

Topics include:

Income

• COLA for FERS and CSRS retirees
• Salary pay raises & new locality rates

Social Security

• Maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security tax
• COLA
• Earning limitations

FEHB Insurances

• Increased premiums
• 12 fewer plans

Medicare

• Rising premiums for Medicare
• Expansion of mental health coverage

Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program

• Increasing premiums

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

• Contribution limits
• Secure 2.0 changes

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post Federal Benefits Updates for 2024 first appeared on Federal News Network.

January 1st, 2024 on ForYourBenefit, host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Marc Levine, Esquire, to talk about Health Care Directives.

• What is a Health Care Directive (and is it different from a Health Care Power of Attorney)?
• What should l look for in my Health Care Agent?  Why an advocate matters.
• What is the difference between my Health Care Directive and a Do Not Resuscitate?
• What is MOLST?
• Resources for health care decisions.
• What else does my health care directive do?
• How does my Health Care Directive interact with my Power of Attorney?

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post Health Care Directives first appeared on Federal News Network.

December 25th, 2023 on ForYourBenefit, host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Brian Kurrus, CFP®.   Our guest today will talk about cash flow planning and debt payoff strategies for Federal employees and retirees.

• How much of an emergency fund do you need?  How should you invest these assets?
• Which debt should you pay off first?
• What is the impact of higher interest rates on debt in general?
• Should you pay down your mortgage before retirement?
• What other cash flow changes might you have in retirement?

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post Cash Flow Planning and Debt Payoff Strategies first appeared on Federal News Network.

December 18, 2023 on ForYourBenefit, our host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Bob Braunstein, Federal Benefits Specialist.  Bob will talk about:

• The annuity calculation
• FEGLI 5-year rule
• Medicare’s different enrollment periods
• Long term care – What to consider while the Federal plan is suspended

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post Hot Topics in Federal Benefits first appeared on Federal News Network.

December 11, 2023 on ForYourBenefit, our host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Laurie Lee, Chief Financial Officer, WAEPA, and Daniel Eck, CFP®, Ernst & Young Personal Finance.

Today’s guests will discuss the importance of wellness at the intersection of finance and mental health.  They will also talk about the benefits of WAEPA’s partnership with EY and their Navigate program, making immediate progress on financial goals and positively impacting your future.

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post Wellness, Finance, and Mental Health with WAEPA first appeared on Federal News Network.

December 4, 2023 on ForYourBenefit, our host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director, NITP.

Have you procrastinated on your Open Season homework?  Don’t worry, there is still time.

Are you in the plan that matches your needs?  Price is not the only factor which is why this decision can be confusing.  During this program, Tammy will break this process down into simple steps everyone can take to review and select the best coverage for 2024.

Step 1: Review your current coverage and changes in your current plan for 2024.

Step 2: Did you have any significant healthcare events or issues in 2023?  Do you anticipate any changes in your healthcare needs in 2024?  Are you planning a move, a marriage, a milestone birthday?  Do you now qualify for Medicare?

Step 3: Use the www.opm.gov healthcare information and plan comparison tool and the Consumers’ CHECKBOOK Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees to narrow down your options.  What are your Top 3?

Step 4:  Consider your need to continue or enroll in a FEDVIP dental and/or vision plan.  Evaluate cost along with value.

Step 5: Current Federal employees – it’s time to make your Flexible Spending Account election for 2024.

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post It’s the Last Week of Open Season – Steps to Take Now first appeared on Federal News Network.

November 27, 2023 on ForYourBenefit, host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Karen Schaeffer, CFP®, and Kaitlin Schaeffer Yardley, CFP®.

Karen and Kaitlin will talk about:

• The new and improved 529 plans
• Other strategies for meeting education costs
• Educating children about money

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post 529 Plans and Other Strategies for Paying for Education first appeared on Federal News Network.

November 20, 2023 on ForYourBenefit, our hosts Bob Leins, CPA®, and Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director NITP, welcome insurance expert and author Walton Francis and his colleague Kevin Moss to talk about FEHBP Open Season.  The Consumers’ CHECKBOOK Guide shows that most families can save $2,000 or more by selecting better plan choices.

Francis and Moss are the principal authors of both online and print versions of Consumers’ CHECKBOOK Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees.  The Guide gives you vital insurance information that you cannot get from any other source.  It tells you how much money you can save by changing – or by staying in – your health insurance plan and summarizes thousands of facts about the plans to simplify your choice.

At the Guide’s website, www.guidetohealthplans.org, you can check to see if your agency has purchased access to the Guide for you.

It rates about 160 health insurance plans available to Federal employees and retirees, including about 20 national plans, and about 140 health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and other local plan options, including two dozen Consumer-Driven and High Deductible plan options. The Guide rates not only regular insurance plans open to both employees and annuitants, but also about 40 plans open only to annuitants on Medicare that provide special Medicare benefits, pay most or all of the Part B premium, or both.  Its ratings of plan costs take into account premiums, catastrophic limits, and estimates of likely out-of-pocket costs for medical expenses of every kind.

The Guide compares plans for insurance value in dealing with unforeseen medical expenses, not just for the routine costs you can predict.

It rates dental and vision plans as well. It provides dollar estimates of likely dental costs, taking into account both premiums and out-of-pocket expenses.  It compares dental coverage in all plans, not just stand-alone plans.

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post The Consumers’ CHECKBOOK Guide and FEHBP Open Season first appeared on Federal News Network.

November 13, 2023 on ForYourBenefit, host Bob Leins, CPA® and co-host Ray Kirk, Ph.D., Federal Benefits Specialist, NITP, welcome Jay Fritz, Program Manager, Outreach & Program Services, Healthcare and Insurance, U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

It is that time of year again for employees and annuitants to review their Open Season options, which include health plans, dental and vision plans, FSAs, etc.

Today’s discussion will include:

• Federal Open Season:  November 13 – December 11, 2023
• What programs participate in Open Season?
• How can I prioritize my Open Season shopping list?
• What options do I have?
• What if I do nothing?

Resources for further information:

• Visit: opm.gov/openseason
• Follow OPM on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/opm/
• For Twitter News and Updates: https://twitter.com/usopm
• See your Human Resources Office

How do I make an Open Season election or change?

• Flexible Spending Accounts under FSAFEDS (employees only): FSAFEDS.com or call 1-877-FSAFEDS (372-3337) or TTY 1-866-353-8058.
• Dental or vision under FEDVIP:  Everyone – go to BENEFEDS.com or call 1-877-888-3337, TTY 1-877-889-5680.
• FEHB: Employees – use the Health Benefits Election Form (SF 2809) or use an online self-service system; your agency’s human resources office can help you.  Retirees – go to Open Season Online at https://retireefehb.opm.gov or call Open Season Express at 1-800-332-9798, TTY 1-855-887-4957.

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post Open Season Resources first appeared on Federal News Network.

November 6, 2023 on ForYourBenefit, host Bob Leins, CPA® and co-host Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director at NITP, Inc. welcome back Paula S. Jakub, RHU, CEO at The American Foreign Service Protective Association, sponsor of the Foreign Service Benefit Plan.

Today’s topic will focus on things to consider during Federal Open Season and how to get the most out of the health plan you choose.  Paula is a Subject Matter Expert in Federal Health Insurance and serves on the adjunct faculty of the Foreign Service Institute.  Paula will discuss:

FEHB PROGRAM

• OPM Initiatives and 2024 Benefits
  1. Obesity Treatment
  2. Infertility Treatment and Women’s Health
  3. Mental Health/Substance Use Disorder Support
  4. Gender Affirming Care
• Lifelong Health/Wellness and Support for Chronic Conditions
• Consider how you use health care
• Latest on Medicare, including the Federal Medicare Advantage Plans and NEW: Plans offering Medicare Prescription Drug Plan

FEDVIP

• Make sure you understand these supplemental plans

FSAFEDS

• Pre-tax reimbursement for eligible costs
• What is an eligible cost?
• Rules on carryover amounts

For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

The post Choosing the Best Plan During Open Season first appeared on Federal News Network.