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Your Free Federal Retirement Blueprint 👇www.gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint Hi, I’m Tom 👋 , a Certified Financial Planner™ and founder of GT Wealth.

We help successful families and business owners slow down, get intentional, and build a life they never want to retire from. One that's aligned with their values, goals, and vision for the future. Whether you're planning your next chapter or already retired, our GT LifePath process helps you create clarity, purpose, and financial confidence.

📍 Based in PA | Working virtually with clients across the U.S.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Husband & dad of two
💪 Runner, drummer, lifelong learner
🎧 Always got a podcast on

Visit us at www.gtwealthguide.com to learn more!

10/31/2026

Roth TSP to Roth IRA. The five-year clock may not transfer the way you think.

If you’re a federal employee under FERS with Roth TSP money, this matters before you retire or roll your TSP into an IRA.

Your Roth TSP and Roth IRA each have their own five-year clock. If your Roth TSP is not yet qualified when you roll it over, the timing of your Roth IRA clock can affect when the earnings may be available tax-free.

The simple step many federal employees overlook is starting a Roth IRA clock early, years before retirement, if it fits their income and tax situation.

Before you retire, check these three dates:

1. When did you make your first Roth TSP contribution?
2. Has either spouse ever funded a Roth IRA?
3. When do you expect to use the Roth money?

This is especially important for FERS employees retiring around age 60, couples planning early-retirement expenses, and anyone considering a Roth TSP rollover.

Book your free Blueprint Call here: https://www.gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint

10/29/2026

The 1.1% FERS pension bump is not the whole reason your pension grows when you wait until 62.

In this example, the $18,525 yearly difference comes from 3 things:

- More years of service: $7,500
- The 1.1% multiplier: $5,250
- A higher high three salary: $5,775

The 1.1% multiplier creates less than one third of the difference. Most of the increase comes from more time and a higher salary.

That means retiring at 58, 59, or 60 may still give you much of the benefit without working all the way to 62.

If you are comparing FERS retirement at 57, 60, or 62, you can schedule a free Federal Retirement Blueprint from the link on my page when you’re ready.

FERS pension at 57 vs 62. FERS 1.1% multiplier. High three salary, years of service, and federal employee retirement planning.

10/27/2026

Retire at 57 or work until 62? Either way, you give something up.

Retire at 57 and you may give up:

- About $1,544 a month in pension income
- Around $800,000 in salary
- Five years of TSP contributions and matching
- Pension COLA growth before 62

Work until 62 and you may give up:

- Five more years in a job you may be done with
- Some of your healthiest years for travel and family
- Time with a spouse on a different retirement schedule
- Low-income years that may be useful for Roth conversions

Those years between retirement and Social Security or RMDs can give you more control over your taxes. If you work until 62 at a high salary, that tax window may be much smaller.

The bigger pension is not the only part of the decision. Compare the money, time, health, family, TSP, and tax tradeoffs.

FERS retirement at 57 vs 62. FERS pension, TSP, Roth conversion, and federal employee retirement planning.

10/24/2026

What would your spouse’s finances look like if you passed away five years into retirement?

The bills usually don't drop by half. The mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities, and home costs may stay almost the same. But income can drop when one Social Security check goes away, a pension is reduced, and taxes change to single rates.

Here is a simple exercise. Run the widow’s year on paper.

Write down:

- FERS survivor pension
- The one remaining Social Security check
- TSP and savings withdrawals
- Health insurance costs
- Taxes as a single filer
- Housing and other monthly bills

If the numbers work, your plan may be in good shape. If they don't, you now know what needs to be fixed.

Federal employee survivor planning. FERS pension, Social Security, TSP, and widow tax planning for married couples.

10/24/2026

When one spouse passes away, Social Security stops paying both checks.

If one spouse gets $2,800 a month and the other gets $1,600, the household income can drop from $4,400 to $2,800. The bills may not drop with it.

Then the tax rules can change. The surviving spouse usually files as single the next tax year. That can mean higher taxes and higher Medicare premiums, even with less income. Medicare income limits for single filers are also much lower than for married couples.

This is why federal couples need to plan for the surviving spouse, not just the household while both are alive.

Look at your FERS pension, Social Security, TSP, survivor benefit, taxes, and Medicare costs together.

Federal employee widow tax planning. Social Security survivor benefits. FERS pension, TSP, and Medicare IRMAA planning.

10/23/2026

Choosing your FERS survivor benefit is not just about your pension check.

Under FERS, you usually have 3 choices:

- 50% survivor benefit, which can reduce your pension by about 10%
- 25% survivor benefit, which can reduce it by about 5%
- 0% survivor benefit, which does not reduce your check today

But here's the part many federal employees miss. If you choose no survivor benefit and pass away first, your spouse may lose their FEHB health insurance too.

So the real question is not just, “How much pension do we keep today?”

It's also, “What income and health coverage would my spouse have if I die first?”

If you choose less than the full survivor benefit, your spouse must agree in writing.

Before you choose 0%, look at the full tradeoff with your FERS pension, FEHB, Social Security, and TSP.

FERS survivor benefits. FEHB for surviving spouses. Federal employee retirement planning for married couples.

10/15/2026

When did you last check your TSP and FEGLI beneficiaries?

Your TSP, FEGLI, and FERS survivor benefits each have their own rules. They don't automatically follow your will.

An old beneficiary form could send money to:

An ex-spouse
A parent who has passed away
Someone you no longer want to receive it

This week, check your beneficiary forms after any marriage, divorce, birth, or death in the family.

Also review your:

TSP beneficiaries
FEGLI beneficiaries
Will
Durable power of attorney
Healthcare directive
If you cannot remember the last time you updated these documents, that is your sign to check.

TSP beneficiary designation. FEGLI beneficiaries. FERS survivor benefits. Federal employee estate planning.

10/15/2026

One FERS election can decide whether your spouse has a pension after you pass away.

When you retire, you can choose:

- Full survivor benefit
- Partial survivor benefit
- No survivor benefit

The full option can give your spouse 50% of your unreduced FERS pension for life. The cost is about 10% of your pension while you're alive.

Some couples choose no survivor benefit to keep more money each month. But if the federal employee passes first, the surviving spouse may be left with no FERS pension from that job.

Before you retire, compare both sides.

What do you keep each month with the full survivor benefit?
What would your spouse have without it?

This is a conversation to have now, not the week before you retire.

FERS survivor benefits. Federal employee retirement planning. FERS pension and spouse income protection.

10/13/2026

FEHB is one of the best benefits for federal employees, but keeping it in retirement is not automatic.

In this reel I explain the FEHB 5-year rule, how your premiums change after you retire, and how FEHB works with Medicare Part A and Part B.

At 65, you will need to decide whether to add Medicare Part B or keep FEHB on its own. The right answer depends on your FEHB plan, healthcare needs, premiums, and how the two plans work together.

Do not choose based on a generic rule. Run the numbers for your situation before you retire.

FEHB and Medicare for federal employees. FEHB 5-year rule. Medicare Part B and FERS retirement planning.

10/11/2026

Many federal employees spend years building their TSP but never make a plan for how to use it.

In this reel I show how the wrong withdrawal order can:

Push you into a higher tax bracket
Make more of your Social Security taxable
Increase future RMDs
Cause you to miss Roth conversion opportunities

A better plan may use Traditional TSP, Roth TSP, IRAs, and Social Security in a careful order. The right plan can help you keep more of your money over a 20 to 25 year retirement.

If you are close to retirement and have not planned your TSP withdrawals yet, that is okay. But this is something to solve before you leave federal service, not after.

TSP withdrawal strategy. FERS pension and tax planning. Roth conversions, Social Security, and RMD planning for federal employees.

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