Book of Answers for Federal Employees and Retirees - New 4th Edition

The Book of Answers contains complete answers, expert advice and guidance for questions, situations or life events that a federal employees or retirees experience, leading this publication to be appropriately nicknamed, "The What If Book."

What if? - it's a question we have heard time and again from our readers who simply don't know what effect a change in status (marriage, divorce, illness, outside work, leaving government, etc.) will have on their government job and benefits.

What if I get married-or divorced? What if I leave government before I'm eligible to retire? What if I want to supplement my government salary with outside income? What if I'm sidelined by a serious medical problem? What if I come back to work after retirement? The list goes on and on. Yet there has never been a resource designed to directly address these questions as they are really asked. Until now. The Book of Answers takes a special type of perspective at federal benefits, describing what happens and what to do as a federal employee, retiree or family member when major life events occur.

The various federal benefits all have special rules that apply in certain life situations, including some with deadlines that, once missed, can't be waived. These federal programs include health insurance, life insurance, retirement, the Thrift Savings Plan, Social Security, and more. And there are even some changes that occur at certain ages without a triggering life event, such as the decrease in the supplementary life insurance under FEGLI Basic between ages 35 and 45, or a potential decrease in that coverage after age 65, for example.

The Book of Answers presents a mix of practical information plus insight gleaned from our long experience in talking with employees and retirees about their most serious and important concerns. It all came down to one big what if question: What if there were a book that answered those questions? Well, here it is!

Take a look at just some of the questions that this valuable book answers:

Section I-Life Events

What If I Hit a 'Magic Number'?

What If My Family Members Marry or Hit Magic Numbers?

What If I Get Married as an Active Employee?

What If I Get Married After Retirement?

What If We Adopt or Have a Child?

What If I'm Divorced or Separated?

What If I Move?

What If I Die or a Family Member Dies?

Section II-Financial Issues

What If I Have a Financial Emergency?

What If I Want to Supplement My Salary?

What If I'm Offered a Gift?

What If I Accumulate Frequent Traveler Credits on Official Travel?

What If I'm Offered a Buyout?

What If I Have a Financial Claim Against My Agency?

What If I Owe Money?

Section III-Medical Issues

What If I or Family Members Have a Medical Emergency?

What If I Exhaust My Leave?

What If I Have a Life-Threatening Condition?

What If I'm Disabled?

Section IV-Benefits Issues

What If I Go on Extended Leave Without Pay?

What If I Go on Extended Leave for Military Service?

What If There's an Emergency Situation?

What If I Want To Change or Drop My Life Insurance Coverage?

What If I Want to Change or Drop My Health Insurance Coverage?

What If I Want to Change or Drop My Dental or Vision Coverage?

What If I Want To Change or Drop My Long Term Care Coverage?

What If I Want to Name or Change Beneficiaries?

What If My Claim Was Denied?

What If I Need Help?

Section V-Retirement Issues

What If I Leave Government Before Retirement Eligibility?

What If I'm Offered Early Retirement?

What If I Retire?

What If I Don't Get My Annuity Payment On Time?

What If I Return to Government Employment after Retiring?

I Return to Government Employment after Retiring?

I Retired With a Buyout?

I Retired on Disability?

My Reemployment Ends?

I Die While Reemployed?