Confident Federal Retirement

Tom Poltersdorf Jr.
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Investing
  • Updated Weekly

Confident Federal Retirement is the retirement podcast for federal employees who want to retire from federal service without guessing. If you're within about 5–10 years of retirement and worried about picking the wrong date, misunderstanding your pension, or messing up TSP and Social Security, this show is for you. In each short, focused episode, I break down FERS, CSRS, TSP, Social Security, FEHB, FEGLI, and retirement taxes into clear decisions you can actually act on, without jargon or spreadsheets. You'll hear real‑world scenarios, simple checklists, and straight answers to questions like: "When can I retire?", "Will my pension and TSP be enough?", and "How do I avoid ugly tax surprises?" I'm a fee‑only fiduciary financial planner who specializes in federal retirement planning, and my goal is to help you go from confused and uncertain to clear and confident about your next chapter. When you're ready for one‑on‑one help, visit gtwealthguide.com to request a personalized federal retirement plan and talk through your options.

  1. 1d ago

    Can One Federal Spouse Retire Safely While the Other Keeps Working? |Ep 201

    Are you a federal employee in your 50s or early 60s whose spouse is also in federal service? One of you may be ready to retire while the other keeps working. That decision affects your household income, FERS pension timing, TSP withdrawals, FEHB coverage, and taxes. The right answer depends on how those pieces work together. In this episode, you'll learn: How to measure the real income gap when one paycheck stops. Why one spouse retiring first may help the other reach a better pension date. How TSP withdrawal rules can differ between the retired and working spouse. Why moving TSP money to an IRA can change early withdrawal considerations. How married federal couples may coordinate FEHB coverage when one spouse retires. Why salary, pension, TSP withdrawals, and annual leave can create a high-income tax year. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

  2. 6d ago

    The Roth Conversion Window for Federal Employees After Retirement |Ep 200

    Are you a federal employee in your late 50s or early 60s with most of your retirement savings in a traditional TSP? When one spouse retires, household income may drop. That lower-income period can create a Roth conversion window before Social Security, Medicare premiums, and required minimum distributions begin adding income back into the picture. In this episode of Confident Federal Retirement, Tom Poltersdorf, CFP®, explains how federal employees can think through Roth conversions after retirement without guessing or relying on a one-size-fits-all answer. In this episode, you'll learn: What a Roth conversion is and how it applies to the TSP and traditional IRAs. Why retirement can create a lower-income planning window. How FERS pensions, Social Security, and TSP withdrawals work together. How required minimum distributions can affect future taxable income. Why Medicare's two-year lookback and IRMAA premiums matter. How the FERS annuity supplement earnings test fits into the analysis. The questions to ask before deciding whether a Roth conversion makes sense. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

  3. Sep 22

    Married Federal Employees, How Should Two Different TSPs Work Together? |Ep 199

    If you're a married federal employee within about five to ten years of retirement, your two TSP accounts may look completely different. One spouse may have most of their money invested in the stock funds, while the other has almost everything in the G Fund. That does not automatically mean one person is right and the other is wrong. But it can create a problem if the account carrying the most market risk is also the account funding your first retirement paychecks. In this episode, Tom Poltersdorf, CFP®, explains how to look at two TSP accounts as one household income plan instead of two separate investment accounts. In this episode, you'll learn: Why married federal couples often develop opposite TSP strategies How to calculate your combined household allocation Why the account funding your first withdrawals matters How sequence risk can affect your early retirement income Why being too conservative can affect future purchasing power How to match each account to your retirement paycheck --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

  4. Sep 17

    The FERS Retirement Date Tip Federal Employees Often Miss |Ep 198

    If you are a federal employee within the next few years of retirement, the date you choose to leave federal service can affect more than your final day at work. For FERS employees, your separation date may affect when your annuity begins, whether you complete the full pay period for annual leave accrual, and when your unused annual leave payment is issued and taxed. In this quick episode, Tom explains the calendar details to check before choosing a December or January retirement date. In this episode, you'll learn: Why separating on December 31 may allow your FERS annuity to begin January 1. Why separating on January 2 may delay your annuity start date until February 1. How completing the full pay period can affect annual leave accrual. Why your annual leave payment is generally taxable when you receive it. What to confirm with your human resources and payroll offices before submitting your retirement paperwork. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

  5. Sep 15

    Federal Employees, Should You Retire at 57, 60, or 62? |Ep 197

    Are you a federal employee in your late 50s or early 60s trying to decide whether to retire at 57, 60, or 62? The decision is not only about the largest pension. Your retirement date may affect your FERS pension, TSP withdrawals, FERS Supplement, Social Security, FEHB coverage, survivor benefits, taxes, health, and time with your family. In this episode, you'll learn: What changes when you retire at 57, 60, or 62. Why age 60 may be an important middle option. How the FERS Supplement fits into your income plan. Why the 1.1 percent FERS formula matters at age 62. How to compare your pension with your TSP withdrawals. Why FEHB and survivor benefits belong in the decision. How to build a simple retirement date scorecard. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

  6. Sep 10

    Five TSP Rules Federal Employees Should Understand Before Retirement |Ep 196

    This episode is for federal employees within about five to ten years of retirement, especially those with most of their retirement savings in the Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP. Many federal employees assume the TSP works just like an IRA. It does not. The differences can affect your retirement income, taxes, spouse, children, charitable giving, and rollover decisions. In this episode, you'll learn: What may happen to your TSP after both spouses are gone. How the age 55 rule may help you take penalty-free income from the TSP before age 59.5. Why TSP withdrawals may come proportionally from your investment funds. Why the Roth TSP five-year rule does not simply transfer to a Roth IRA. How qualified charitable distributions generally work through an IRA. Why "roll everything into an IRA" and "leave everything in the TSP" are both incomplete answers. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

  7. Sep 8

    Can I Retire at 60 With a FERS Pension and TSP? 7 Steps to Check |Ep 195

    Can I Retire at 60 With a FERS Pension and TSP? 7 Steps to Check Are you a federal employee in your late 50s or early 60s wondering whether you can retire from federal service? You may have a FERS pension, a six-figure TSP, Social Security, FEHB, and possibly outside IRAs. But even with those pieces in place, it can still be difficult to know whether your retirement income will support the life you want. In this episode of Confident Federal Retirement, Tom Poltersdorf, CFP®, walks through seven important questions for federal employees considering retirement around age 60. You'll learn how to: Look at your FERS pension, TSP, and Social Security as one retirement income plan Decide whether retiring at 60 or working until 62 makes sense for your situation Define your true retirement spending number, including travel and family goals Build a cash and investment strategy for the first years of retirement Evaluate required minimum distributions, Roth conversions, and future taxes Coordinate FEGLI, survivor benefits, and other forms of spouse protection Plan for financial responsibilities involving aging parents and adult children --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

  8. Sep 3

    When Should Federal Employees Take Social Security With a FERS Pension? |Ep 194

    If you're a federal employee within about ten years of retirement, you may already have a FERS pension and possibly a FERS supplement. You may also have most of your savings in the TSP and be unsure when to begin Social Security. The decision is about more than claiming at 62 or waiting until 70. You also need to consider your pension, TSP withdrawals, spouse protection, taxes, and Medicare premiums. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the FERS supplement is separate from Social Security. What happens when the supplement ends at age 62. How claiming early or late changes your monthly benefit. Why married couples need to plan for the surviving spouse. How taxes and Medicare fit into the decision. Why a break-even chart should not be your only tool. --------------- When you're ready for a personalized plan built around your specific federal benefits, visit https://gtwealthguide.com/federal-blueprint to request your free Federal Retirement Blueprint. We'll map out your federal benefits, TSP, Social Security, and tax plan on one page so you can retire from federal service without guessing. --------------- Get your copy of the Federal Retirement Readiness Blueprint: a 7‑step checklist to pick the right retirement date and see what will actually hit your bank account after survivor benefits, FEHB, and taxes: https://gtwealth.kit.com/federal-retirement-readiness --------------- Federal Retirement YouTube Videos - youtube.com/@TomPoltersdorf

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About

Confident Federal Retirement is the retirement podcast for federal employees who want to retire from federal service without guessing. If you're within about 5–10 years of retirement and worried about picking the wrong date, misunderstanding your pension, or messing up TSP and Social Security, this show is for you. In each short, focused episode, I break down FERS, CSRS, TSP, Social Security, FEHB, FEGLI, and retirement taxes into clear decisions you can actually act on, without jargon or spreadsheets. You'll hear real‑world scenarios, simple checklists, and straight answers to questions like: "When can I retire?", "Will my pension and TSP be enough?", and "How do I avoid ugly tax surprises?" I'm a fee‑only fiduciary financial planner who specializes in federal retirement planning, and my goal is to help you go from confused and uncertain to clear and confident about your next chapter. When you're ready for one‑on‑one help, visit gtwealthguide.com to request a personalized federal retirement plan and talk through your options.

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