FedImpact: Candid Insights for Your Federal Retirement
Chris Kowalik is a federal retirement expert and frequent speaker to federal employee groups nationwide. In her highly-acclaimed FedImpact Retirement Workshops, her workshop training team empowers federal employees to make confident decisions as they plan for the days when they no longer have to work. Chris' candid and straightforward nature allows employees to get the answers they need, and to understand the impact these decisions have on their retirement. Topics include: CSRS & FERS Pensions Survivor Benefits Special Retirement Supplement Social Security Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Federal Long Term Care Insurance (FLTCIP) Thrift Savings Plan ...and more!
Episodes
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, lays out the 8 planning principles that can help federal employees take control of their financial future
Key takeaways:
- The timing of when you’re taking action
- The decision making process (and what happens if you don’t make decisions)
- Taking ownership of your future
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, shares a behind-the-scenes look at the recent updates ProFeds has made to its website and resources for federal employees.
Key takeaways:
- We have a bigger message to share with federal employees preparing to retire,
- We embrace growth and change, so we continue to bring you helpful tools and resources,
- We want to give federal employees a first-class exper...
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, shares Super Bowl insights and what that has to do with your retirement from federal service.
Key takeaways:
- What to do when you find yourself as the “underdog”
- How to keep your head in the game and be “In it to Win it?”
- When your play calling becomes a crucial element of your game strategy
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, shares how taking these steps early can help you to retire with financial confidence.
Key takeaways:
- NUMBERS: what facts and figures need to be on your radar
- TIMELINE: what does your retirement countdown look like
- ADVANTAGES: what unique decisions are available to you to give you an unfair advantag...
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, talks about three areas where federal employees need to pay special attention to when they’re requesting and reviewing the retirement estimate from their agency:
- ACCURATE: are the numbers right?
- COMPLETE: are all the numbers and options there (even just for your federal benefits)?
- ENOUGH: is the information presented enough to make a full decision?
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, discusses how your mindset may shift on you when the TSP takes a tumble.
Key takeaways:
- Different stages of your investment journey (and how it changes your perspective on loss)
- Assessing your risk tolerance as it relates to your TSP
- How long it takes to recoup your money after a down market
- Highlights the #1 problem wit...
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, discusses how playing both offense and defense can help federal employees to retire ready.
- OFFENSE: Increasing the money you have to live the retirement you want
- DEFENSE: Protecting that money from others who want to take it from you
- BIG QUESTION: Are you playing to win, or are you playing to not lose?
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, discusses the legitimate frustrations that federal employees have felt about the TSP's recent transition to its new platform – and how feds can protect themselves despite TSP's errors.
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, reveals the 3 key professionals federal employees should have in their corner as they prepare to retire – and how to get started.
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, reveals common "rules of thumb" and why federal employees are persuaded to follow them – and what to do instead.
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, offers insights into where federal employees should not be seeking advice from – and where to go instead.
Key takeaways:
- The difference between “seeking information” and “seeking advice”
- The 5 government entities where feds should never go to for advice
- Where feds should go when seeking advice on strategy to maximize their financial situat...
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, gives the simple formula to know if federal retirees might work themselves right out of the Special Retirement Supplement if they have a job after leaving federal service.
Key takeaways:
- General overview of how the SRS program works
- The “earnings test” applied and what happens if you make too much money
- We’ll cover a few examples (and giv...
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, reveals why high COLAs actually mean less money in the pockets of federal retirees.
Key takeaways:
- How the Cost of Living Adjustments are calculated
- When COLAs are announced each year and when they go into effect
- Why high COLAs aren’t considered “good” when you know what it actually means
- The real consequences of high CO...
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, reviews FEGLI Option C coverage and what happens when you no longer have eligible family members who are covered.
Key takeaways:
- Brief overview of FEGLI Option C
- What causes eligible family members to become ineligible for coverage
- How to get this coverage fixed with your agency
- How to get a refund of erroneous premiums paid
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, covers the 3 rules that federal employees must follow to be allowed to keep their health benefits (FEHB) in retirement.
Key takeaways:
- Focuses solely on how YOU (the fed) can keep FEHB in retirement
- A breakdown of the 3 rules you must meet to be eligible
- How feds married to other feds can switch up their plans
- How feds who have time under TRICARE can use that time to meet FEHB’s “5-year” rule ...
ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, reveals the rules of the early withdrawal penalty (and how to avoid it) when taking money out of the TSP prior to age 59 1/2.
Key takeaways:
- What the rules are for when you may take money from TSP
- What triggers a penalty for some federal employees taking funds prior to age 59 1/2
- How to avoid the penalty based on when or how you take money
- The bigger impact a penalty like this has on your TSP ac...
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