Surviving the Summer Market Swing: Why July’s TSP Dip Demands Active Wealth Protection
TSP funds cooled across the board in July after a strong first half. What a mid-year dip means if you are drawing down within the next three years.
Market Trends
48 posts on market trends, newest first.
The Elimination of the Objective Appeal: OPM Takes Control of Suitability Adjudication
OPM has finalized a rule taking control of suitability adjudication, narrowing the appeal routes career federal employees have relied on. What changes
The Approaching Fiscal Cliff: Navigating Congressional Gridlock and Budget Uncertainty
Congress is running short of time to fund the government before the fiscal year ends. What federal employees should have in place before any shutdown.
The Erosion of the FEVS: What OPM’s Proposed Survey Changes Mean for Your Career
OPM has proposed changes to the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey after canceling it in 2025. What the loss of that data means for agency accountabili
Maximizing the Momentum: TSP Stock Funds Surge in the First Half of the Year
TSP stock funds posted strong gains through the first half of the year. Why a run like this is the moment to check your allocation, not to leave it al
Safeguarding Medical Privacy: Navigating OPM’s FEHB and PSHB Data Collection Plan
OPM's plan to collect FEHB and PSHB claims data has raised privacy alarms across the civil service. What is being gathered and what protections apply.
The Toll of Turbulence: Addressing the Decline in Federal Employee Engagement
Federal employee engagement is falling after years of reorganization, freezes and downsizing. What the decline signals, and what it means for your pla
Navigating the Shift: What Changing OPM Layoff Rules Mean for Your Federal Career and Benefits
OPM's proposed rule rewrites how federal layoffs are decided. What changes for retention standing, appeal rights and the benefits you would keep.
The AI Era in the Federal Workforce: Embracing Education to Future-Proof Your Career
AI is changing federal roles faster than agencies can retrain. Why education and a clear retirement plan are the two hedges available to you now.
The Escalating Challenge of Federal Tax Delinquency: Safeguarding Your Career and Clearances
A May 2026 TIGTA audit found rising tax delinquency among federal employees. How unpaid tax affects security clearances, suitability and your career.
The OPM Power Grab: How Proposed RIF Rules Threaten Federal Careers and Appeal Rights
OPM's proposed RIF rule would narrow the appeal rights federal employees have when a job is cut. What unions object to and what is genuinely at stake.
Navigating Market Volatility: Strategic Responses to the March TSP Balance Drop
TSP balances fell through March after a long run of growth. How to respond to a pullback without doing the one thing that locks the loss in permanentl
The Performance Appraisal Exemption: Navigating the New Precedent for Federal Civil Servants
OPM has exempted Schedule C and G political appointees from standard performance appraisals. Why career civil servants should watch the precedent clos
The Hidden Precedent: What the Schedule C and G Performance Exemptions Mean for Career Civil Servants
A growing divide separates how political appointees and career civil servants are evaluated and removed. What the performance exemptions really establ
Navigating the 2027 Federal Pay Freeze: What the Latest Budget Proposal Means for Your Career
The FY2027 budget proposal confirms no pay raise for federal civilian employees. What a freeze does to your high-3, and how to plan around it.
Navigating the Shift: Understanding the Q1 Drop in TSP Millionaires
The TSP millionaire count fell in the first quarter of 2026. What the drop shows about market volatility and why the number is a poor target to chase.
Navigating the 2026 TSP Market Shift: Understanding the March Plunge and April Rally
The TSP fell sharply in March and rallied in April. What a quarter like that should and should not change about your allocation and your timeline.
Navigating the TSP Rollercoaster: From the March Plunge to the April Rally
From a March plunge to an April rally, the TSP has tested federal investors' nerve. Why reacting to a single quarter is the most expensive habit there
Navigating Administrative Defiance: The VA Union Contract Stand-Off and Your Federal Benefits
The VA is at the center of one of the sharpest federal labor disputes in years. What the contract stand-off means for benefits and workplace support.
The Evolving Landscape of Civil Service Protections: Understanding the New MSPB Ruling
An MSPB ruling on the removal of two immigration judges sets a precedent. How it could reshape appeal rights across the federal civil service.
Navigating the Historic Shift in Federal Employee Engagement and Workplace Morale
With the 2025 FEVS paused, an independent assessment measured federal morale instead. What it found, and what a workforce under strain means for you.
Federal Reorganizations and Your Career: Lessons from the USAGM Reinstatement
A federal court ordered USAGM employees reinstated after a reorganization. The lesson for any civil servant told a downsizing decision is already fina
Taking Back Control: Navigating the Historic Drop in Federal Employee Engagement
Federal employee engagement has fallen to a historic low after the 2025 FEVS was canceled. What you can still control while the workplace is in flux.
Taking Control of Your Federal Benefits Amidst the Ongoing VA Labor Dispute
The VA labor dispute is affecting day-to-day support for staff. How to take control of your own federal benefits while the standoff plays out.
Navigating the Erosion of Due Process: How OPM’s Proposed Appeals Takeover Impacts Federal Careers
Under proposed rules, OPM would decide RIF appeals itself rather than the MSPB. Why that consolidation worries federal employees and what it changes.
Securing Your Future Amidst Labor Volatility: The Reinstatement of the VA Union Contract
After a court ordered the VA to restore its union contract, federal labor law looks less settled. How to plan your benefits through the volatility.
The True Timeline for OPM to Process Your Retirement and Pay Your Pension
Retirement is a waiting game before it is a finish line. How long OPM actually takes to process a claim, and what you are paid while it does.
Funding Secured for Most, But DHS Left on the Brink After Weekend Lapse
A $1.2 trillion spending package ended the shutdown threat for most agencies, but not for DHS. What the weekend lapse means if you work there.
I Fund Dominance Continues: TSP Kicks Off 2026 with Global Gains
Every TSP fund posted gains in January 2026, led again by international markets. What a sustained I Fund run means for the way your money is allocated
TSP Hits $1.07 Trillion Record: Is Your Portfolio “Accidentally” Aggressive?
The TSP closed 2025 at a record $1.07 trillion. Why a bull market may have left your allocation more aggressive than you ever intended it to be.
VA Reorganization: “Efficiency” Moves Signal Career Instability for Healthcare Staff
The VHA, the largest integrated health system in the country, is being reorganized. What efficiency moves mean for the stability of clinical careers.
OPM’s Tech Push vs. The Retirement Reality: Why Modernization Matters to Your Wallet
OPM has promised to modernize the retirement system in 2026. What the gap between the technology push and the current backlog costs you in real money.
The 1% Reality: 2026 Pay Raise Falls Short of Inflation
A 1 percent raise for 2026 does not keep pace with inflation. What a real-terms pay cut compounds into over a career, and what it does to your high-3.
The New Management Agenda: Shrinking Government, Raising the Bar
The President's Management Agenda sets out a smaller government held to a higher bar. What the blueprint signals for federal careers in the years ahea
House Overrides Executive Order on Unions: A Temporary Win in a High-Stakes Battle
The House voted 231-195 to override executive orders stripping federal collective bargaining rights. Why the win is real but very likely temporary.
OPM Targets “Grade Inflation”: The End of the “Outstanding” Era?
OPM has previewed a forced ratings distribution across the federal workforce. What the end of the routine Outstanding rating would mean for your caree
TSP Net Outflows Signal a Critical Shift in Federal Retirement Planning
For the first time in recent memory, more money is leaving the TSP than going in. What negative cash flow says about the federal workforce right now.
OPM Orders Immediate Action on Stalled Retirement Applications
OPM has directed agencies to process the retirement applications that piled up during the shutdown. What the directive means if yours is still sitting
Your 2026 Retirement Savings Goals Just Got Bigger
The IRS has raised 2026 retirement contribution limits, including for the TSP. What the extra room is worth, and who should actually use all of it.
The Hidden Threat to Federal Retirements: Why FERS COLAs Are Falling Behind
A Congressional Research Service report confirms FERS retirees receive a reduced COLA. What the diet COLA costs across a twenty-year retirement.
TSP Account Balances Coming of Age.
TSP millionaires grew from 49,620 to 75,420 in a single year. What is behind the numbers, and why the milestone is less exclusive than it looks.
Brexit Delay | Continued Uncertainty for the I Fund
Two-thirds of the I Fund sat in UK and European markets during the Brexit delay. What concentrated regional exposure means for a TSP allocation.
TSP Remains Choppy with Mixed Economic Data
S Fund companies are more sensitive to economic data than their C Fund counterparts. Why choppy conditions hit the two funds quite differently.
A Lot Happened Under the Surface of the TSP Last Week
A flat weekly chart hid one of the most active weeks in markets in years. What happened beneath the surface, and why it matters to TSP investors.
SEP is Historically a Volatile Month for the TSP
September has a long record of volatility for TSP investors. Why having a plan and holding to it beats reacting to a single month of headlines.
Big Changes Are Coming to the TSP
A round of upgrades and new options changed how federal employees use the TSP. What arrived, and which changes actually affect your withdrawals.
The Risk for a Recession is Rising | But the Future is Never Certain
Trade tensions and tariffs raised recession risk while the C Fund sat near highs. How to think about your TSP allocation when the outlook is unclear.
TSP Choices | Monthly Payments / a Life Annuity
Monthly payments or a TSP life annuity? The two withdrawal routes differ on flexibility, survivor provision and whether the choice can be undone.