The FED Weekly

18:10

(Ep 70) The FED Weekly 27 Sep - 3 Oct 2026

The FED Weekly ·

2026/10/04

The conversation focused on major developments affecting federal employees and retirees during the week of September 27 to October 3, 2026. A key theme that emerged was the significant rise in 2027 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) premiums, averaging a 10.9% increase for enrollees, with the third consecutive year of double-digit hikes. The discussion explored factors contributing to these increases, such as higher healthcare and prescription drug costs, and highlighted the

en

19:18

(Ep 69) The FED Weekly 20-26 Sep 2026

The FED Weekly ·

2026/09/27

The conversation focused on major developments affecting federal employees and retirees for the week of September 20-26, 2026. A key theme that emerged was the debate over the proposed 2027 federal pay freeze, with a bipartisan congressional group urging leaders to match law enforcement’s 3.8% raise for all civilian employees and referencing broader recruitment and retention challenges. The discussion explored a major workforce lawsuit settlement, requiring the administration to retract

en

18:10

(Ep 68) The FED Weekly 13-19 Sep 2026

The FED Weekly ·

2026/09/20

The conversation focused on critical developments impacting federal employees and retirees during the week of September 13-19, 2026. One concept discussed was OPM’s request for information on optimizing FEHB and Postal Service Health Benefits plan offerings, asking whether more, fewer, or different plan options would better balance choice, cost, and simplicity. The discussion explored a GAO report revealing agencies spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave in 2025, largely due to the

en

16:34

(Ep 67) The FED Weekly 6-12 Sep 2026

The FED Weekly ·

2026/09/13

The conversation focused on key federal workforce developments for the week of September 6–12, 2026. A key theme that emerged was the Office of Personnel Management’s shift toward long-term structural changes, including a new performance management system, decentralized employee surveys, centralized recruiting, and efforts to modernize federal HR technology. The discussion explored the impact of August inflation data, which points to an estimated 3.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for

en

17:19

(Ep 66) The FED Weekly 30 Aug - 5 Sep 2026

The FED Weekly ·

2026/09/06

The conversation focused on major developments affecting federal employees and retirees during the week of August 30th to September 5th, 2026. A key theme was the passage of H.R. 6500, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act 2027, signed on September 2nd, which funds federal agencies through December 11th and avoids an October government shutdown. The discussion covered updated federal workforce numbers from OPM, highlighting ongoing reductions from the Deferred Resignation Program

en

18:08

(Ep 65) The FED Weekly 23-29 Aug 2026

The FED Weekly ·

2026/08/31

The conversation focused on key federal workforce and retirement updates from August 23-29, 2026. One concept discussed was the impact of deferred resignation programs, revealing that most departing employees under these initiatives were not replaced, and replacements often came in at lower average grades. A key theme was the proposed 2027 civilian federal pay freeze, except for a 3.8% raise for certain law enforcement roles. The discussion explored new OPM rules on performance ratings and

en

21:46

(EP 64) The FED Weekly 16-22 Aug 2026

The FED Weekly ·

2026/08/23

The conversation focused on key updates affecting federal employees and retirees during the week of August 16-22, 2026. One concept discussed was the upcoming requirement for comprehensive verification when adding family members to federal health benefits during the 2027 Open Season, making documentation essential. A key theme was legislative efforts to close a retirement benefit gap for certain Customs and Border Protection officers, with H.R. 8844 potentially increasing benefits for

en

13:52

The FED Weekly 9-15 Aug 2026 (Episode 63)

The FED Weekly ·

2026/08/16

The conversation focused on the latest legislative updates affecting federal employees and retirees for the week of August 9-15, 2026. Key topics included proposed lifetime identity theft protection for victims of the 2015 OPM data breach, with pending legislation aiming to extend coverage and insurance beyond the current September 2026 expiration. The discussion covered the release of July’s inflation data, the first data point in calculating the 2027 federal retiree COLA, with September

en

22:37

The FED Weekly 2-8 Aug 2026 (Episode 62)

The FED Weekly ·

2026/08/09

The conversation focused on the latest federal policy and legislative developments from August 2-8, 2026, impacting both active and retired federal employees. A key theme was the Senate’s advancement of a bipartisan stopgap spending measure to avert a government shutdown, with important provisions to prevent politicization of federal grants and maintain agency operations through December 11, 2026. The discussion explored advocacy campaigns for the Saving the Civil Service Act, aimed at

en

18:11

The FED Weekly 26 Jul - 1 Aug 2026 (Episode 61)

The FED Weekly ·

2026/08/02

The conversation focused on major news impacting federal employees and retirees for the week of July 26 to August 1, 2026. One concept discussed was the importance of long-term investing in the Thrift Savings Plan, highlighting data showing that consistent contributions lead to significantly higher retirement account balances over multi-decade careers. A key theme that emerged was the impact of recent legislation and policy changes, such as the Social Security Fairness Act repealing the

en

19:11

The FED Weekly 19-25 Jul 2026 (Episode 60)

The FED Weekly ·

2026/07/26

The conversation focused on key legislative and regulatory updates affecting federal employees and retirees for the week of July 19–25, 2026. Major developments included the unanimous House passage of H.R. 8823, which strengthens anti-fraud provisions in the Federal Employees Compensation Act, and new bipartisan efforts to improve indoor air quality in federal buildings in response to environmental concerns. A key theme that emerged was benefit adjustments for retired personnel, notably the

en

17:05

The FED Weekly 12-18 Jul 2026 (Episode 59)

The FED Weekly ·

2026/07/19

The conversation focused on the latest developments affecting federal employees and retirees during the week of July 12-18, 2026. A key theme that emerged was the introduction of the bipartisan PROMISE Act, designed to force Congress to address long-term Social Security solvency, with the 2026 Trustees Report forecasting potential benefit cuts by late 2032 if lawmakers fail to act. Several points were raised, including rising cost-of-living adjustments, changes to federal healthcare

en

20:14

The FED Weekly 5-11 Jul 2026 (Episode 58)

The FED Weekly ·

2026/07/12

The conversation focused on major changes affecting federal employees and retirees for the week of July 5–11, 2026. One concept discussed was the Office of Personnel Management’s shift to digital-only retirement processing, which has resulted in faster claim handling but requires meticulous form completion and a six-month cash reserve. A key theme that emerged was cost pressures, with significant FEHB premium increases and debates over OPM’s proposed access to medical records. The

en

20:13

The FED Weekly 28 Jun - 4 Jul 2026 (Episode 57)

The FED Weekly ·

2026/07/05

We recap key developments for federal employees and retirees for the week of June 28 to July 4, 2026. Major regulatory changes include a new OPM rule implementing stricter verification for family member eligibility in health benefits, projected to save millions by curbing improper payments. President Trump signed an executive order mandating the shift to post-quantum cryptography for federal systems, protecting sensitive personnel and retirement data. The Supreme Court reshaped independent

en

15:41

The FED Weekly 21-27 Jun 2026 (Episode 56)

The FED Weekly ·

2026/06/28

The conversation focused on key federal workforce developments for the week of June 21–27, 2026. One concept discussed was the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) expanded health data collection, which raised significant privacy concerns from lawmakers and advocacy groups due to potential HIPAA risks and OPM’s history of data breaches. The discussion explored major legislative news, including the postponement of the “Take Care of America’s Veterans” Act, largely due to controversy over

en

20:29

The FED Weekly 14-20 Jun 2026 (Episode 55)

The FED Weekly ·

2026/06/21

Major updates include strict new eligibility verification requirements for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, set to begin July 1, and a looming audit to remove ineligible dependents. Rising health insurance premiums are straining both active and retired employees, with many survivors now facing “negative net annuities,” in which pension payments don’t cover health insurance premiums. Ongoing processing delays at the Office of Personnel Management continue to impact retirees

en

25:51

The FED Weekly 7-13 Jun 2026 (Episode 54)

The FED Weekly ·

2026/06/14

The conversation focused on key updates affecting federal employees and retirees during the week of June 7–13, 2026. One concept discussed was the accelerated depletion date for the Social Security Trust Fund, now projected for 2032, which could trigger 22–28% benefit cuts if Congress fails to act. A key theme that emerged was the implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act, which fully repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, substantially

en

28:09

The FED Weekly 31 May - 6 Jun 2026 (Episode 53)

The FED Weekly ·

2026/06/07

This episode of The FED Weekly covers major developments impacting federal employees and retirees for the week of February 8-14, 2026. Key topics include the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security after Congress failed to pass a funding bill, which left essential staff unpaid and sparked a major union lawsuit. The episode also reports on the end of a ban on federal workforce reductions, a proposed overhaul of the reduction-in-force appeals process, and new guidance for

en

23:49

The FED Weekly 24-30 May 2026 (Episode 52)

The FED Weekly ·

2026/05/31

This episode of The FED Weekly delivers comprehensive updates for federal employees and retirees for the week of May 24-30, 2026. We report exceptional growth in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), led by the International I Fund, but caution that retirees may not see the expected tax reductions. A major Supreme Court decision in Margollin v. National Association of Immigration Judges restricts federal workers' ability to bypass administrative appeals processes, even as the Merit Systems

en

32:08

The FED Weekly 17-23 May 2026 (Episode 51)

The FED Weekly ·

2026/05/24

The conversation focused on key legislative, regulatory, and operational developments affecting federal employees and retirees for the week of May 17–23, 2026. Several points were raised, including congressional efforts to address tax burdens associated with retroactive lump-sum payments and proposals to reform Social Security taxation. The discussion explored ongoing debates about pension taxation, cost-of-living adjustments, and complex rules governing Thrift Savings Plan contributions. A

en

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

While We Still Can

Tina Langland and Lisa Rollison

I - On Defense Podcast

I - On Defense

Ones Ready

Aaron Love, Trent Seegmiller, and Jared...

Command and Control

Peter Roberts

The Access:VFX Podcast

ACCESS:VFX