Clinton and emails: Wouldn't it be nice to have insider information for your investing also

Article Title: Clinton sought secret info on EU bailout plans as son-in-law's doomed hedge fund gambled on Greece
Snippet of Article: "...newly released emails from 2012 show that she and Clinton Foundation consultant, Sidney Blumenthal, shared classified information about how German leadership viewed the prospects for a Greek bailout. Clinton also shared “protected” State Department information about Greek bonds with her husband at the same time that her son-in-law aimed his hedge fund at Greece...sharing such sensitive information with friends and family would have been highly improper. Federal regulations prohibit the use of nonpublic information to further private interests or the interests of others. The mere perception of a conflict of interest is unacceptable..."

Source: www.foxnews.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, conflict of interest, [/tag]

TSP’s 418 homegrown millionaires

Article Title: TSP’s 418 homegrown millionaires
Snippet of Article: "...Over that 28-year period of steady investing, through good times and not-so-good times, 418 of those very smart, very farsighted feds now have TSP accounts worth $1 million or more...The average account balance for FERS employee investors is $116,928 vs. an average of $120,046 (as of April) for CSRS investors..."

Source: federalnewsradio.com
[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, TSP Millionaires, [/tag]

What is the maximum you can get in a buyout (VSIP)

Article Title: Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments
Snippet of Article: "...The Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment Authority, also known as buyout authority, allows agencies that are downsizing or restructuring to offer employees lump-sum payments up to $25,000 as an incentive to voluntarily separate. When authorized by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), an agency may offer VSIP to employees who are in surplus positions or have skills that are no longer needed in the workforce who volunteer to separate by resignation, optional retirement, or by voluntary early retirement, if approved. By allowing employees to volunteer to leave the Government, agencies can minimize or avoid involuntary separations through the use of costly and disruptive reductions in force (RIFs). Agencies such as the Department of Defense that have been granted agency-specific VSIP authority are not required to seek OPM approval for their use of this option..."

Source: www.opm.gov

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Federal Employee Buyout, buyouts (VSIP), VSIP, [/tag]

Why Doesn't 'Executive Order Obama' Expand Social Security Instead of a Legacy of Doing Nothing to Help?

Article Title: Sanders campaign jumps on Obama's push to expand Social Security
Snippet of Article: "...The Sanders campaign quickly jumped on the President's remarks, sending out a news report about the statement to the reporters who cover the campaign. "I applaud President Obama for making it clear that it is time to expand Social Security benefits," Sanders said in a statement. "Millions of seniors, disabled veterans and people with disabilities are falling further and further behind on $10,000 or $11,000 a year Social Security," he added..."

Source: www.stjoechannel.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Social Security Reform, V.A. Disability Pay, [/tag]

The Generations: Which Generation Are You?

Article Title: The Generations: Which Generation Are You?
Snippet of Article: "...Gen Z: Born between 1995 and 2015, Gen Y: "The Millennials" Born between 1975 and 1995, Gen X: Born between 1961 and 1981, Baby Boomers: Born between 1945 and 1964, The Silent Generation: Born between 1923 and 1944, and The Greatest Generation: Born between 1910 and 1925..."

Source: www.careerplanner.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Weak U.S. employment report dims prospect of Fed rate hike

Article Title: Weak U.S. employment report dims prospect of Fed rate hike
Snippet of Article: "...The U.S. economy created the fewest number of jobs in more than 5-1/2-years in May as manufacturing and construction employment fell sharply, suggesting slippage in the labor market that could make it harder for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates...."

Source: www.reuters.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

National Park Service investigates looting of federal battlefield

Article Title: Civil War battlefield looted, described as 'crime scene'
Snippet of Article: "...The park service says looting a federal battlefield is a crime, and violators can be fined as much as $20,000 and face two years in prison. The siege of Petersburg is known as the longest military event of the Civil War, pitting Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee..."

Source: www.cnn.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

A Union Busting Administration

Article Title: Bill to Require OPM to Report Annually on Official Time Moves Ahead
Snippet of Article: "...there is movement in Congress to learn more about how much time is used by federal employees who are paid their full salary and benefits while representing a union. A bill has now been referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union. The bill, as amended, would also require additional information on the amount of space provided for union..."

Source: www.fedsmith.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, HR 4392, [/tag]

FBI agents wounded in bid to nab reputed gang member; suspect dead in Park Forest

Article Title: FBI agents wounded in bid to nab reputed gang member; suspect dead in Park Forest
Snippet of Article: "...The deceased suspect was a reputed high-ranking member of the Black P Stone Nation street gang, according to a federal law enforcement source. FBI agents had gone to the home in the south suburb of Chicago to arrest him on charges of narcotics trafficking, part of a gang sweep involving several other ranking members of the gang..."

Source: www.chicagotribune.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

9/11 Terror: Will Obama side with Saudi friends or take stand for Americans

Article Title: Senate Passes Bill That Would Expose Saudi Arabia to Legal Jeopardy Over 9/11
Snippet of Article: "...A bill that would let the families of those killed in the Sept. 11 attacks sue Saudi Arabia for any role in the terror plot passed the Senate unanimously on Tuesday, bringing Congress closer to a showdown with the White House, which has threatened to veto the legislation..."

Source: www.nytimes.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Beware what you post: Federal employees may face government snooping on social media

Article Title: Beware what you post: Federal employees may face government snooping on social media
Snippet of Article: "...The hearing comes as the Obama administration is preparing to announce a policy that officials have hinted will open the door to more searches of social media during those background checks . The administration last month announced plans to test how the government could use such searches in those investigations, which determine eligibility to get–and keep–the security clearances that are required for many federal jobs..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

How US covered up Saudi role in 9/11

Photo: Wikipedia

Article Title: How US covered up Saudi role in 9/11
Snippet of Article: "...the kingdom’s involvement was deliberately covered up at the highest levels of our government. And the coverup goes beyond locking up 28 pages of the Saudi report in a vault in the US Capitol basement. Investigations were throttled. Co-conspirators were let off the hook..."

Source: nypost.com
[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Former FBI agent admits to stealing money seized in drug probes to buy cars and plastic surgery

Article Title: Former FBI agent admits to stealing money seized in drug probes to buy cars and plastic surgery
Snippet of Article: "...An FBI agent since 2005, Bowman was a member of an anti-gang task force that worked in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, according to his plea agreement filed in federal court..."

Source: www.latimes.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, FBI, [/tag]

Feds and Social Security: Have at least one Plan B

Article Title: Feds & Social Security: Have at least one Plan B
Snippet of Article: "...Although they were outside of the Social Security loop for decades, virtually all federal and postal workers hired since the mid-1980s now pay into and will receive Social Security when they retire. It is an important component of the FERS (Federal Employees Retirement System). Most retirees will live off their Social Security monthly benefit, their FERS annuity (which is about half of the CSRS benefit it replaced) and income from their Thrift Savings Plan..."

Source: federalnewsradio.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Feds and Social Security [/tag]

Finally, a candidate that wants to put 'America First'

Article Title: Donald Trump's foreign policy: 'America first'
Snippet of Article: "...no American citizen will ever again feel that their needs come second to the citizens of foreign countries," Trump said. He added, "My foreign policy will always put the interests of the American people and American security first." ..."

Source: www.cnn.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, 'America First' [/tag]

Feds Seize Tons of Cocaine, Marijuana in Longest Cross-Border Drug Smuggling Tunnel Ever Discovered in California

Article Title: Feds Seize Tons of Cocaine, Marijuana in Longest Cross-Border Drug Smuggling Tunnel Ever Discovered in California
Snippet of Article: "...the 13th sophisticated secret passage found along California’s border with Mexico since 2006, including three on the same short street in San Diego that runs parallel to a border fence with a densely populated residential area on the Mexican side. The unusually narrow tunnel was only about three feet wide, equipped with a rail system, lighting and ventilation..."

Source: www.theblaze.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Feds’ Long Term Care Insurance Premiums Will Rise Sharply in 2016

Article Title: Feds’ Long Term Care Insurance Premiums Will Rise Sharply in 2016
Snippet of Article: "...A new contract awarded Tuesday to John Hancock Life and Health Insurance Co. will result in larger out-of-pocket costs for Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program enrollees in the fall of 2016, as first reported by Federal News Radio. OPM is still working with John Hancock to finalize the new rates..."

Source: www.govexec.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program, [/tag]

Metro will resume rail service at 5 a.m. Thursday

Article Title: Metro will resume rail service at 5 a.m. Thursday
Snippet of Article: "...Washington’s Metro system will resume rail service at 5 a.m. Thursday after an emergency one-day shutdown that caused disruption and anxiety in the region. Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld said that inspectors had identified 26 areas where electrical cables ..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Rash of postal worker deaths at Pontiac mail facility

Article Title: Postal employee deaths at Pontiac facility raise questions
Snippet of Article: "... This site is considered a brownfield. Brownfields are former industrial or commercial sites where future use is affected by environmental contamination. Brownfield sites are converted into usable space under the supervision of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)..."

Source: www.clickondetroit.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Investigation: Oregon patriot was shot in the back three times by state officers, FBI cleared as all their shots missed Finicum

Article Title: Police Shooting of Oregon Occupier Declared Justified, but F.B.I. Faces Inquiry
Snippet of Article: "...Neither of the shots by the F.B.I. struck Mr. Finicum, investigators said. Rather, Mr. Finicum was shot and killed by three rounds fired by Oregon state officers, all of which struck him in the back, they said ..."

Source: www.nytimes.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

FERS Annuity Supplement and Calculation

Article Title: FERS Annuity Supplement and Calculation
Snippet of Article: "...The FERS annuity supplement is paid in addition to gross monthly Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) annuity benefits. It represents what you would receive for your FERS civilian service from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and is calculated as if you were eligible to receive SSA benefits on the day you retired. If you retire voluntarily on an immediate annuity which is not reduced for age, you may be eligible for the annuity supplement..."

Source: fersannuitysupplementcalculator.blogspot.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, FERS Annuity Supplement and Calculation [/tag]

Jobs report paints a rosier picture than reality

Article Title: Economists see mixed signals in latest U.S. jobs report
Snippet of Article: "...for an overall look at the labor market you need to dig deeper and see the labor force participation rate, how many people are long-term unemployed, how many are involuntarily in part-time jobs but looking for full-time jobs, how many are too discouraged to look for work and even participate in the labor market." The number of long-term unemployed (2.1 million) has not changed substantially since June, according to the BLS ..."

Source: wjla.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Jobs Reportr [/tag]

Governments, corporations and others really do have apps and tools to follow you

Article Title: Governments, corporations and others really do have apps and tools to follow you
Snippet of Article: "...let’s take a look at some of the apps and tools used on the show, all of which actually exist and which you could also use..."

Source: Android and iPhone Apps and News

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Apps [/tag]

The IRS Says Identity Thieves Hacked Its Systems Again

Article Title: The IRS Says Identity Thieves Hacked Its Systems Again
Snippet of Article: "...breach computer systems at the Internal Revenue Service to file fraudulent tax refunds. The criminals were especially after E-file PINs, which are used by some individuals to electronically file a return, the agency said in a statement released Tuesday. Around 464,000 unique social security numbers..."

Source: fortune.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Identity Theft, IRS Hack (2016), E-file PINs, Cyber Attacks, Breach of Data, [/tag]

Budget projects ‘largest relative pay cut’ for feds

Article Title: Budget projects ‘largest relative pay cut’ for feds
Snippet of Article: "...The 2017 budget, which was released on Feb. 9, estimates that any raise less than 2.1 percent would be the eighth-consecutive annual increase that came in below the Employment Cost Index, which measures the cost of labor. The result is a 9 percent gap between federal and private-sector pay..."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Employment Cost Index, [/tag]

Fight: Postal Service supervisor calls out alleged lazy co-supervisor and it goes postal

Article Title: Postal worker bosses come to blows after name-calling, cops say
Snippet of Article: "...Two U.S. Postal Service supervisors exchanged blows at a Lehigh County facility after one called the other a "lazy b..."

Source: www.lehighvalleylive.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, USPS, [/tag]

Secret Document Exposes USPS Privatization Planning

Article Title: Secret Document Exposes USPS Privatization Planning
Snippet of Article: "...The document is covered by a “protective order” that prohibits its disclosure, but the Administrative Law Judge presiding over the case has ruled that the contents can be summarized and brought out from behind the veil of secrecy. As described by the judge in his order, the document reveals that the Postal Service’s consultant ..."

Source: www.apwu.org

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Staples, USPS, NLRB, Secret Documents (USPS), [/tag]

Fed raised the Federal funds rate in December: These declines are not what the market anticipated

Article Title: Average U.S. Mortgage Interest Rates Decline for 5th Straight Week
Snippet of Article: "...These declines are not what the market anticipated when the Fed raised the Federal funds rate in December. For now, though, sub-4-percent mortgage rates are providing a longer-than-expected opportunity for mortgage borrowers to refinance..."

Source: www.boston.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Federal funds rate, [/tag]

What are other countries doing to counter overwhelming influx of illegals and refugees?

Article Title: Danish Law Requires Asylum Seekers to Hand Over Valuables
Snippet of Article: "...LONDON — Denmark passed a law on Tuesday requiring newly arrived asylum seekers to hand over valuables, including jewelry and gold, to help pay for their stay in the country. The move underscored an anti-immigration backlash that has prompted several European countries to seek ways to discourage migrants from entering...."

Source: www.nytimes.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, fighting illegal immigration, refugees (asylum seekers), [/tag]

Presidential Election Update: Donald Trump-Bernie Sanders race may be in works

Article Title: Glenn Harlan Reynolds: Donald Trump-Bernie Sanders race may be in works
Snippet of Article: "...Trump, of course, remains atop all of the polls for the GOP nomination. And now Bernie Sanders is crushing Hillary in CNN/WMUR’s latest New Hampshire poll, 60 percent to 33 percent. That’s right, Bernie has a 27-point lead among New Hampshire Democrats..."

Source: www.indystar.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, 2016 presidential race, [/tag]