The FED Weekly

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 Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, with practical guidance for retirees navigating retroactive payments and survivor benefits. The discussion explored OPM’s new regulations centralizing workforce discipline and appeals, stripping jurisdiction from the independent Merit Systems Protection Board and raising civil service due process concerns. Several points were raised, including controversial leave policy suspensions at the IRS and SSA, union pushback, ongoing litigation over the VA’s collective bargaining agreement, and a Senate bill proposing IRS reforms with bipartisan support. The episode concluded by emphasizing the need for federal employees and retirees to stay informed amidst ongoing legislative and regulatory changes.