Why you need a strategy when it’s time to claim Social Security benefits

Social Security taxes start automatically the day you start working. But when the time comes you have got to file an application to get your benefits. When to file? Well, it’s not that simple. You need a “strategy.” To look at some of those important considerations,  the Federal Drive with Tom Temin  talked with federal retirement expert Tammy Flanagan. Interview Transcript:  Tammy Flanagan Tom. I’m glad to be back. And this is a very important topic. A lot of people ask about claiming, and a lot of people have opinions.…

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Senate bill would require feds to increase the amount of time they spend in the office

A pair of senators is looking to get feds back to the office even more. If enacted, the Back to Work Act would require federal employees to spend 60% of their work hours in the office. It would mean a slight increase from the current in-person policy at many agencies, right now at about 50% in-the-office. Lawmakers say the bill is a way to address federal office space concerns, while still allowing for *some telework flexibility. Under the legislation, agencies would also have to monitor teleworking employees. They’d also have…

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ICYMI: USA Today: “No Labels tells me they don’t want to be a 2024 election spoiler. It’s time to prove it.”

Rahna Epting: “They’re inconsistent. They’re unclear. The math doesn’t add up.”  READ THE STORY HERE Washington, D.C. – A new piece from USA Today highlights No Labels’ third-party campaign, supported by dark money and a secret nomination process that is nearly universally believed to be a spoiler effort to reelect Trump.  “They are contradicting themselves regularly,” MoveOn Political Action Executive Director Rahna Epting says in the story. “They’re inconsistent. They’re unclear. The math doesn’t add up. The facts don’t add up to what they say they intend to do. And…

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Why some CIOs say it’s time to rethink governmentwide cyber metrics

One of the biggest complaints about the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act scorecard is how it measures cybersecurity progress. The challenge is there are too many cyber metrics so a “C” grade on the scorecard doesn’t necessarily translate into progress made against other governmentwide metrics say under the President’s Management Agenda. Andre Mendes, the chief information officer at the Department of Commerce, was one of several technology leaders who explained to Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and the Government Accountability Office why they believe a re-calibration of cyber metrics is important…

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DoD’s budget challenges will take years to fix, but reform commission says now’s the time to start

The expert panel Congress assembled to find fixes to the Pentagon’s archaic planning and budgeting process won’t deliver its final prescription for reform until next spring. But its members say there are at least some steps the Defense Department and Congress should start taking right now, particularly in light of the fact that fixing what’s wrong is certain to be a years-long effort. The Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) Reform published an interim report this week, previewing 10 of the possible recommendations it might make in its…

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