Articles on Stock markets
News, Research and Analysis
What is the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS)?
The FERS includes the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and other benefits available to employees of the federal government.
The eligible features of FERS may be different for the employees of different branches and agencies of the government. Civilian and military personnel are included in FERS.
FERS is essentially comprised of the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), which is a 401(k)-type plan for federal employees, and, in most cases, a Federal employee retirement annuity. The Thrift Savings plan has lower fees than most 401(k)s and offers several kinds of index funds to employees.
It has an employer matching contribution of a full 3% and 50% up to 5% (for a total of 4%) as well as an automatic employer contribution of 1% which brings the total possible employer contribution to 5%.
Most federal employees are eligible for the annuity, which is essentially a pension, based on a formula which looks at the highest consecutive 3 years of pay and the number of years of service.
Federal employees are eligible to start receiving benefits at their Minimum Retirement Age, generally, which can be between age 55 and 57. There is also another supplementary payment available to them until they reach age 62, at which point they can start drawing their Social Security benefits.
The annuity automatically adjusts to be a joint-life annuity if the employee is married, unless the spouse signs a form to opt-out.
How Does a 401(k) Compare With Other Retirement Plans?
How Does My Retirement Age Impact My Social Security Benefits?
What is Maturity?
Maturity is the amount of time an investment exists - once the security matures, it is paid off to the investor and concludes the transaction.
What is a penny stock?
A penny Stock is a term for equity shares valued below $5, many of which are not registered with the SEC and trade OTC
What does net long mean?
Net long means to own more long positions than short positions. Being long means to own a security or derivative
What is Economies of Scale?
Economies of Scale is a concept that the efficiency of production rises as the quantity of goods produced increases
Can I Start Collecting My Social Security Benefits If I’m Still Working?
If you start to take benefits while working and before the normal retirement age, your benefit will be reduced
Can I Take a Periodic Distribution from my Pension Plan?
Regular pension payments are periodic distributions. This will be the default option on pension arrangements, unless companies are trying to settle
What is Homeowners Insurance?
Homeowners insurance covers a variety of risks to a homeowner, including damage to the property and the belongings...
Bitcoin’s Source Code, Pt 1: What Does Open-Source Mean?
Many examples of open-source software exist today, including the code for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
Should I Rely on Analyst Upgrades or Downgrades of the Positions in my Investment Portfolio?
Upgrades and downgrades can be useful but they may not be the most current form of trading information
How Can I Establish a SIMPLE IRA?
A SIMPLE IRA must be established by an employer with fewer than 100 employees