Life insurance can do more than provide a benefit after you’re gone. Depending on the policy, living benefits may allow you to access part of your death benefit while you’re alive following a qualifying illness or injury. In this episode of Rayna Retirement, Rayna Reyes explores the difference between FEGLI’s living benefit provision and the benefits available through some individual life insurance policies. She discusses terminal, chronic and critical illness benefits, how eligibility and underwriting work, and why understanding the conditions for a claim matters. Rayna also shares her family’s experience using a living benefit after her husband’s cancer diagnosis—and how that payment gave them additional financial flexibility during treatment. For federal and postal employees approaching retirement, this conversation offers another way to think about protecting your savings and preparing for unexpected healthcare needs. -- Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500 Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857 Visit: AmericanFederal.org -- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning. Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.
The fall season is upon us, and among the normal fall cleanup of a financial portfolio is an equally important but often overlooked part of retirement planning: building and maintaining an emergency fund in retirement. This month's vignette discusses how an emergency fund can help cover unexpected expenses without forcing someone to sell investments at an unfavorable time, and why having a clear cash-reserve strategy can provide both financial flexibility and peace of mind. -- Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500 Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857 Visit: AmericanFederal.org -- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning. Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.
Should you use accumulated sick leave before retiring? Contribute a percentage or a fixed dollar amount to the TSP? Keep family coverage after your children are no longer eligible? In this episode, Rayna Reyes plays a federal-benefits game of “yes or no” to help federal and postal employees identify some of the decisions they may need to revisit. Rayna covers sick leave, TSP contributions and fund choices, health and life insurance, dental coverage and the importance of involving your spouse in retirement planning. These choices can affect your paycheck, retirement income, survivor benefits and insurance coverage—so understanding what you have today is an important step toward planning for tomorrow. -- Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500 Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857 Visit: AmericanFederal.org -- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning. Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.
Losing someone you love is difficult enough without having to navigate unfamiliar forms, agencies and financial decisions at the same time. In this episode, Rayna Reyes explains the important steps families of federal employees and retirees may need to take after a death—including filing a FEGLI claim, notifying the appropriate federal office, applying for survivor benefits and contacting the Thrift Savings Plan. Rayna also discusses inherited TSP tax considerations, the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator and why families should organize passwords, policies and other essential information before a crisis occurs. The goal isn’t simply to have the right documents—it’s to give the people you love confidence that they understand your wishes and know what to do when the time comes. -- Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500 Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857 Visit: AmericanFederal.org -- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning. Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.
You may be ready to leave your federal or postal career—but that does not necessarily mean you are ready to begin receiving your pension. Depending on your age and years of service, you may need to choose between a deferred or postponed retirement. In this episode of Rayna Retirement, Rayna Reyes explains the difference between these frequently confused options. She discusses minimum retirement age, the permanent reduction that can apply under MRA+10, when an unreduced pension may become available and what leaving federal service could mean for benefits such as FEHB, FEGLI and the FERS Special Retirement Supplement. Rayna also identifies one decision that can jeopardize your future pension: withdrawing your retirement contributions after leaving federal service. Before turning in your notice, make sure you understand which benefits you are preserving—and which ones you could permanently lose. -- Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500 Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857 Visit: AmericanFederal.org -- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning. Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.