Whenever I read an article by you it makes me smile.   I took at least 3 classes that you taught at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation while employed there from 1995-2012.   Prior to that I attended a class at OPM that you taught.  I retired with 35 years of Federal service under CSRS.

The information I gained has served me well by helping me make decisions.   My wife of 44 years and I have always lived a modest lifestyle and my annuity by itself has allowed us to travel and be debt free.  

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One of those lessons was the beginning of the TSP for me in 1990-1991.   I asked my wife if we could join the TSP and place $20 a pay period into the then G fund .   She said “no”.  I received a step increase, and enrolled into the TSP and had the $20 deducted.   She never knew because the step increase hid the $20.   From that point forward, every time I received a promotion, step increase or a January pay raise, I increased my TSP contribution without her knowledge eventually hitting $22,000 a year.  PBGC needed me to work more than 40 hours a week and I earned lots of overtime/straight pay.   I would always get the mail out of the mailbox and she never saw any of the statements until I was on travel and she spotted a statement when she got the mail.

When I came home, she asked me about the TSP.   I told her to open the statement.   She gasped and said where did this come from?    I told her about that $20.   Today I am 70, have close to $500,000 in the TSP fund.  Now my problem is to figure out what to do with it.   I have 3 years to do that.

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Another decision was Long Term insurance offered by the Feds that you addressed at a seminar.   At that time it was offered by John Hancock and Met Life.   WAEPA was also offering it and we opted for WAEPA’s coverage because they gave us a discount for insuring both of us.   We still have it and know its there in case we need it.   Because I worked at PBGC, I would take some classes over again every 4-5 years to ensure I was on track for retirement.

 

We have one son who works for a Federal court in DC for the past 12 years.   With my prodding, he has already accumulated over $200,000 in his TSP all because of what you taught me.  

 

Our son and his wife had been waiting for over 3 years to adopt.  In mid January 2023, the call came and they brought home a newborn from Ohio.   Three weeks ago they were offered final custody by the Ohio courts during a Zoom conference call.   My wife and I gave them a MD 529 plan for our grand daughter to attend college where we would fund it for the next 18 years.  

 

You also helped me during my last year I worked as I accumulated hundreds of hours of “comp time” and PBGC’s HR refused to pay me at retirement.   You contacted HR and set them straight. Four weeks after I retired I received a check for over $50,000 (after taxes) for all of my accumulated leave and comp time. 

 

I just wanted you to know your knowledge and help over 3 decades made an impact for me and my family.  Wish you the best as you continue to share.