August - National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association

Transcription

For Active and Retired Federal Employees
RETIREMENT LIFE
AUGUST 2010, Volume 86, Number 8
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
10
Senate Rejects Extending FEHBP Coverage
Early to Dependent Children Up to Age 26
12
14
Fed Pay Freeze Attempts Defeated
16
Bogus E-Mail Circulating on Taxing Value of
Health Insurance
18
20
NSPS Transition Ahead of Schedule
CARE Coalition Considers Treatment of WEP and
GPO by Fiscal Commission
Civics 101: August Is “Meet Your Candidates
Month”
COVER STORY
24
Hello,World! There are many benefits to
learning a second language. Here’s what some
bilingual NARFE members have to say.
DEPARTMENTS
34
46
50
51
54
Questions & Answers
NARFE News
Out & About
Letters
For the Record: COLA Chart,TSP Investments
visit us online at www.narfe.org
Languages, left to right: Greek,
Turkish, French,Welsh, German,
Czech, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese
and Italian.
Cover design by Jim Richards
COLUMNS
6 Message From the
National President
28 Managing Money
30 Live Well
32 Civil Service
Retirement Coach
42 Report From the
Regions
SPECIAL SECTION
44 National Convention
NARFE Resources
NARFE-PAC Coupon . . . . . . . .18
Silver Circle Coupon . . . . . . . . .48
MembershipApplication . . . . . .49
Alzheimer’s Coupon . . . . . . . . .50
NARFE Member Perks . . . . . . .52
NATIONAL OFFICERS
MARGARET L. BAPTISTE, President
[email protected]
Editor
Margaret M. Carter
Assistant Editor
Donna J. St. John
Graphic Designer
Beth Bedard
Contributing Designers
Charlene Gridley
Jim Richards
Editorial Board:
Margaret L. Baptiste
Joseph A. Beaudoin
Nathaniel L. Brown
Richard C. Ostergren
Editorial Office
NARFE, Attn: NARFE magazine
606 North Washington St.
Alexandria, VA 22314-1914
Phone: 703-838-7760
Fax: 703-838-7781
E-mail: [email protected]
Advertising Sales
Warren Berger
Media People Inc.
122 East 42nd Street, Suite 725
New York, NY 10168
212-779-7172, ext. 223
National Headquarters
NARFE Telephones Open
8 a.m.-4:45 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday
Telephone: 703-838-7760
Fax: 703-838-7785
Toll-free phone numbers (specific use only)
Member Records: 800-456-8410
Recruitment & Retention: 800-627-3394
Legislative Hotline: 877-217-8234
Web site: www.narfe.org
The Association, since July 1970, has been
classified by the IRS as a tax exempt labor organization [not a union]; however, dues and
gifts or contributions to the Association are
not deductible as charitable contributions for
income tax purposes.
NARFE for the Visually Impaired
On the Telephone: This publication can be
heard on the telephone by persons who have
trouble seeing or reading the print edition.
For more information, contact the National
Federation of the Blind NFB-NEWSLINE®
service at 866-504-7300 or go to www.nfb
newsline.org.
On Tape: Issues of NARFE magazine are also
available on cassette through the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped. To find out about availability
in your area, call 800-424-8567 and ask for
the Reference Section.
4
JOSEPH A. BEAUDOIN, Vice President
[email protected]
NATHANIEL L. BROWN, Secretary
[email protected]
RICHARD C. OSTERGREN, Treasurer
[email protected]
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS
REGION I Augie Stratoti
(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and
Vermont)
16 Birch Hill Drive
Nashua, NH 03063-2537
Tel: 603-889-1073
Fax: 603-882-8144
REGION II Charles W. Saylor
(Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland,
New Jersey and Pennsylvania)
205 E. Joppa Road, Apt. 1509
Towson, MD 21286-3225
Tel: 410-938-8783
REGION III Robert S. Harrell
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi,
Puerto Rico, South Carolina and Virgin
Islands)
25112 Kingston Drive
Athens, AL 35613-7382
Tel, Fax: 256-232-2013
REGION IV Paul E. Johnson
(Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and
Wisconsin)
P.O. Box 234, 7183 Main St.
Wadesville, IN 47638-0234
Tel: 812-306-5137
Fax: 812-673-4989
REGION V Richard G. Thissen
(Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota)
P. O. Box 485
Lake Ozark, MO 65049-0485
Tel: 573-365-5679
Fax: 573-964-5074
REGION VI Jerry D. Hatfield
(Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma,
Republic of Panama and Texas)
231 Inwood Road
Texarkana, TX 75501-9082
Tel, Fax: 903-832-1120
REGION VII Martha E. Leiker
(Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and
Wyoming)
945 W. 96th Ave.
Denver, CO 80260-5489
Tel: 303-430-4794
Fax: 720-540-3007
REGION VIII Helen L. Zajac
(California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada
and Republic of Philippines)
106 Cottonwood Drive
Vallejo, CA 94591-5659
Tel: 707-644-7565
Fax: 707-644-5019
REGION IX Lanny G. Ross
(Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and
Washington)
7450 Illahee Road, NE
Bremerton, WA 98311-9431
Tel: 360-692-9741
Fax: 360-662-0384
REGION X Paul H. Carew
(Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee,
Virginia and West Virginia)
637 Fearrington Post
Pittsboro, NC 27312-8507
Tel: 919-545-0297
Fax: 919-545-0227
Volume 86, Number 8. NARFE (ISSN 1948-4453) is published monthly by the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria,VA 22314. Periodicals postage paid at
Alexandria,VA, and additional mailing offices. Members: Annual dues includes subscription. Non-member subscription rate $33.Postmaster:Send address change to: NARFE Attn:Member Records,NARFE 606 N.Washington
St.,Alexandria,VA 22314.To ensure prompt delivery, members should also forward changes of address without
delay. Because of the volume involved, NARFE cannot acknowledge nor be responsible for unsolicited pictures
and manuscripts,although every reasonable precaution is taken.All submissions become the property of NARFE.
Contents of this magazine are copyrighted © 2010. Advertisements in the magazine are not endorsements of
products and/or services by NARFE, unless officially stated in the ad. We shall accept advertising on the same
basis as other reputable publications: that is, we shall not knowingly permit a dishonest advertisement to appear in NARFE, but at the same time we will not undertake to guarantee the reliability of our advertisers.
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
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A Message From the National President
Giving Back to NARFE
W
hile I will still have columns in the
September and October issues of the
magazine, this one will be my last before a new National President is elected at the National Convention in Grand Rapids, MI. I’d like
to spend most of this column talking about the
upcoming Convention and about Grand Rapids.
As this issue of NARFE magazine reaches you, I
still want to urge you to make plans to join us in
Grand Rapids from August 29-September 2.
You’ve probably heard or read this before,
but it bears repeating: This could very easily be
one of the most important National Conventions in NARFE history. To be honest, we find
ourselves in unfamiliar waters. For years, your
National Officers have reported that our
beloved Association was in great shape, even
though the decline in membership was a concern. Now, that concern has grown to a fear – a
fear that, unless some changes are made,
NARFE will not be able to serve our members as
we have in the past. Those changes will be made
at this Convention.
Most of you have heard that a dues increase
will probably be considered at the Convention,
as well as some sort of single dues (or NARFE
dues, as I call it) proposal. I am not going to discuss or debate the pros and cons of these or any other resolutions that may come before the delegates in this column.
As I think about the upcoming National Convention, I
sometimes find it hard to believe that this will be my last as
a National Officer. I have so enjoyed serving you, first as National Vice President, from 1998 to 2002, and during my
four years as your National President. I hope you think that
I was able to make a difference. But I also got to thinking
about what I could do as a final gesture.
About 3 o’clock one morning, as I lay awake thinking, it
came to me. Those who know me best know that I love to
needlepoint. It’s one way for me to relax, and I can work on
a piece for hours at a time while watching TV. I have many
pieces completed over the past 30
years that I am going to donate to
NARFE for sale at the Convention.
The buyer can have
them framed or made
into a pillow. These
pieces will be available
at the NARFE General
Store booth in the Exhibit Hall. Every penny of the
sales price will be donated to
the NARFE General Fund. Will
this solve NARFE’s financial
woes? Of course not. But it’s my
way of giving something back to an Association that means so much to me.
We’ll also have available some prints of a
painting of roses done for the Note Card campaign back in the mid-’90s to raise funds for the
NARFE Building Fund. The painting was done
by NARFE member Floy Hopple, a member of
the Oregon Federation. It’s a beautiful painting
that some of you may remember. These, too, will
be available at the NARFE General Store booth.
Grand Rapids is a wonderful venue for our
Convention. There are great restaurants in the
Amway Grand Hotel and within easy walking distance. And, if you don’t do anything else, walk
across the bridge from the hotel and visit the Gerald R. Ford
Presidential Museum – really interesting. There also are gorgeous gardens to visit, and tours are being arranged for
Sunday morning so you can get back before the grand
opening of the Convention.
It’s not too late to make reservations to join us in Grand
Rapids!
I HAVE so
enjoyed
serving you.I
hope you think
that I was able
to make a
difference.
6
Margaret L. Baptiste
[email protected]
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
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LEGISLATIVE REPORT
SenateRejectsExtending
Ages 22-26
Coverage Early Kids
Must Wait Until
A
mid growing concerns, both fiscal and political,
the Senate turned down an amendment by Sen.
Benjamin L. Cardin, D-MD, to ensure that the
children of federal employees and retirees are
able to remain on their parents’ health insurance until age 26 this year.
The amendment to H.R. 4213 failed on a budgetary process vote on
June 9, with senators voting 57-42 not to waive budget rules requiring
that the costs of the amendment be offset by spending cuts.
The new health care reform law,
the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act, allows families to continue
coverage for their children up to age
26. This provision becomes effective
at the beginning of the first plan year
six months after enactment of the law, but
many insurance companies already have defter failing to pass H.R. 4213 (above), Sen.
cided
to implement this
Max Baucus, D-MT, chairman of the Senate
provision before SepFinance Committee,and Sen.Charles E.Grassley,
tember 2010.
R-IA,the highest ranking Republican on the comHowever, laws govmittee, crafted a separate compromise that deerning
the Federal Emlayed the 21-percent payment cut for Medicare
ployees Health Benefits
physicians for six months and increased their reProgram (FEHBP) preimbursements by 2.2 percent during that time.
vent the director of the
The reduction was scheduled for the beginning of
Office of Personnel ManJune but had been delayed through administrative
agement (OPM) from inaction. The Senate passed the compromise
creasing the eligibility
measure and,soon thereafter,the House approved
age limit from 22 until
the same legislation by a vote of 417-1. This
26 for federal employees
means that Congress will have to address the issue
until January 2011.
again by the end of this year and still leaves in
OPM had signaled its
limbo the future of pay for Medicare-participating
willingness to start covdoctors.
erage earlier than next
Medicare Cuts Avoided
A
10
2011 in FEHBP
■ In 1789,employment of
civilians by the federal
government began. The
federal government then
consisted of the Departments
of State, Treasury and War,
and the Office of the Attorney
General.
■ Many Treasury Department
functions were being carried
out even before the signing of
the Declaration of
Independence. On May 27,
1652,the General Court
passed the Massachusetts Bay
Mint Act,establishing in
Boston the only colonial mint.
The colony of Massachusetts
issued the first governmentauthorized paper money in
the Americas on February 3,
1690.On June 22,1775,the
Continental Congress
ordered the first issue of
Continental Currency.
LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE
Toll-free! (24 Hours):
877-217-8234
Legislative Action Center:
www.narfe.org
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
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Legislative Report
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
■ The health care reform law allows extending health
insurance coverage to dependent children up to age
26;some insurance companies are implementing
this provision before September.
■ Laws governing the FEHBP prevent increasing the
limit until 2011.
■ An amendment to allow FEHBP plans to extend
coverage earlier failed to pass in the Senate.
year if given authority by Congress. The Cardin proposal
would have provided the needed change to the health
reform law.
Starting January 2011, with the new FEHBP year, federal
employees and annuitants will be permitted to cover eligible
dependent children up to age 26 not otherwise covered by
a spouse’s or employer’s insurance.
Cardin offered his proposal to the troubled stimulus bill
(H.R. 4213), which also would have extended certain tax
provisions, continued unemployment insurance for certain
states, bolstered Medicaid funding this year and prevented
the scheduled 21-percent cut in Medicare doctors’ payment
rates (see sidebar, p. 10). After three weeks on the Senate
floor, there were not enough votes to pass the original bill
because of budget deficit concerns.
By Margaret Hostetler, Assistant Legislative Director
Fed Pay Freeze Attempts Defeated
I
n May and June, NARFE helped to defeat four attempts to deny federal employees the modest 1.4-percent pay raise proposed in the president’s fiscal year
2011 budget. At press time, legislators supporting the
pay freeze vowed to offer the proposal as amendments to
other must-pass legislation.
On June 17, by a vote of 41-57 on a procedural motion,
the Senate sidetracked an amendment offered by Sen. John
Thune, R-SD, that included provisions to freeze the pay of
federal workers in 2011. The amendment was offered to
H.R. 4213, a bill to reauthorize several expiring tax breaks
and extend unemployment compensation (see story, p. 10).
By a voice vote on June 23, the Senate tabled an amendment offered by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK, to deny the 2011
pay increase.
In a letter sent June 15 to all 100 senators, NARFE President Margaret L. Baptiste urged them to oppose the
Thune and Coburn amendments to H.R. 4213.
Said Baptiste: “NARFE supports putting our fiscal house
in order, but not if it means undermining the invaluable
contributions made to our country by Americans who devote their careers to public service. This pay freeze proposal is particularly ill-timed as we call on federal workers
to do more with less, respond to disasters like the oil spill
in the Gulf of Mexico, fight terrorism here and abroad, and
serve alongside their uniformed colleagues in Iraq and
Afghanistan.”
On May 28, House proponents of the pay freeze, including House Minority Leader Eric I. Cantor, R-VA, and
Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-MN, tried to add their proposal
12
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
■ NARFE efforts helped defeat four congressional
attempts to deny the 1.4-percent pay raise
proposed in the president’s fiscal year 2011 budget.
■ Legislators who support the pay freeze vowed to
continue their efforts to freeze federal employees’
pay.
into H.R. 5136, a must-pass Defense authorization bill, by
including it in a procedural motion made to the legislation.
Ultimately, a motion to table the procedural challenge
was offered by Rep. Ike Skelton, D-MO. The Skelton motion was approved by a mostly party-line vote of 227-183.
Reps. Frank R. Wolf, R-VA; Don Young, R-AK; and John B.
Shadegg, R-AZ, were the only Republicans who voted
“yes,” which supported the NARFE position. Eighteen of
the 242 Democrats present voted “no.”
An earlier attempt in the Senate to freeze pay was made
May 27 by Sens. Coburn and John McCain, R-AZ, in their
amendment to HR. 4899, an emergency spending bill to
fund military operations and disaster relief. The Senate rejected their package of spending cuts by approving a motion to table the amendment by a margin of 53-45. A “yes”
vote supported the NARFE position.
None of the Senate’s Republicans voted for the motion,
and six of the 58 Democrats (Sens. Evan Bayh, D-IN; Herb
Kohl, D-WI; Blanche L. Lincoln, D-AR; Claire McCaskill, DMO; Ben Nelson, D-NE; and Jon Tester, D-MT) voted
against it.
By Dan Adcock,Legislative Director
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
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Legislative Report
CARE Group Considers Treatment
Of WEP-GPO by Fiscal Commission
I
n May, a coalition of federal, state and local government retired employee organizations met in Washington, DC, to discuss the challenges and opportunities of persuading the bipartisan Commission on
Fiscal Responsibility and Reform – or Fiscal Commission –
to address the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) as part of an overall effort
to reform Social Security.
Founded by NARFE in 1991, the Coalition to Assure Retirement Equity (CARE) is comprised of more than 43 retired public service worker organizations for the purpose of
repealing or reforming the GPO and WEP. (For a list of
CARE member organizations, visit the Legislative Department page on the NARFE Web site, www.narfe.org.) Like federal annuitants, many state and local government retirees
also are affected by the Social Security offsets. The coalition
meeting was organized by NARFE Legislative Director Dan
Adcock, who led a discussion on the legislative approach
needed to address emerging issues that threaten the retirement security of the millions of public employees and retirees represented by CARE partners.
The conversation was dominated by how the GPO and
WEP would be affected by the 18-member Fiscal Commission and its mandate to reduce the federal deficit and national debt. According to the 2009 Social Security trustees
report, the program will pay all benefits in full until 2037,
when it is expected to experience a shortfall. This means
that, absent any action by Congress, Social Security would
pay benefits at about 75 cents on the dollar starting in 27
years. In response to the projected shortfall, some Fiscal
Commission members are likely to recommend comprehensive Social Security reform. Interest in Social Security reform is relevant to the GPO and WEP because key members of Congress have been reluctant to address the two
offsets until Congress reforms the entire social insurance
program.
While coalition members recognized that the commission’s interest in a Social Security overhaul may provide an
opening for action on the GPO and WEP, many at the
meeting said the panel would be more interested in using the
program to cut federal spending. Consequently, if the commission places greater emphasis on reducing Social Security
spending rather than reforming the program, they may be
14
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
■ Retiree coalition partners debated the pros and
cons of the Fiscal Commission taking up the GPO
andWEP;pledged continued support for repeal or
reform of these Social Security offsets.
■ Medicare premium protection in no-COLA years
remains a priority for coalition members.
less likely to take up GPO and WEP legislation because of its
cost. Despite this challenge, several coalition members said
they would work to ensure that any Social Security reform
legislation considered by Congress includes the repeal or reform of the GPO and WEP. For more information on the Fiscal
Commission, see the July 2010 NARFE magazine article
“Fiscal Commission Mission, Schedule,” pp. 14 and 16.
Regardless of whether the commission suggests action
on Social Security, the coalition agreed to continue to build
support for repeal or reform of the offsets.
MEDICARE PREMIUM PROTECTION
Starting in January 2010, many of the same retired public
employees affected by the GPO and WEP were required to
pay an increase in their Medicare Part B premium, while most
other older Americans were protected from the rate hike.
That is because most Social Security beneficiaries pay no increase in Medicare Part B premiums when there is no Social
Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), as was the case
in 2010. However, federal, state and local government retirees
who are not eligible to receive Social Security not only pay the
Part B premium increase when there is no COLA, but they
also are assessed an extra amount that subsidizes the premium protection most other beneficiaries enjoy. For example,
monthly premiums for such retired public employees increased from $96.40 to $110.50 in 2010, but most Social Security beneficiaries continue to pay $96.40.
With another no-COLA year expected in 2011, CARE
members expressed concern that federal, state and local
government retirees without Social Security would go a
second year without being protected from the Part B premium increase. NARFE is leading the coalition’s effort to persuade key lawmakers to pass legislation that provides premium equity to such retired public workers.
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AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
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Legislative Report
Bogus E-Mail Circulating on Taxing
The Value of Health Insurance
N
ARFE is advising members to disregard a
highly misleading e-mail message that is
making its way around the Internet, falsely
telling people that their taxes will rise next
year as a result of new reporting requirements under the
new health care reform law.
The health care reform law – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — requires employers (including the federal
government) to report the value of employer-provided health
benefits on W-2 and 1099-R forms, beginning with tax year
2011. This reporting is for informational purposes only, and
the amount reported will not be taxed. Individuals will see
this information on their W-2 or 1099-Rs in 2012.
The new reporting requirement will serve several purposes. Frequently, individuals do not know the full cost of
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
■ E-mail falsely claims that individuals’ taxes will rise
due to new reporting requirements under the
health reform law.
■ Individuals will see the value of their employerprovided health insurance onW-2s and 1099-Rs,but
the reporting is for informational purposes only.
their health insurance because employers pay a majority of
the premiums. For example, the federal government pays an
average of approximately 71 percent of the total premium
cost for federal employees and retirees enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).
The reporting requirement also is expected to assist the
government in the administration of the excise tax on socalled “Cadillac plans.” Beginning in 2018,
insurers of employer-sponsored health
plans will be required to pay a 40-percent
tax on plans with an aggregate value exceeding $10,200 for individual coverage
and $27,500 for family coverage. The
threshold amounts will be increased for
plans with significant numbers of older
enrollees and women. Dental and vision
plan premiums will not be counted
against the threshold. It is unclear if and
when any FEHBP plans will hit the
threshold amount. NARFE actively opposed the excise tax during the health reform debate.
In addition, the new law requires that
individuals have health insurance. The
mandate, which goes into effect in 2014,
will be enforced by the Internal Revenue
Service. The mandated coverage will be
reflected on these forms.
The e-mail message claiming the tax
increase refers to an article published by
20450 Huebner Road, San Antonio, TX 78258
the Kiplinger Washington Editors.
“Health Care Reform: Tax Hikes on the
Way” describes 13 tax changes as a result
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AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
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Legislative Report
ticle clearly states that “[t]he amount reported is not considered taxable income.” The e-mail does not include this fact.
The Kiplinger letter is available online by searching “Health
Care Reform: Tax Hikes on the Way” on the Kiplinger Web
site, www.kiplinger.com.
E-mails such as this one serve as a reminder that mem-
bers should verify information sent around the Internet.
Web sites such as www.snopes.com or www.politifact.com
are respected and provide researched answers to commonly
forwarded e-mails. And, as always, members are encouraged
to contact NARFE with questions or concerns.
By Sarah Holstine,Legislative Specialist
NSPS Transition Ahead of Schedule
T
he majority of Department of Defense (DOD)
employees affected by the recent repeal of the
National Security Personnel System (NSPS) will
be transitioned into the General Schedule (GS)
classification and pay system by the end of the year, according to testimony before a Senate subcommittee hearing.
The Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government
Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia held the hearing on June 9 on the repeal of the Defense Department’s NSPS.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2010 repealed the NSPS, requiring the transition of approximately 226,000 employees from the NSPS to a different pay
and personnel system. Most employees will transition into
the GS classification and pay system.
The Defense authorization law gives DOD until January
1, 2012, to complete the transition. But approximately 75
percent of NSPS employees and positions will be transitioned to the GS system by the end of the year, according to
John H. James Jr., director of the NSPS Transition Office.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
■ DOD’s NSPS was repealed in legislation passed last
year.Most DOD employees affected will be
transitioned ahead of schedule into the GS
classification and pay system by the end of the year.
■ No employee will see a reduction in pay as a result
of the transition.
Under the law, no employee will see a reduction in pay as a
result of the transition.
The NSPS Transition Office has begun working with interested parties on the development of a new system and
will report to Congress on the new DOD-wide performance
management system in the fall. In addition, the Office of
Personnel Management (OPM) has expressed interest in
changing the governmentwide performance management
system. Both OPM and DOD have begun conversations on
these goals, but no further details were revealed at the
hearing.
I support NARFE¥PAC, the Retiree?s Fund for the
Future
Enclosed is my NARFE-PAC contribu tion: $
Federal law requires political committees to report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer for each individual
whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year.
Please circle:
Name
Address
City, State, ZIP
Mr.
Mrs.
Miss
Ms.
By Sarah Holstine,Legislative Specialist
Please send check, money order
or credit card information to:
Attn: Budget & Finance
NARFE
606 N. Washington St.
Card Type:
❍ Mastercard
❍ Discover
❍ VISA
❍ AMEX
Card #
Expiration Date
Name on Card (Print)
Signature
Date
Only members of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association may contribute to NARFE-PAC. NARFE will neither
favor nor disadvantage anyone based on the amount of a contribution, or the failure to make a voluntary contribution to this non-partisan political action fund. NARFE-PAC contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.
18
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
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Legislative Report
CIVICS 101:
THE INFORMED CITIZEN
August Is ‘Meet Your Candidates Month’
C
andidates, especially incumbents, lead busy
lives, live on the road and have several aides.
Among the incoming messages they receive
are the hundreds sent by NARFE activists.
Amid this cacophony bordering on chaos, face-to-face
meetings or forums are the best way to avoid having the
NARFE message lost in translation or fall between cracks
in the campaign. NARFE’s “Meet Your Candidates Month”
harnesses the longest break in the congressional calendar
(August 7 through September 13) to conduct multichapter,
multicandidate forums designed to obtain candidate positions on federal employee and retiree issues.
COORDINATION IS VITAL
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
■ NARFE members and leaders should now begin final
preparations for NARFE“MeetYour Candidates
Month” inAugust.
■ The NARFE Web site has all you need to plan
candidate forums.
■ If a forum is not possible,NARFE leaders should at
least set up a meeting with their members of
congress and congressional candidates. A sample
invitation letter for a candidate forum is on p.22.
ment interests of the much larger pool of eligible active and
retired federal employees. Counts for congressional districts
are available from the legislative department.
Having started earlier in this election cycle, NARFE hopes
to improve on this civic exercise first used nationwide in
2008. Similar to 2008, “Meet Your Candidates Month” forums should include incumbents, their challengers and
candidates in open seats. Federation presidents and national
legislative officers participated in regionwide conference
calls in April. Now is the time for final preparation. As always, the heaviest lifting needs to be done by chapters.
By exercising your First Amendment right “to petition for
redress of grievances,” you will serve NARFE’s primary legislative priority, protecting the earned benefits of federal retirement. Meeting with candidates, like any exercise, will improve your capacity and improve NARFE’s standing in the
electoral arena.
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT (CD) LIAISONS
PLANNING A FORUM
CD liaisons need to coordinate the organization and
publicity for candidate forums sponsored and attended by
all the chapters with members in a congressional district. Selecting a date and venue will be critical. Previously mailed
material, also on NARFE’s Web site, is still available. Supporting materials for “Meet Your Candidates Month” include:
1. Meet Candidate Memo;
2. Senate Candidate Checklist;
3. House of Representatives Candidate Checklist;
4. Invite Sample Letter (see letter, p. 22);
5. Candidate Questionnaire;
6. Fiscal Commission Talking Points (New);
7. Primary Elections by State; and
8. Federal Annuitant and Employee Counts by State.
Any communication trumps silence and even a lessthan-perfectly conducted forum is better than none. If a
forum during the summer recess is not possible, use the following steps for a successful congressional meeting.
• Plan the meeting carefully: Have a spokesperson and
stay on message. Keep small talk to a minimum. Realize
and state you know the candidate is very busy. A photograph should wait until the end.
• Make an appointment with the scheduler: The wider
the meeting window, the more likely a meeting can be set.
Follow up with a written request.
• Be Prompt: Be punctual and patient.
• Be Prepared: Provide information about NARFE and the
issues. Candidates, even incumbents, and their staff are not
already experts on every bill or issue. The 2010 Candidate
Questionnaire, sent to federation and chapter presidents, is on
the NARFE Web site and should serve as your guide.
• Be responsive: Have a single spokesperson or moderator, but the entire group should anticipate and prepare for
NARFE SPEAKS FOR ALL FEDS
NARFE leaders orchestrating candidate forums should remind candidates that NARFE activists represent the retire-
20
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questions. Follow up the meeting with a “thank you” letter,
and summary and supporting materials. Send a copy to
NARFE Headquarters.
Your NARFE regional vice president (see p. 4), federation
officers and staff in NARFE’s Legislative Department, who
have been working on this outreach for some time, can answer questions you may have about this process.
By Christopher Farrell,Legislative Representative
Sample Letter to Member of Congress or Candidate
U
se or revise the following sample letter to request a forum with candidates for the House of Representatives or
the Senate,or request a sample from the NARFE Legislative Department.
State Federation of NARFE Chapters Or Chapter 1234 NARFE/Anytown
Address
City,State ZIP
(Date)
The Honorable
Attn:Named Scheduler
Street address of main campaign office
City,State ZIP
Dear (Representative/Senator for incumbents) Last Name:
During the August recess (or on a specific date), local members of the National Active and Retired
Federal Employees Association (NARFE) would like to invite you to a candidates forum to discuss
issues important to active and retired federal employees. Members from several chapters (name
chapters) and statewide officers will attend the forum. We are happy to work with you and your opponent on a date,time and location that are mutually convenient.
NARFE members in STATE NAME defend the retirement interests of the xx,xxx federal retirees and
xx,xxx active federal employees in our state (commonwealth).(For representatives:Of the state total,
an estimated x,xxx federal retirees live and vote in your district.) Coverage of our forum will appear
in chapter newsletter(s) and a photo might run in our national monthly,NARFE.
I look forward to your prompt reply.
Sincerely,
Name
Title (federation president or other NARFE leader)
Address
Phone number
E-mail address
22
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
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Hello,
World!
By Marianne Meyer
The Many Benefits
of Language Learning
Parlez-vous français? Habla español? This might be a good time to add a new arrow to your linguistic
quiver. NARFE members who have learned another language say talking to people in their native tongue
has helped them in their work, in their travels around the globe and even in relating to their fellow Americans. Language learning also appears to have benefits for the brain.
Some bilingual NARFE members
freely admit that they’re not fluent in a
foreign tongue, but that’s not the point.
Ruth Conroy of Naples, FL, was a computer systems analyst for the Navy
when she retired in 1982 after a nearly
40-year federal career. She says she
learned “a little Italian” during high
school but has really been studying the
language for “almost 50 years, on and
off” through her travels. “I used to
cruise on an all-Italian ship, and the
cruise director would give the passengers free Italian lessons,” she explains.
Back home, she’s continued with “sporadic” lessons and additional Italian vacations.
On the other hand, Jennifer
Honaker, who retired last year from her
job as a judicial assistant to a federal
judge, has made language proficiency
part of a second career. Living in Huntington, WV, she’s a travel agent and answered NARFE’s language inquiries
from Portugal before heading to France
while escorting a group to Copenhagen!
Her first French studies stretched
from junior high through high school
graduation, but, she says, “Like anything you don’t use, over the years I
seemed to remember less and less.”
When her daughter began high school
French, Honaker returned to the language, and, when the class needed
chaperones for a trip to England and
France, “I didn’t need to be asked
twice.”
In Paris, she says, “It was wonderful
being able to read signs, menus, newspapers, etc. Conversing was more diffiJennifer Honaker, right, and her daughter,
Anne, visited Tivoli in Copenhagen, Denmark.
24
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
cult, but I soon learned that as long as
I tried to speak French, the people were
wonderful and appreciated my feeble
attempts to converse.”
One native who stopped her to ask
for directions was particularly effusive.
“When he realized I was from America,
he began to hug me and tell me that
my French was wonderful and that he
loved Americans who speak his language.”
“It is nice,” Honaker e-mailed, “to
have confidence in my ability to navigate language barriers and help the
people in my group. Before I leave on
trips, I spend a good deal of time
brushing up on my skills and learning
new phrases that I may need. I am absolutely positive that it helps keep my
brain sharp.”
Honaker isn’t alone in citing such
benefits.
Liz Sedaghatfar is a geriatric clinical
social worker in Northern Virginia.
Working with clients in their 70s and
80s, she’s seen firsthand the emotional
benefits of taking on a new language.
“It’s learning something new, which is
very good just to keep the brain alive.
But it also brings a sense of purposefulness to a person’s day. And if you can
master something new, the level of selfesteem, sense of self-worth and confidence are restored, and it just brings on
a whole new motivation and enthusiasm to somebody’s life.”
What do researchers have to say on
the matter? There have been studies
that indicate that the ability to use
more than one language could be good
for the brain. Commissioned by the European Commission, the 2009 “Study
on the Contribution of Multilingualism
to Creativity” found that, even though
it is difficult to prove a direct link, it is
likely that speaking more than one language gives an advantage in “utilizing a
person’s brain capacity as creatively as
possible.”
America’s large Hispanic population
inspired Linda Resnick of Oklahoma
City, OK, to learn its language. It was
something she “always wanted to learn
and, in retirement, had time to pursue.”
The spouse of a former electronics engineer at Tinker Air Force Base, Resnick
and her husband began taking free
Spanish lessons four years ago.
“The vocational-technical system
here in Oklahoma City has a wonderful
series of classes, and we took advantage
of the opportunity.” After two years of
that “more academic” program, the
couple found “a wonderful senior program sponsored by a local medical
center,” which also was free. The pair
have both honed their skills and
widened their social circle. “We all
come back year after year – it’s a friendship group as well as a language group.”
The retired physical therapist, who
still does part-time home visits, listens
to Spanish radio to keep up her skills.
“They repeat the same commercials
and then the slow romantic songs,
which I can understand.”
The couple’s Spanish came in handy
on a trip last year to Costa Rica, but,
Resnick says, “The most important
reason to study any language is to increase understanding and appreciation
of other cultures. In America, we’re
living in a changing world, and we
should be open to that.”
Santa Fe, NM, native Janice Baker
began refreshing her high school
Spanish studies about five years ago,
On an island in Lake Titicaca, Bolivia, Janice Baker speaks to a weaver whose native language is
Quechua. “We communicated in our mutual ‘second language,’ Spanish,” Baker says.
using classroom instruction, tapes, language books and travel to keep the language fresh.
It’s not her first foreign language. Retired in 2003 from a position as technical writer for the National Science
Board, Baker took a year of Arabic in
graduate school. And as a Peace Corps
English teacher in Guinea, West Africa,
in the 1960s, she spoke fluent French.
“In Guinea, I had funny discussions
with my house-boy about germ theory
(why he should wash my dishes in
boiling water) and satellites (what the
bright object moving across the sky
was).”
Connecting with the natives of the
countries where you visit or work can
be a highlight of your studies.
“Being able to speak to the foreign
nationals in their own language can
offer you the opportunity to travel to
nontourist sites where little or no English is spoken,” says Judy Kempf of
Tucson, AZ, who works for the CIA.
A communicator and code translator who served in Italy and Brazil, her
language skills went far beyond her job,
helping her with “processing through
the court system” the adoption of her
four Brazilian sons.
“This past March,” she adds, “it also
was so amazing on our trip back to actually find the boys’ two older sisters
still living in Brazil and to have a connection with them.”
A linguist for the CIA from 1977 to
2005, George Thomas of Rio Rancho,
NM, speaks Thai, Cambodian, Lao, Vietnamese, Burmese, Spanish and French.
“In places where natives meet few foreigners who speak their language, I
often got the ‘talking dog’ response,” he
relates. “They were so fascinated to hear
a foreigner speak Burmese, they
‘Teaching’ a Language
W
hile many NARFE members are learning or brushing up on foreign languages,some are helping others to learn
English.Clayton Cochran of Kensington,MD,who retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs,and his wife,
Judy, spent a week in a small resort near a medieval village in the Spanish countryside in a program called “English at
Pueblo Ingles.”The Madrid-based company recruits English speakers to participate in an intense,eight-day immersion program with students who are given the opportunity to interact daily with their English-speaking“instructors” and put their
language skills into practice.“I learned about the program from a friend who likes unusual travel opportunities,” Cochran
says.
At each session,some 20 English speakers from all over the world get together with 20 non-English-speaking students for activities that include conversations over breakfast,lunch and dinner;one-to-one conversations;conference
calls;debates;role playing;presentations;and theatre.Students come from Spanish and multinational companies or
are young people who are improving their English before traveling abroad.
Americans make up about 53 percent of the English-speaking instructors in the program;another 14 percent come
from Canada,14 percent from the United Kingdom,4 percent from Ireland,3.5 percent fromAustralia,1 percent from
New Zealand and the remainder from other countries.
Pueblo Ingles venues are in peaceful,historic villages or towns in Spain and Italy – one a National Heritage Site. All
sessions are required to be in English so one need not know Spanish or Italian.Pueblo Ingles covers accommodations
and all meals for the entire eight days. You are required to provide your own transportation to and from the locations.
“I’ve traveled in several countries,and this was the first time I’d really felt that I learned something in depth about
the people,” Cochran says.“And I hope that the Spanish-speaking members of the group felt that they got to know a
bit in depth about Americans – past the news of the day and cultural stereotypes they may have learned.”
For more information,visit www.puebloingles.com.
26
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
Eight Languages ... and Counting
G
Judy Kempf relaxes with three of her adopted
sons on the Spanish steps in Brazil on their
recent trip to the boys’ native country.
couldn’t process what I was saying.”
Thomas started Spanish in seventh
grade and continued through high
school, along with two years of Latin.
Surprisingly, he says he was a poor student. “Teachers unanimously agreed: I
had a bad attitude and shouldn’t study
languages any more.”
But after high school, Thomas enlisted, and “the Army declared I knew
enough Spanish to be awarded a linguist’s specialty designation.” He served
in Thailand, studying Thai in night
school. After leaving the Army, he did
graduate work in Thai and Vietnamese,
and returned to work in Thailand as a
civilian before joining the CIA. “They
provided me with training in all the
other languages I learned except Lao,
which is very close to Thai.”
Thomas says he acquired language
skills best by focusing on a few concepts, like “getting a basic understanding of the fundamentals” (such
things as grammar, syntax and sentence structure), plus “concentrating
on the culture surrounding that language” to aid vocabulary and, finally,
developing “a newspaper reading
habit” for each new language. “That
helps to cement the vocabulary and
structure into my head.” TV watching
and Web sites can help, too, he adds,
len Gurwit knows seven languages and now is learning an eighth – Esperanto,
a constructed tongue created as a politically neutral universal second language.
Gurwit resides in Swanton,VT,not far from the Quebec-Vermont border
where he worked for more than 30 years as a customs inspector.Besides the
French that came in handy when speaking with French-Canadians,he’s
learned some Spanish,Italian,German,Portuguese and Russian,too. “I spoke
seven languages well enough to do basic inspections,” he says,and he would
field 3 a.m.phone calls to help out his co-workers.Gurwit was a college language professor when he was asked to interpret at a customs-related trial,
which ultimately led to his joining the federal government.
Shortly after retirement,Gurwit was able to put his Esperanto to use at a
dinner party in New Zealand,organized by two Esperantist friends.The diners
included visitors fromAlbania,South Korea and Germany,yet the only language spoken at the meal was Esperanto,which,Gurwit explains,“contains elements from many languages that make it at least a little familiar to anyone
who would try it. There are very clear rules and no exceptions to the rules.
It’s very easy to learn.”
Though Esperanto is not generally taught in schools,it has a strong online
community and speakers who gather at local clubs and international conventions.“It’s obscure,” Gurwit admits, “but it’s been the most fun for me.”And,
he adds, “It’s a wonderful basis for learning other languages.”
though nothing beats exposure to the
country of origin. “You can’t fail to
learn Cambodian when you sit down
with kids to learn about their school
experiences or war veterans to learn
their take on history.”
Marilyn Young, an Internal Revenue
Service agent in Cincinnati who is currently entering her 23rd year with the
agency, says that she speaks French “a
little and am improving.” She took
classes in college and visited France
after graduation. Last year, she took a
refresher class in anticipation of a trip to
Nice. “While there, I was able to speak a
little French and be understood. So, I
was encouraged to learn more.”
Young is now a regular at Cincinnati’s Alliance Française, part of a worldwide organization that promotes the
appreciation of French culture, offering
classes and social events in which
French is spoken. She often attends a
monthly “happy hour” in which classmates gather to speak “very rudimentary French” and has made friends for
outside conversation.
True to her name, Young has a fresh
take on learning a language. “It is more
difficult for me to learn French now
than when I was, dare I say, 40 years
younger! But now, I’m not afraid to take
chances and mispronounce words or
make mistakes. Back then, I was more
afraid of making a fool of myself. Now,
who cares?”
All we can add is,
C’est
magnifique!
Marianne Meyer is a free-lance writer in Reston,VA.
NARFE | AUGUST 2010
27
Managing Money
The Estate Tax Conundrum
By Mark A. Keen, CFP®
J
ust in case there wasn’t enough
uncertainty in the world, Congress’ failure to address the estate tax laws has created even
more issues to deal with. As of
January 1, 2010, the federal estate and
generation-skipping transfer (GST)
taxes have been repealed for the
year. Don’t get too excited. The
taxes will reappear in 2011 – and
with an even bigger bite (assuming
Congress continues its policy of inaction). Furthermore, the rules pertaining to the tax basis of inherited
assets are modified for 2010 as
well.
From the mid-’80s to mid-’90s,
the applicable exclusion amount
(the amount a decedent can pass
tax-free from the estate to a nonspouse beneficiary) stood at $600,000.
In 1997, Congress provided some estate
tax relief and passed legislation that
gradually increased the exclusion to $1
million by 2006. But the Economic
Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation
Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) was passed, increasing the applicable exclusion from
$675,000 in 2001 to $3.5 million in
2009 before the estate tax disappeared
altogether at the beginning of 2010.
However, as previously mentioned, the
provisions of EGTRRA “sunset,” beginning in 2011, and the estate tax reverts
to the 1997 law, with a top rate of 55
percent (compared to 45 percent in
2009) and an applicable exclusion of $1
million.
The off-and-on estate tax could
cause administrative nightmares for
executors, trustees and heirs, particularly if Congress reinstates the tax
retroactively to the beginning of 2010.
28
Even if Congress doesn’t reinstate the
estate tax for 2010, the fact that there
is currently no estate tax could have
unintended consequences. We’ll discuss these issues further; but, first, let’s
review three areas under current flux.
The estate tax: In 2009, the applicable exclusion was $3.5 million, and
the top estate tax rate was 45 percent.
tax basis of inherited property generally “stepped-up” to the asset’s fair
market value as of the decedent’s date
of death. For 2010, however, the tax
basis of inherited property is equal to
the lesser of the decedent’s adjusted
basis, or the fair market value of the
asset on the decedent’s date of death.
Assuming the property appreciated
DEPENDING ON how wills and
trusts are worded,the repeal of
the estate tax could create a
situation where all of the assets
pass to the children,with nothing
going to the surviving spouse.
As of January 1, 2010, there is no estate
tax. However, assuming Congress does
not reinstate the tax retroactively, the
estate tax will return in 2011, with an
applicable exclusion of $1 million and
a top rate of 55 percent. Considering
that a modest home in some densely
populated parts of the country can
easily push that limit, many estates
could fall prey to estate taxes without
proper planning.
The GST tax: This is a federal tax on
transfers of property made during life or
at death to an individual who is more
than one generation below you, such as
a grandchild. Like the estate tax, the
GST tax had an exemption of $3.5 million in 2009 and a top tax rate of 45 percent. The tax was repealed in 2010 but
will be reintroduced in 2011, with a $1million exemption and a rate of 55 percent.
Step-up in tax basis: In 2009, the
over time, the tax basis of the inherited
property will likely equal the decedent’s
tax basis. The law does provide an exemption, up to $1.3 million of gain,
which the executors and trustees may
allocate among the deceased’s estate assets. There also is an additional $3-million exemption of gains for assets
passing to the surviving spouse. Fortunately, the old step-up in tax basis rules
return in 2011.
CONSEQUENCES
Many wills and trusts drafted with
an estate tax in mind seek to maximize
the amount of assets that pass tax-free
to the estate by leaving an amount of
assets, up to the applicable exclusion,
to the children, with the balance
passing to the surviving spouse. However, in 2010, there is no estate tax and,
therefore, no applicable exclusion. Depending on how the wills and trusts
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
are worded, the repeal of the estate tax
could create a situation where all of
the assets pass to the children, with
nothing going to the surviving spouse.
ADMIN NIGHTMARE
If Congress reinstates the estate tax
retroactively, those heirs who have already received their inheritance may
have to reimburse the estate to allow it
to pay the reinstated estate tax. For
those who have not received their inheritance, they may have to wait for
their share until possible challenges to
the constitutionality of retroactively reinstating the estate tax have been resolved. Alternatively, the executors
may decide to hold back a sufficient
amount to cover any potential estate
tax. In either case, the uncertainty
NARFE | AUGUST 2010
could delay the disposition of the decedent’s assets to his or her beneficiaries.
The 2010 repeal of the step-up in
basis rule also could cause nightmares
for executors handling the estates for
those dying in 2010. For example, executors of estates larger than $1.3 million will have to figure out which assets should receive the step-up in basis
– especially important for nonspouse
beneficiaries. Additionally, heirs who
want to sell inherited assets not covered by the step-up in basis will have
to try to figure out the decedent’s cost
basis in order to calculate the potential
gain. As you can imagine, this could be
nearly impossible, particularly if the
decedent didn’t keep accurate records,
if dividends were reinvested over
many years or if the stock split.
Many continue to believe Congress
will make a higher applicable exclusion amount permanent – such as
2009’s $3.5 million. In fact, many proposals with such an applicable exclusion have been kicked around on
Capitol Hill. However, with increasing
deficits, mounting national debt and
unfunded liabilities, perhaps Congress’
inaction (and scheduled increased estate tax due to the sunset provision) is
an intentional action.
Mark A. Keen, CFP®, is president and
owner of Bennett Financial Advisors in
Fairfax,VA, and an investment adviser
representative and registered representative of The Strategic Financial
Alliance, Inc. (SFA). Securities and advisory services are offered through SFA.
29
Live Well
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
By Marilyn S. Radke, M.D.
N
on-Hodgkin
lymphoma (NHL) – sometimes called nonHodgkin’s lymphoma –
is the most common type of lymphoma
in older adults. Lymphoma is cancer
that begins in the
immune system,
which fights infections and other
diseases.
NHL accounts
for nearly nine out
of 10 new cases of
lymphoma. Most
people with NHL
are over age 60.
NHL starts when a lymphocyte, a
type of white blood cell that fights infection, becomes abnormal and grows
into a tumor. Lymphoma usually begins in a lymph node. It can spread to
the liver, lungs, bone, bone marrow
and other parts of the body.
Risk factors for NHL include:
• Weakened immune system from
an inherited condition or medications
used after an organ transplant;
• Infections – human immunodeficiency virus, Epstein-Barr virus, helicobacter pylori (bacteria that can cause
stomach ulcers), human T-cell
leukemia/lymphoma virus type 1 and
hepatitis C virus; and
• Age (nearly three out of four new
cases are diagnosed in people over age
55).
Symptoms of NHL include:
• Swollen, painless lymph nodes
(felt as lumps under the skin) in the
neck, armpits or groin;
• Weight loss;
• Fever;
30
• Night sweats;
• Coughing, trouble breathing or
chest pain;
• Persistent weakness and fatigue;
and
• Pain, swelling or a feeling of “fullness” in the belly.
Medical history,
physical exam and
diagnostic tests are
used to diagnose
NHL. Blood tests
count the number of
white blood cells
and check for lactate
dehydrogenase that
may increase in lymphoma. Chest X-rays
can show swollen
lymph nodes. Biopsy
is required to diagnose lymphoma, and
removing an entire
lymph node (excisional biopsy) is best.
A
pathologist
uses a microscope to
check the biopsy
tissue for lymphoma
cells, and reports the
type of lymphoma,
and how quickly it is
likely to grow and spread (grade of
the disease). Low-grade lymphomas
grow slowly and generally cause few
symptoms. Intermediate-grade and
high-grade lymphomas grow and
spread more quickly, and tend to
cause severe symptoms.
Choice of therapy depends on the
extent (stage) of the NHL, which is
based on what parts of the body are affected. Tests used to stage NHL include
bone marrow biopsy, imaging tests (CT
scan, MRI, ultrasound, PET scan) and
spinal tap.
The stages of NHL are:
Stage I: Lymphoma is in one
lymph node group (neck, underarm,
groin) or in one part of a tissue or an
organ (e.g., lung but not liver or bone
marrow);
Stage II: Lymphoma is in at least
two lymph node
groups on the same
side of (either above or
below) the diaphragm,
or in one part of an
organ and the lymph
nodes near it (and
may be in other
lymph node groups)
on the same side of
the diaphragm;
Stage III: Lymphoma is in lymph
nodes above and
below the diaphragm,
and may be in one part
of a nearby tissue or
organ; and
Stage IV: Lymphoma is in several
parts of one or more
organs or tissues (in
addition to the lymph
nodes), or is in the liver, blood or bone
marrow;
LYMPHOMA usually
begins in a lymph
node.It can spread
to the liver,lungs,
bone,bone marrow
and other parts of
the body.
To Learn More
F
or more information,write to
the National Cancer Institute
Public Inquiries Office, 6116 Executive Blvd., Room 3036 A,
Bethesda, MD 20892; or call 800422-6237; or visit the Web site at
www.cancer.gov.
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
FR
lu GIF EE
ed T
at
$3
5
va
Marilyn S. Radke, M.D., is board certified in preventive medicine and
practices in Atlanta, GA.
NARFE | AUGUST 2010
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Recurrent: Lymphoma returns after
treatment; and
Stage A: no weight loss, night sweats
or fever; or
Stage B: weight loss, night sweats or
fever.
Specialists who treat NHL include
hematologists (physicians specializing
in treating blood diseases), medical oncologists and radiation oncologists. In
most cases, the time it takes to get a
second opinion on diagnosis and
therapy does not make therapy less effective. To make sure, you should discuss this delay with your doctor because sometimes people with NHL
need to be treated immediately. Treatment options include:
• Systemic
chemotherapy
–
chemotherapy drugs given by mouth
or by vein travel through the blood to
treat lymphoma cells throughout the
body;
• Biological therapy – monoclonal
antibodies (manufactured proteins
that bind to cancer cells) given by vein
to help the immune system kill lymphoma cells;
• Radiation therapy – high-energy
radiation to kill lymphoma cells and
shrink tumors; and
• Stem cell transplantation – stem
cells given by vein to help the bone
marrow recover after lymphoma treatment and produce healthy blood cells.
Lymphoma in the stomach that is
caused by helicobacter pylori infection
is sometimes cured after treatment
with antibiotics cures the bacterial infection.
See your doctor for evaluation if
you suspect lymphoma. If you have
been treated for lymphoma, see your
doctor for regular checkups.
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31
Civil Service Career Coach
Shaping Your Performance Appraisal
By Dale S. Brown
W
hen it’s time to get
ready for their performance appraisal,
some people simply
go through the motions each year. But
you can use the process to showcase
your work and build a better relationship with your supervisor. The Civil
Service Career Coach interviewed experts to find out how to make the
rating process work for you.
Nancy H. Segal, owner of Solutions
for the Workplace; Steven E. Jones,
founder of SEJ Consulting; and Robbie
Kunreuther, director of Government
Personnel Services, shared their advice.
All agree that preparation is a key to
success. The first thing to do is study
your agency’s mission and think about
how your job fits in. How have you
contributed?
terms of accomplishments and your
desires for the future.
Our experts recommend entering
the appraisal meeting with an open
mind. “Employees should have compassion, not contempt for their supervisors,” says Kunreuther. “Be patient.
It can be uncomfortable for the su-
questions about how you can do
better.
HANDLE NEGATIVE
FEEDBACK
How do you handle negative feedback? Segal says, “Be open. If there is
something you don’t understand, ask.”
REGARDLESS OF the score
you get this year, use the
appraisal meeting to set
yourself up for a good year
next year.
pervisor as well.” Describe your contributions enthusiastically, and ask
She suggests these questions to get
more specific responses:
MAKE A LIST OF YOUR
ACHIEVEMENTS
Writing a Self-Evaluation
Segal suggests that employees first
reread their job standards and elements. Then write an accomplishment
report that addresses them. “It’s a
chance to tell your side of the story,”
she explains. And since it is attached to
your evaluation, it will become part of
the official record.
“Some employees think, ‘Why
should I do this? It’s my supervisor’s job.’
My answer to that is, ‘Your supervisor
sees you in one context. It’s to your advantage to bring your point of view to
your supervisor’s attention.’” (See
sidebar on steps for writing a self-evaluation.)
Give your report to your supervisor
before the meeting. Then list three to
five points that you want to discuss in
N
32
ancy H.Segal,owner of Solutions for theWorkplace,shared these steps
to completing your report:
• Review your standards and elements. They will tell you what you were
expected to achieve. Use them as your outline.
• Review your agency’s mission.Figure out how your accomplishments relate to it.If possible,use the words of the mission as you write.
•Think about your accomplishments. What were the biggest things you
achieved this year? Did you resolve a longstanding problem? Did you make
a positive contribution to your work unit?
• If you didn’t take daily or weekly notes during the past year,review your
work records,such as the“sent file” in your e-mail,routine reports and your
products. Talk to customers and colleagues about highlights of the past year.
• Tell stories about your achievements. Describe the challenge(s) you
faced,the action(s) you took and the outcome. Make it interesting and readable.
• Use metrics whenever possible, such as numbers of customers served,
the size of contracts you oversaw,the amount of money you saved.
• Complete the task by checking your spelling and grammar.
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
o t
N rac
nt
Co
Dale S. Brown, nationally recognized for
her contributions during her 25 years
in the civil service, is the author of five
books, including one co-authored with
Richard Nelson Bolles, author of What
Color Is Your Parachute? E-mail:
[email protected].
NARFE | AUGUST 2010
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The phones are so small I can’t see the numbers, much less push the right one. They all
have cameras, computers and a “global-positioning” something or other that’s supposed
to spot me from space. Goodness, all I want to do is to be able to talk to my grandkids!
The people at the store weren’t much help. They couldn’t understand why someone
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complicated, confusing, and expensive… and the contract lasted for two years! I’d almost
given up when a friend told me about her new Jitterbug phone. Now, I have the
convenience and safety of being able to stay in touch… with a phone I can actually use.”
The cell phone that’s right for me. Sometimes I think the people
who designed this phone and the rate plans had me in mind.
The phone fits easily in my pocket, but it flips open and reaches
from my mouth to my ear. The display is large and backlit, so
I can actually see who is calling. With a push of a button I
can amplify the volume, and if I don’t know a number, I can
simply push one for a friendly, helpful operator that will
look it up and even dial it for me. The Jitterbug also reduces
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• Could you give me an example?
• It would be helpful to me if you
could remind me of when I did that.
• Can you show me an example of
what you expected the product to look
like?
• Is there someone on the team who
does that particularly well? Do you
mind if I ask to see an example of their
work product?
If you think the supervisor is not
being fair, assume that he or she lacks
important information. “Discuss it to
understand your supervisor’s viewpoint and how it is impacting what
you do,” says Segal. “You can say,
‘Have you thought about A, B or C?
Would you be amenable to taking
some time to think about my point of
view? Could we get together again to
discuss it?’” Segal explains that, when
she was a supervisor, she sometimes
changed ratings in response to new
facts.
Regardless of the score you get this
year, use the appraisal meeting to set
yourself up for a good year next year.
Be ready to describe your developmental needs and give input into next
year’s standards and elements.
According to Jones, “You can ask for
things that might show your value,
such as training or opportunities to be
involved in projects that help your development.”
The performance appraisal process
can be an opportunity to strengthen
your relationship with your immediate
supervisor and find ways to make next
year a more productive one.
Finally, a cell phone
that’s… a phone!
IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: All rate plans require the purchase of a Jitterbug phone and a one-time set up fee of $35.00. Coverage and service is not available everywhere. There are no
additional fees to call Jitterbug’s 24-hour U.S. Based Customer Service. However, for calls to an Operator in which a service is completed, minutes will be deducted from your monthly balance equal to the
length of the call and any call connected by the Operator, plus an additional 5 minutes. Rate plans do not include government taxes or assessment surcharges. Prices and fees are subject to change. Savings
are based on marketing materials from nationally available cellular companies as of June, 2010 (not including family share plans). The full price of the Jitterbug Phone will be refunded if it is returned within
30 days of purchase, in like-new condition, and with less than 30 minutes of usage. A Jitterbug Phone purchased from a retail location is subject to the return policy of that retail location. The Jitterbug phone
is created together with worldwide leader Samsung. Jitterbug is a registered trademark of GreatCall, Inc. Samsung is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and its related entities.
Created together with worldwide leader Samsung. Copyright © 2010 by firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc. All rights reserved.
33
Questions & Answers
NOTE: The following Questions &
Answers were compiled by Retirement Benefits Service Department
staff. These are real questions
received by the Department and
real answers, based on the
members’ personal circumstances.
The answers are not universal and
may include information that is
relevant to the correspondent’s
particular situation. NARFE does not
provide legal advice or assistance,
does not provide financial planning
advice or assistance, and does not
provide tax advice or assistance. For
legal, financial planning or tax
advice/assistance, NARFE recommends members contact an
attorney, financial planner or certified public accountant/tax adviser.
ACTIVE
EMPLOYEES
RETURN TO SERVICE
QUESTION: A friend retired on disability in 1987 after about 12 years of
federal employment. She returned to
college and obtained a master’s degree in counseling. She would like to
return to federal service as a counselor but is unsure how to proceed.
Should she apply in response to federal job announcements or ask to be
reinstated? How would she go about
requesting reinstatement? How
would she determine if the counseling field is a critical need field?
Response: If she wants to return to federal employment, she should check the
job announcements on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Web site at
www.opm.gov. She can list her prior
service on her job application. This will
34
indicate to the employer that she is
seeking reinstatement in the federal government. If she is still receiving disability
retirement, she will initially return as a
re-employed annuitant unless she requests that her benefit be terminated.
Once she is re-employed, her disability
can be terminated if OPM determines
that she is recovered for employment
purposes or exceeds the earnings limitation. She will have to check with the potential employer concerning the “critical” nature of the job.
10 percent for the survivor’s benefit. If
you retire at age 60, you also should receive an annuity supplement based
only on your years of FERS service.
This is to take the place of your FERS
Social Security benefit until you are age
62 and become eligible for it.
If you are eligible for retirement in
the next year (even if you don’t plan to
retire at that time), you should find out
who is responsible for handling retirements in your agency and request a retirement estimate.
CSRS-FERS SWITCH
DUAL SS BENEFITS
QUESTION: I switched from the
Civil Service Retirement System
(CSRS) to the Federal Employees
Retirement System (FERS) during
the last Open Season. At the time, I
thought it was a great idea, but the
details now escape me. I know exactly how much my CSRS benefit
will be ($33,580, with spousal deduction), but I have no clue
how the rest of the retirement will be calculated.
I
remember being told
that I would be eligible for my husband’s Social Security
benefit, but I don’t know
how much or why. I’d like to retire at age 60 (I’ll have more
than 42 years of service), but I can’t
begin to plan until I know for certain
what to expect.
QUESTION: My wife and I both
worked under Social Security. Her
Social Security statement shows that
she would get $850 a month at full retirement age, and mine says I would
get $1,450. Do we each get our own
amount? Someone told me that we
could only get my amount, plus onehalf of that amount for my wife.
Response: A spouse is entitled to onehalf of your Social Security benefit at
his or her full retirement age or a Social Security benefit based
upon the individual’s
own work record. Since
your wife’s own benefit is more than
one-half of your
amount, you will
each get your
own benefit. If your wife’s own benefit
were less than half of yours (that is, less
than $725), she would receive her
amount plus enough on your record to
bring it up to the $725 amount.
QA
&
Response: Your agency should have a
retirement counselor, even if located in
another region. We are unable to compute retirement benefits. If you
switched to FERS during the 1998
Open Season, you have approximately
12 years under FERS, as of the end of
2010. You should receive 1 percent of
your average salary for each year of
FERS service. This will be reduced by
COLAS & SURVIVOR’S
ANNUITY
QUESTION: I am planning to retire
soon. If I choose a reduced annuity
with a partial survivor’s annuity for my
spouse equal to 55 percent of $21,900
a year,will the survivor’s annuity for my
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
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Questions & Answers
NARFE SERVICE OFFICERS are available to answer questions and to
spouse keep up with the cost-of-living
adjustments (COLAs) during those
years prior to her actually receiving
her annuity?
Response: COLAs applied to your annuity also are applied to the survivor’s
annuity.
VOLUNTARY VS. DISABILITY
QUESTION:I have enough service to
retire under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS),but I also have
certificates showing total disability
(mail handler). Which retirement
should I take? If I retire on disability,
would I have to pay the total cost of
health insurance?
Response: A retiree would be able to
retain Federal Employees Health Benefits Program coverage if he or she had
the coverage for five years immediately prior to retirement, whether the
employee retired based on an immediate voluntary retirement or based on
a disability. The government share and
cost would be the same.
Voluntary retirements normally take
less time to process because the retiree
would not have to submit information
on the disability to be reviewed by the
Office of Personnel Management and
wait for approval. If under age 60, the
employee may be subject to a medical
evaluation if on disability retirement,
and income is limited to 80 percent of
the current equivalent of the amount of
pay at retirement.
The amount of the annuity would
apparently be the same if the employee
is entitled to an immediate voluntary retirement. Considering the above, it may
be better to retire voluntarily on an immediate annuity rather than filing for
disability retirement.
SURVIVOR’S BENEFIT?
QUESTION: My wife is still working
under the Civil Service Retirement
36
assist in helping with a variety of benefit matters. Check your chapter newsletter
for the name and phone number of your service officer. Call NARFE toll-free at
800-456-8410
for the nearest service officer. NARFE Service Centers are also available in some
areas. Use the Service Center listings on the NARFE Web site, www.narfe.org.
System (CSRS) and is enrolled in the
Federal Employees Health Benefits
Program (FEHBP).I retired under the
CSRS and am paying for the survivor’s
annuity for my wife. We are very close
in age.How can I cancel the survivor’s
annuity for my wife (with her consent)? It seems to me that buying a 20year term insurance policy is a better
deal. When my wife retires in two
years and chooses not to have a survivor’s annuity, should she at least elect
a minimum amount so that I can be
covered and continue to be covered
under her health insurance?
Response: You cannot cancel your survivor’s benefit after you have started to
receive regular annuity payments. If you
retired on an immediate annuity (one
that begins within 30 days after separation from federal service), and you were
covered under the FEHBP for the last
five years of your federal employment as
an enrollee and/or a family member, you
are entitled to FEHBP coverage as a retiree in your own right. If not, your wife
would have to elect a survivor’s benefit
for you. She may want to elect $3,600 of
her annuity as a survivor base for you.
This would provide 55 percent, or $165
per month, in survivor’s benefits for you,
with cost-of-living adjustments after her
retirement, for a total cost to her of $90
per year. This would allow you to continue FEHBP coverage as long as she
continues to cover you.
SELF-ONLY COVERAGE?
QUESTION:Due to my wife’s recent
full-time employment,including med-
ical benefits, I switched my own Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) plan to self-only. I am
having second thoughts about
whether to continue with self-only or
include her in my federal plan during
the next Open Season. I am concerned that, in the event I pass away
while a federal employee, my wife
would not be able to join my federal
health plan. Upon my death,I want to
ensure that she can stop working at
any time and be covered under my
medical plan.I am retirement-eligible,
as I meet the age and service requirements, and have been covered by the
FEHBP for at least the past five years.
Response: To be eligible for FEHBP coverage, your wife must be a survivor’s annuitant (either as the survivor of a deceased federal employee or as the
elected survivor of a deceased federal retiree) and be covered as a family member
under your FEHBP plan at the time of
your death. If you have self-only coverage at the time of your death, your
wife could not enroll in her own right.
SURVIVORS’ BENEFITS
QUESTION: How do I plan to provide
benefits to my survivors after my
death?
Response: Your personnel officer will review the election opportunities to provide benefits after your death to your
spouse, ex-spouse or another person
you designate as having an insurable
interest in your continuing life. If you
do not provide for a monthly benefit
after your death, your survivor would
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
not be able to continue coverage under
the Federal Employees Health Benefits
Program. The adviser also will cover the
requirements that each survivor must
meet to qualify.
When making an election to provide
a benefit after your death, you must obtain your spouse’s written consent to
provide less than the maximum benefit
allowed. To designate an insurable interest, you must have a physical examination at your own expense.
Your personnel office is the best
place to begin. The office maintains
your employment records and can provide personalized assistance.
MRA
QUESTION: What is a“minimum retirement age (MRA) +10” annuity
under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)?
avoid all or part of the 5-percent reduction for retirement before age 62 that
would otherwise have been applied.
Your life insurance enrollment
would stop until the annuity begins.
Once the annuity begins, the life insurance coverage you had when you
stopped working would resume if you
are eligible.
Your health benefits could be temporarily continued under the temporary continuation of coverage provisions for 18 months. You would have
to pay the full cost of coverage, including both the employee and government shares, plus a 2-percent administrative charge. Your employer
would collect the premiums and maintain this coverage.
When your payments begin, if you
are otherwise eligible to continue cov-
erage, you could re-enroll in the Federal
Employees Health Benefits Program,
and the government share of premiums
would be paid for you. If you do not file
an application before your death, the
rights of your surviving family members would be protected because you
would be considered a retiree.
RETIREES
FERS DISABILITY
QUESTION:I just retired on disability
under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Please explain
how my annuity is computed.
Response: If you were under age 62
when your disability benefit began,
your benefit will be recomputed:
• After you have been retired for 12
months; and
Response: This is a provision that allows
you to retire with immediate benefits if
you have 10 years of service and have
reached the minimum retirement age
(age 55-57). However, the annuity is reduced for each month that you are
under age 62. The reduction equals 5
percent per year (or 5/12 of 1 percent
per month). To avoid the reduction, you
can postpone payment. You can later
apply for the benefit by writing to the
Office of Personnel Management or
filing form RI 92-19, “Application for Deferred or Postponed Retirement.” You
should submit the form two months
before you want the benefit to begin.
POSTPONE BENEFITS?
QUESTION:I have 23 years of service
and am at my minimum retirement
age (MRA). What happens if I postpone the“MRA +10” annuity?
Response: The benefit is not reduced if
it begins after your 60th birthday, and
you have at least 20 years of service.
Delay of the benefit could be used to
NARFE | AUGUST 2010
37
Questions & Answers
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• When you reach age 62.
After you have been retired for 12
months, your annuity will be recomputed at 40 percent of your high-three
average salary, minus 60 percent of
your monthly Social Security benefit
for any month in which you are entitled to Social Security disability benefits. However, you are entitled to your
earned annuity (1 percent of your
high-three average salary multiplied
by your years and months of service) if
it is larger than your disability annuity
computed at 40 percent.
Your annuity will be recomputed
using an amount that essentially represents the annuity you would have received if you had continued working
until the day before your 62nd birthday
and then retired under FERS nondisability provisions. The total service used
in the computation will be increased by
the amount of time you have received
a disability annuity. The average salary
will be increased by all FERS cost-ofliving adjustments that occurred during
the time you received a disability annuity (even if the adjustment did not affect your annuity). The FERS basic annuity formula (1 percent of your highthree average salary multiplied by your
total years and months of service) is
then applied, using the adjusted time
base and average salary. If your actual
service plus the credit for time as a disability retiree equals 20 or more years,
the formula would be 1.1 percent of
your high-three average salary multiplied by the total of your years and
months of service, using the adjusted
time base and average salary.
QUESTION: I retired on disability
under the Civil Service Retirement
System (CSRS).How will my annuity
be recomputed when I turn age 62?
Response: CSRS employees are not entiAUGUST 2010 | NARFE
Technology Simplified
NEW
SPOUSE SS BENEFITS
QUESTION:I am entitled to a higher
Social Security benefit based upon my
husband’s work record. I know that I
cannot apply for a benefit based upon
his work until he applies for his benefit.
He plans to postpone receipt of his
benefit until he reaches age 70. Does
this mean that I have to wait until he
reaches age 70 to apply for my benefit?
Response: If your spouse is at his full retirement age, he can apply for retirement
benefits and then request to have payments suspended. That way, you could
receive a spouse’s benefit, and he can
continue to earn delayed retirement
credits until age 70. If retirement benefits
are delayed, a higher benefit may be received at a later date based on the effect
of delayed retirement credits.
If you have reached your full retirement age and are eligible for a spouse’s
(or an ex-spouse’s) benefit and your
own retirement benefit, you may
choose to receive only spouse’s benefits
and continue accruing delayed retirement credits on your own Social Security record. You may then file for benefits at a later date and receive a higher
monthly benefit based on the effect of
delayed retirement credits.
OPM ONLINE SERVICES
QUESTION: When I was still employed, I made many changes to my
personnel records using my computer.
Now that I am retired,does the Office
of Personnel Management (OPM)
offer any online services?
Response: Yes. OPM provides online retirement services on demand. Go to the
OPM Web site at www.opm.gov. Go to
the “Browse by Audience” section in the
middle of the OPM Home Page, then go
to “Retirees & Families” and click on
NARFE | AUGUST 2010
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Get current weather & news.
Well, have we got good news for
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Easy to use and worry-free. This
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A key part of the Designed for Seniors®
GO Computer is that you never have to
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we do it for you … remotely. So it never
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www.theGOcomputer.com
tled to have their annuities recomputed
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Finally…A Computer Designed For YOU,
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39
Questions & Answers
Thousands have rediscovered
the luxury and therapy of
bathing… now it’s your turn
Be one
of the first
500 callers
and get
Exclusive offer for seniors – this newly
redesigned bath lift can help you
rediscover the joys and benefits of bathing.
American seniors
can now enjoy the
independence and
dignity European
seniors have for
years with the
newly redesigned
Neptune® Bath Lift.
Smaller
footprint means
more room in
the bath
Discover the freedom that European
seniors have known for many years.
For years European seniors, long known to
worship their independence and dignity,
have been enjoying a quality of life in their
golden years that many of us in the U.S.
have not. Older Italian, English, German and
French seniors have traditionally remained
in their own homes and with their families
significantly longer than their U.S. counterparts while relying on nursing homes and
assisted living facilities far less than we do.
$100 off
*
Now I can safely
take a bath again…
and it’s more
affordable than ever.
remote, and the chair lowers to the bottom
of the tub. When you’re done, you press
another button, and the chair returns you to
the top of the tub.
1-888-602-3058
www.neptunelift.com
40
52487 Copyright © 2010 by firstSTREET, for Boomers and Beyond, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Smart-Chip Technology Make the
Neptune® Safe & “Fool-Proof”
The remote control contains a powerful
rechargeable battery that operates up to
seven up/down cycles which lets you
know with a light indicator when it needs
recharging. The remote can be recharged
in any household outlet. Advanced
What’s their secret? Europeans understand “smart-chip” technology will not allow it
that most falls in the home happen in the to lower you down if there is not sufficient
bathroom, and that slipping and falling is power to raise you back up.
the number one reason seniors can no
Exclusive Offer! Try it Risk Free
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Not sold in any stores. As part of their
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families— in order to ensure their elders can
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Prices For the U.S. Market
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The Neptune® Bath Lift has been a best
seller in Europe among households with
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seniors for decades. But its high price tag
Neptune’s ease of use, with
has made it prohibitive to many seniors in
its simple touch hand-held
the U.S. That’s why Neptune’s engineers
waterproof
remote control.
recently went back to the drawing board
with a single mission... create a high-quality,
NEW Neptune®
easy-to-use bath lift that American seniors
Upright Bath Lift
on fixed incomes can actually afford.
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Easy To Install, Easy To Use & Portable
The Neptune® Bath Lift is a technologically
advanced, fully portable “chair” that sits in
your tub. High-quality suction cups hold it
Ask about our lifetime warranty!
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a piece that sticks out from the chair’s side—
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“Services Online.” Once you receive
your personal identification number
(PIN) from OPM, you can use it to:
• Update your e-mail address;
• Change federal/state income tax
withholding;
• Buy savings bonds;
• View/print/request a duplicate
form 1099-R for the current tax year
and two previous years;
• Change your PIN;
• Establish an allotment to an organization;
• Change your mailing address;
• Sign up for direct deposit;
• Set up a checking or savings allotment; and
• View your annuity statement.
Services Online cannot be used to
make any changes to your Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance
Program (FEDVIP) coverage. Visit the
official enrollment site for FEDVIP at
www.benefeds.com or call 877-8883337 if you have any changes or comments related to your FEDVIP coverage.
DIRECT DEPOSITS
QUESTION: If the first day of the
month is a holiday, when would my
survivor’s annuity check be credited in
my account?
Response: Banks have different policies
concerning when they post federal benefits payments. You would have to check
with your bank or other financial institution to see when your payment would
be deposited into your account. Officially, annuity and survivors’ benefit
checks are payable the first business
day on or after the first of the month.
‘EARLY-OUTS’ AND WEP
QUESTION: If a federal employee
with 25 years of service were given the
option to take an early retirement,
would he or she be subject to the
Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)?
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
Aging in the Home™ Technology
Response: Anyone eligible to retire
under any type of retirement before January 1, 1986, is exempt from the WEP.
If you were eligible for early voluntary retirement before January 1, 1986, you
would be exempt from the WEP. The Office of Personnel Management grants
early voluntary authorities to individual
agencies. In addition to your agency
having an early voluntary authority, the
authority also would have had to apply
to you, and you would have had to be
age 50 with 20 years of federal service or
any age with 25 years of federal service
prior to January 1, 1986.
MEDICARE PART B PREMIUM
QUESTION:Does everyone who enrolls in Medicare Part B in 2010 pay
$110.50?
Response: Yes. New enrollees are not
protected under the “hold harmless” provisions of the Social Security Act. The
standard monthly premium for Part B is
$110.50 in 2010. However, individuals
with an annual income of more than
$85,000 (or more than $170,000 for married couples) will pay monthly premiums of $154.70 to $353.60, depending on income, in 2010.
FINANCIAL PLANNERS
QUESTION: Do you have a list of financial planners in California who are
familiar with the Thrift Savings Plan
(TSP)? I need advice on what to do
with my TSP funds when I withdraw
them.
Response: We do not have a list of financial advisers who are familiar with the
TSP. Members of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
(NAPFA) work for a fee, and they state
that the fee allows them to provide independent advice. You can visit the NAPFA
Web site at www.napfa.org or call 847483-5400. ■
NARFE | AUGUST 2010
• Lifetime warranty
• 10 safety sensors
• Swivel-style seat
• 350 lb. capacity
• Available in AC
only or DC only
models
• Easy to use
• Seat Belt
firstSTREET
exclusive
not available
in stores
This innovative and affordable solution enables you to
maintain your independence and stay in the home you love.
Like most people, the older I get, the
more I miss life’s simple pleasures. The
thing is, I want to stay in the home I
love, the home where my wife and I
raised our children. Recently, when
my doctor told me that I should not
climb stairs, I thought I had no choice
but to move. Our bedroom’s on the
second floor, and neither my wife
nor I feel safe walking up or down
the stairs. I had even started looking
at brochures for homes in a senior
community when a friend asked me
why I would move when there was
such an easy solution. It’s called the
Easy Climber TM, and it’s enabled me
to stay put.
If you or someone you love lives in
a home with more than one floor,
the staircase can be more than an
inconvenience, it can be a health
threat. Whether it's due to mobility
issues or cardiac concerns, why risk
your life climbing stairs when an easy
solution is only a phone call away?
You’ll be surprised how easy, simple,
and affordable this system is. It
features a reliable, aircraft-grade
cable drive that’s been tested over
30,000 cycles. Also designed for
basements and outdoors. It’s simple
enough for most people to install on
either side of the stairs, a snap to use,
and comes with an exclusive lifetime
warranty on the drive train. Call our
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and safety in the home. 350 lb.
weight capacity.
Easy Climber™
Call Now for our lowest price ever!
Because this item is customized for your
home before shipping, it does not qualify for
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1-888-233-5493
We accept all major credit cards, or if you
choose, you can pay by check over the phone.
To order by mail, please call for details.
1998 Ruffin Mill Road
Colonial Heights, VA 23834
www.easyclimber.com
I took an“early out” in the mid-1980s.
Are you
in love
with your
home,
but
afraid
of your
staircase?
41
Report From the Regions
Here’s a Way for
NARFE to Cut Costs
By Paul E. Johnson
Region IV Regional Vice President
[email protected]
O
ne of NARFE’s biggest
expenses is postage.
Each year, NARFE
spends approximately
$130,000 to mail second annual dues
notices, which are
sent as first-class
mail. These mailings
are necessary because some 30 percent of members fail
to respond to their
first annual dues renewal notices, which NARFE Head-
42
quarters sends as bulk mail.
But I think I have found a solution
to this problem: dues withholding.
NARFE members who are currently
retired from the federal government
should sign up for dues withholding, if
they have not already done so. (Active
federal employees are not eligible for
this program.)
By choosing to have your dues deducted from your annuity, you automatically receive NARFE’s national
dues rate, which reduces your dues by
15 percent. Members benefit further
because they no longer need to be concerned about keeping track of when
they need to renew or having to write a
check, so there is no chance of having
your membership lapse. NARFE benefits because printing, postage and staff-
related costs are greatly reduced.
Signing up for dues withholding is
easy. All you need to do is fill out an application and send it to NARFE Headquarters. You can download a dueswithholding form from the NARFE
Web site, and chapter officials also can
provide you with one. The form also
periodically appears in NARFE magazine. Once dues withholding is implemented, you will not receive any further dues notices. Keep in mind that
you can withdraw from the program
for any reason with a written request.
I strongly support dues withholding.
We must all work together to reduce
costs in this difficult economy, and
dues withholding benefits both members and NARFE. Please consider
signing up today. ■
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
SOON TO BE EXTINCT!
More than 33% of the last Silver Tigers are gone.
Don’t miss your chance to own one.
It’s the newest (and last) in a series of 12 Chinese
Zodiac Silver Dollars from Australia.
Each 2010 Tiger contains one Troy ounce of
99.9% silver, and features an image of the
world’s largest cat in stunning, shimmering relief.
We’re an official distributor for Australian Tiger
Silver Dollars. We bring these Silver Tigers to you
at our best direct-from-the-mint price.
And that’s a big savings. In fact, you can get
these 2010 Silver Tigers at up to 39% off what
they’re selling for elsewhere.
Don’t wait. Expect a complete and rapid sell out.
Buy more and you save even more!
• One 2010 Australia Tiger Silver Dollar for $38.95 + s/h
• 3-4 for only $36.95 each + s/h
• 5 or more for only $31.95 each + s/h Save $7 each
Includes 30 Day Money-Back Guarantee
Toll-Free 24 hours a day
1-888-324-9115
Offer Code YTD119.
Please mention this code when you call.
14101 Southcross Drive W., Dept. YTD119, Burnsville, Minnesota 55337
www.GovMint.com/tiger
Prices and availability subject to change without notice. Note: GovMint.com is a private distributor of worldwide government coin issues and is not affiliated with the
United States government. Facts and figures were deemed accurate as of February 2010. ©GovMint.com, 2010
®
31st National Convention
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Aug 29-Sept 2, 2010
CONVENTION
UPDATE
25 Candidates Announce in Election
A
s of July 1, 25 candidates
had announced bids for
election as NARFE national
officers or regional vice presidents. Elections will be held during the National
Convention in Grand Rapids, MI.
Announced candidates for national officer positions:
National President
Joseph A. Beaudoin
Richard L. (Dick) Strombotne
National Vice President
Paul H. Carew
Martha E. Leiker
National Secretary
H. Ray Harrington
Elaine Hughes
David F. Sullivan
CONVENTION
REMINDERS
• Deadline for preregistration is
August 6.
• Proxy forms must be submitted
by August 13.
• All resolutions may be found online at www.narfe.org (click on
the National Convention logo).
• Delegates should bring the resolutions book mailed to them.
• Information on the shuttle bus
to and from the airport and on
optional tours may be found at
www.gailandrus.com and at www.
narfe.org.
44
National Treasurer
Frank Impinna
Charles W. Saylor.
Announced candidates for regional vice president, by region:
Region I
Gilbert W. Blaisdell Jr.
Ralph F. Browne Jr.
Kenneth D. Nolan
Region II
Walter T. (Walt) Berwick
Ronald P. Bowers
Region III
L. Shelton Hawsey
Benjamin J. Pappa Jr.
Donald (Don) Stewart
Region IV
Paul E. Johnson
Region V
Richard G. Thissen
Region VI
Jerome S. Smith
Region VII
Betty Lucero-Turner
Region VIII
Helen L. Zajac
Region IX
Lanny G. Ross
Region X
Bill R. Austin
William F. Martin.
Statements from all announced
candidates are available on the
NARFE Web site. Go to www.narfe.org
and click on the National Convention
logo. ■
HOTEL RESERVATIONS
Hotel reservations must be made by phone directly with the convention
hotel. To get the NARFE rate, you must mention the NARFE Convention.
AMWAY GRAND PLAZA HOTEL
187 Monroe Ave. N.W.
(Main entrance is on Pearl Street N.W.)
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
800-253-3590 - www.amwaygrand.com
HOTEL RATE: $95 single/double + $13.30 tax
PARKING:Self-parking, $11/day; valet, $25/day
RESERVATION CUTOFF DATE: August 3
CHECK-IN: 4 p.m. (Early arrivals will be accommodated based on availability.)
CHECK-OUT: 12 noon (Requests to retain rooms must be directed to
hotel front desk. Depending on room availability, a late-departure charge
will apply.)
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
NEW THIS YEAR!
Pay for registration and banquet tickets online at www.NARFE.org.
NARFE 2010 NATIONAL CONVENTION
PREREGISTRATION FORM
31ST NATIONAL CONVENTION
August 29-September 2, 2010
NARFE ID #:
PLEASE CHECK:
■ (Guest) Member
■ (Guest) Nonmember
Name:
■ Delegate*
■ Delegate-at-Large*
■ Alternate*
*NOTE: This is NOT a voter registration form. Voter
registration is confirmed by your Chapter on Form C/10-2.
Address:
Mail Preregistration Form to:
NARFE, Treasurer’s Office
Name for badge:
Chapter #:
■ A nonrefundable fee of $55 (payable to NARFE) must accompany
this form.
■ Onsite registration fee will be $65 in Grand Rapids.
■ Each attendee must complete a separate registration form.
■ Form must be postmarked by August 6, 2010.
Location:
■ Charge to my credit card
Notify in case of emergency:
Card type: ■ MasterCard ■ Visa ■ Discover ■ AMEX
Name:
Card# __________________________________________
Phone Number:
Expiration Date_______ / _______
(mm) / (yy)
Name on card (Print) _______________________________
Signature ________________________ Date __________
Form C/10-4
BANQUET RESERVATION FORM
September 2, 2010
31ST NATIONAL CONVENTION
August 29-September 2, 2010
■ Tables will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
Tables seat 10 people.
■ RESERVATIONS LIMITED TO 2,000 PEOPLE.
■ Groups wishing to sit together should submit only one request
specifying number of seats desired. Please attach name list.
■ A receipt will be mailed to you by August 6 acknowledging
payment and showing your table assignment.
■ All banquet tickets will be held for your pickup at the convention registration area at the Amway Grand Plaza.
■ BANQUET REFUNDS AVAILABLE ONLY IF RESERVATIONS ARE
CANCELLED 72 HOURS PRIOR TO THE BANQUET.
NARFE ID #:
Name:
Address:
Chapter #:
Nonmember Guest:
Please reserve _____ tickets at $50 each, total $_____.
■ Charge to my credit card
Card type: ■ MasterCard ■ Visa ■ Discover ■ AMEX
Make check payable to NARFE and send to:
NARFE, Treasurer’s Office
Card# __________________________________________
Expiration Date_______ / _______
(mm) / (yy)
Name on card (Print) _______________________________
Signature ________________________ Date __________
Form C/10-16
NARFE | AUGUST 2010
45
NARFE News
NARFE NewsWatch: Electronic News Digest
N
ARFE has partnered with
MultiView Inc. of Dallas, TX,
to produce a news brief that
will be delivered weekly by e-mail to
NARFE members.
To receive NARFE NewsWatch,
members must have their e-mail addresses on file at NARFE Headquarters.
The news brief will include a variety
of stories on topics of interest to NARFE
members culled from thousands of
news sources. Some of the topics are:
Finances, Legislative Update, Health,
Second Careers, Travel and Retirement
Trends. It also will include news from
NARFE.
“We are very pleased to be able to
communicate to members in this new
electronic format,” said NARFE President Margaret L. Baptiste. “It complements our existing communications
vehicles and widens our ability to serve
NARFE members.”
NARFE also hopes to use the news
brief as a means to reach out to
prospective new members. NARFE
members who receive the newsletter
are encouraged to forward it to friends
and colleagues who are eligible for
NARFE membership.
“We are hoping that this enhances
NARFE’s name recognition,” said Baptiste. “Each issue of NARFE NewsWatch
will include a message for nonmembers to subscribe to the newsletter free
of charge, or, better yet, join the Association and receive all the benefits of
membership in NARFE.”
Recipients will be able to “unsubscribe” to the news brief if they so desire.
NewsWatch will be advertising-supported and is expected to launch this
summer. In anticipation of launch,
members should contact NARFE to update their member record with their
current e-mail address.
There are four ways to add your email address to your NARFE member
record:
1. Go to the NARFE Web site,
www.narfe.org, click on Members on
the top of the page, sign in as a member,
Congratulations on Two Decades!
N
ARFE saluted two long-time employees with a cake-and-punch party at
NARFE Headquarters.
In the photo at right, NARFE
President Margaret L. Baptiste,
left, congratulates Linda Parsons,
center, human resources director;
and LaJuadon Jackson, funds accountant. Both celebrated 20
years of employment at NARFE.
Members of the National Executive Board (NEB) joined in the
event, held during the June NEB
meeting.
46
then click on “Update Your Record”
under “What You Can Do Online,”
which is found in the left panel of the
Members Home Page.
2. Send an e-mail message to
[email protected].
3. Call NARFE toll-free at 800-4568410.
4. Send a letter with the information
by postal mail to NARFE, Attn: Member
Records, 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314. ■
Balance Update
D
an M. Ritchie, author of the
story “Balance: What You
Can Do to Prevent Falls,”
which appeared in the June issue (p.
20), reports that he was “overwhelmed
by the interest and response” by
NARFE members to his story. Ritchie’s
Web site now offers individual exercise
programs, tailored to a person’s fitness
ability. Go to www.danMritchie.com, fill
out the functional balance screen, and
he will e-mail you a program that is right
for you. Early visitors to his site may not
have seen this feature. ■
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
NARFE News
Passages
Silver Circle Tops $95,000
S
ilver Circle donations totaled Headquarters. To date, 34 members
$95,269 as of June 15. Donors have given at the $1,000 level.
To become a member of the
from March 16-June 15 are
listed here with their
chapter numbers.
NARFE WALL OF FAME
For a minimum contri($1,000 OR MORE)
bution of $25, members
receive a Silver Circle pin
JOHN DIFILIPPO, CHAPTER 0637, NJ
and have their names
JERRY D. HATFIELD, CHAPTER 0300, TX
published in NARFE
JO A. HATFIELD, CHAPTER 0300, TX
magazine.
Members who donate
$1,000 or more have their names en- NARFE Silver Circle, see the coupon
graved on the Wall of Fame at NARFE below.
SILVER CIRCLE ($25 OR MORE)
ARIZONA
ELIZABETH MONDSCHEIN 1413
MARION DURHAM 1505
BEVERLY J. LUNDBERG 1505
DEAN CHICKADONZ 1789
CALIFORNIA
IRVING HOFFMAN 0065
ANDREW H. SPEARS 0511
BRUCE A. BENNETT 1028
MICHAEL PRINGLE 1317
FLORIDA
ELIZABETH T. JULKOWSKI 0230
SUSAN J. O’BRIEN 2247
GEORGIA
JAY ARNOLD 0101
KANSAS
BARBARA L. PRETZER 0366
KENTUCKY
DONA J. BOHART 1643
WILLIAM H. BOHART 1643
LOUISIANA
ANNA ROSE SMEDBERG 0041
MAINE
CLAIRE R. BRETON 1804
ROLAND A. METAYER 1804
MARYLAND
BETTEANNE M. PRIEST 1734
MERLAND O. INDERGAARD
FORMER NORTH DAKOTA
FEDERATION PRESIDENT
M
erland O. “Mert” Indergaard
died June 6 in Minot, ND. He
served as North Dakota Federation
president in 1995-96.
A veteran of World War II, he
began civilian employment with
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
in 1949 and later served in several
positions with the Air Force. He
retired in 1987 as the civilian personnel officer at Minot Air Force
Base. In addition to serving as federation president, he held other
NARFE offices at the state and
local level.
EDWARD E. PRIEST 1734
REID C. FELL 1747
CONSTANCE J. BUCKHEIT 1770
MASSACHUSETTS
JOSEPH VERA 0034
MINNESOTA
DOUGLAS E. HESS 2019
MISSISSIPPI
WILLIAM M. JAMES 1659
NEW HAMPSHIRE
ANTHONY STORACE 1540
NEW JERSEY
EDWARD VREESWYK 0127
NORMA L. WERNHAM 0858
NEW YORK
JOHN L. KACHERMEYER 0267
FRANCIS L. ZEMALKOWSKI 1203
OREGON
RONALD K. LABER 0134
PENNSYLVANIA
JEAN V. ALEXANDER 1778
SOUTH CAROLINA
EDWARD J. SWANSON 0072
TENNESSEE
RONALD E. SIEMANSKI 0227
VIRGINIA
KATHY R. ARPA 1116
NORMAN B. HEDRICK 1138
WASHINGTON
DALE BRIGHTON 0239
Silver Circle Contribution Form
Yes!
I want to be a member of the NARFE Silver Circle. Enclosed is my Silver Circle contribution of $ _____
• For a contribution of
$25 or more, you will
receive a Silver Circle
pin, and your name
will be listed in NARFE
magazine with other
contributors.
• For a contribution of
$1,000 or more, your
name will be placed
on the “Wall of
Fame” at NARFE
Headquarters.
ID # ____________________________________________________________________
(ID # may be found on your NARFE magazine label or your NARFE membership card)
Name ____________________________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________________________
City ____________________________________ State ___________ ZIP _____________
J My check is enclosed (please make check payable to NARFE Silver Circle)
J Please charge my credit card
Card type
J Mastercard
J Visa
J Discover
J AMEX
J Installment Plan
Wall of Fame 12-month
Card # _________________________________________________
installment plan
Expiration Date_____________________________________________
Name __________________________________________________
Signature ___________________________________________ Date ___________________
Clip this contribution form and mail to: NARFE Silver Circle, NARFE, 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314
Silver Circle contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.
48
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
Join
NARFE
Who can join?
Today!
To apply:
Membership is open to civilians in any agency of
the federal or D.C.* governments including:
• Retirees
• Active federal employees
• Spouses and former spouses of active and
retired federal employees
• Former employees eligible for deferred annuity
• Survivors of those eligible to join NARFE
• Complete the application below.
• Enclose payment information, bill pay,
check or money order payable to NARFE,
or request to be billed.
• Or go to our Web site at www.narfe.org
and join today!
*Prior to October 1, 1987
Enrollment includes membership in a local chapter and the national
association, plus a subscription to NARFE’s monthly publication, NARFE magazine.
NARFE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
For Active and Retired Federal Employees
1. Choose all that apply:
Retiree
Spouse
Survivor
Active employee
Former spouse
Former employee
Contact Information:
Full Name: Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms.
2. Also enroll my spouse __________________________
Street Address
3. Please enroll me in NARFE chapter ______________
City/State/ZIP
full name
4. __________
$33
x __________
Membership Fee
# of People
Per Person
Enrolling
= __________
Total
Payment
Apt./Unit
Home Telephone Number
Total payment (check, bill pay or money order payable
to NARFE)
Bill me (Membership starts when payment is received)
Charge to my credit card
The first year membership fee includes national and chapter dues.
E-mail Address
Credit Card Information:
MasterCard
Card type:
Discover
Date(s) of Birth
VISA
AMEX
www.narfe.org
Federal Agency
Actual/Expected Retirement Date
Recruiter’s Membership and/or Chapter Number
Card no. ___________________________________________
Expiration Date ________________
(MM)
(YY)
Name on Card (Print) ________________________________
Signature ____________________________ Date __________
NARFE | AUGUST 2010
MAIL TO:
NARFE Member Records
Fax: 703-838-7783
1Q
49
Out & AW
bout
ith the Chapters
For more NARFE chapter and federation photos, go to www.narfe.org. Click on NARFE magazine.
Two Alabama Chapters
Celebrate Golden
Anniversaries
Officers of Chapter 744 in Cullman, AL, pose
for a photo while celebrating their chapter’s
50th anniversary. Left to right: Charles
Balch, chaplain; Hilda Johnston, service
chair; Curtis Mize, president; George Smith,
Members of Chapter 751 in Tuskegee-Macon County, AL, and state and regional NARFE
vp; Junior Wallace, Alabama Federation
representatives recently gathered to mark the chapter’s 50th anniversary.
president; Ava Willibey, membership chair;
Robert Harrell, Region III vp; Dean Morgan,
LEFT: Chapter 1019 in Belleville, IL, recruited
federation 1st vp; Herman Reid, secretary/
members at the Federally Employed
treasurer; and Julia Elsberry, District 6 vp.
Women’s training program in O’Fallon, IL.
Pictured are Carol Souza, left, newsletter
editor; and Bernadine Richter, president.
RIGHT: At the Kansas Federation Convention,
Wendy Hambley, left, a member of Freestate
Chapter 378 in Lawrence, presents a quilt to
Betty Warne of Chapter 138 in Wichita. The
quilt raffle raised $1,154 for the NARFEAlzheimer’s Research Fund.
SUPPORT ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH
NARFE members contributed
for Alzheimer’s research:
$9 Million Fund
$8,711,714*
*Total as of May 31, 2010
Enclosed is my NARFE Alzheimer’s contribution: $
Every cent that is contributed is used for research.
Please circle:
Mr.
Mrs.
Miss
.
Ms.
Name
Address
100% of all contributed funds
go to Alzheimer’s research.
City
State
ZIP
Chapter number
If you have any questions, write to:
National Committee, Chairman
Barb L. Pretzer, 4817 Rockridge Court,
Manhattan, KS 66503
50
Your charitable contribution is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Write your chapter number on check; make it payable to: NARFE-Alzheimer’s Research
and mail to: Alzheimer’s Association
225 N. Michigan Ave., 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601-7633
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
Letters
D for ‘Doomsday’
I
recently received my June issue
and noted a question that concerned the meaning of the “D” in
the phrase “D-Day.” I have heard and
read this question many times in the
past 60 years, but with no answer.
I was one of the many pilots assigned to the 9th Air Force that flew the
paratroops over France and the Cherbourg Peninsula, where the invasion of
Europe was initiated.
On June 5, 1944, our squadron was
assembled for a briefing of the invasion.
After the briefing, after we dispersed
and headed to board our aircraft, mention was made that this was
“Doomsday for Hitler.” That was the
first mention made of “D-Day,” as we
departed England on the morning of
June 6, 1944, around 1 a.m.
The roundtrip was approximately
four hours, after which we had breakfast and our aircraft was prepared with
supplies of anti-aircraft guns, ammo,
Jeeps and additional troops on gliders
(two each), which we towed to the in-
REMINDER:
Check out our daily
coverage of the
National Convention
at www.narfe.org,
beginning August 30.
vasion drop zone area.
Edward Allen,
Federal Way, WA
Fighting for Feds
I
just read President Baptiste’s message in the June issue, and it saddens and upsets me, too, to read
about members not renewing their
membership.
I retired from the U.S. Forest Service
in 2002 and joined NARFE thereafter. I
haven’t regretted a single day for doing
so, and I’m glad to pay what I consider a
nominal dues and contribute what I can
to NARFE-PAC for your support.
I live in an isolated area that is too far
away to attend chapter meetings, so I
rely a lot upon your magazine. The timeliness and thoroughness of the magazine’s content is excellent. More important, the spirit and passion that is put
into its content is greatly reassuring.
We may not win all the battles, but it
is comforting to know that NARFE personnel care and fight for the feds.
Tim McMullen,
Bishop, CA
Took Advice
M
y husband is a retired federal employee, and I certainly am pleased that he
took the advice from a good friend and
joined your organization.
I’ve found the information you provide so valuable. Thanks and keep up
the good work!
Mary Watson,
Shippensburg, PA
Contact Us
NARFE HEADQUARTERS
606 North Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1914
Phone: 703-838-7760 Fax: 703-838-7785
CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Contact Member Records toll-free at 800-456-8410, or send change of address
by postal mail to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Member Records, or by e-mail to [email protected].
Q&A: To obtain an answer to a retirement benefits question, call 703-838-7760 and ask for the Retirement
Benefits Service Department; send your question by postal mail to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Retirement
Benefits; or submit it by e-mail to [email protected].
OUT & ABOUT: Submit photo with caption information by postal mail to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Out
& About, or by e-mail to [email protected].
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Letters to the editor may be edited for grammar, clarity and length. All letters
must be signed. Send by postal mail to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Letters to the Editor, or by e-mail to
[email protected].
NARFE | AUGUST 2010
51
NARFE Perks
NARFE Perks are designed to provide NARFE members with a quality option in their search for
commonly used products and services. NARFE makes no guarantee on any products and services listed
below and encourages its members to shop and compare before making a decision on any financial matter.
MOVING SERVICES
NARFE MEMBER
HOMEBENEFITS
1-800-666-9203
http://narfe.myhomebenefits.com
• Earn thousands in cash-back rewards when you buy or sell a home*
• Shop competitive mortgage rates,
receive discounts on closing costs, plus
take advantage of your VA Loan Benefits
• Receive preferred pricing on interesete moving services with the nation’s
most trusted moving company – Allied
Van Lines!
*State restriction apply. Call or visit website for details.
BEKINS VAN LINES
1-800-456-6832 (M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. CT)
[email protected]
All
NARFE
members will receive discounted pricing for all interstate
shipments. Discount will apply to
packing and moving services and valuation protection. All intrastate shipments,
locals and international moves will be
competitive in cost based on your geographical location. Mention you are a
NARFE member and transportation
agreement #00930.
VACATION RENTALS
Endless Vacation Rentals®
As a member of NARFE, you will receive 10% off the “Best Available Rate”
at vacation rental properties booked at
www.evrentals.com/narfe or by calling 1877-670-7088, prompt 3, and providing
promotion code 20672 at time of
booking.
52
INSURANCE
TRAVEL
NARFE INSURANCE SERVICES
Fall Caribbean
Extra Value Days!
1-800-233-5764
Insurance plans designed and administered exclusively for NARFE members.
Call for information on Whole and Term
Life, Hospital Indemnity, Accidental Injury
and Death Plan, Dental Plan and Cancer
Care Plan. For information on Long Term
Care call the Long Term Care Unit at 1800-358-3795.
GEICO: 1-800-368-2734
NARFE members with good driving
records may be eligible for quality automobile insurance from GEICO. Ask about
the NARFE discount now available to
members in many states. Call today for
your free, no-obligation rate quote. Be
sure to mention that you’re a NARFE
member!
• Discount amount varies in some states
• Discount not available in all states or in
all GEICO companies
• One group discount applicable per
policy.
EMERGENCY SERVICES
SINCE 1974
1-800-423-3226
Medical Air Services Association has
been the industry leader in prepaid emergency assistance services for more than
30 years. NARFE members have experienced MASA’s “peace of mind” services
since 2001. Now NARFE members are
entitled to even more: air ambulance
transportation, helicopter transportation,
ground ambulance, vehicle return, mortal
remains transport, and much more!
Call MASA Today. It Could Save Your Life!
*Cruises starting at just $69 per day*
• $100 Onboard credit with every cabin
• Extra amenities on every sailing
• Exclusive NARFE Group rates
Dates include:
7-day Western Caribbean – Oct 10
9-day Southern Caribbean – Oct 22
**Hosted by NARFE Travel**
7-day Western on EPIC! – Nov 20
**Thanksgiving Sailing**
Call for more dates and itineraries
1-800-607-4538
Website: www.NARFEtravel.com
HEARING BENEFITS
TRUHEARING
The TruHearing program can save you
hundreds of dollars:
• Free hearing screening
• 45-day, money-back guarantee
• 3-year warranty
• Free one-year supply of batteries
• 1,400 hearing professionals
nationwide
• 12-months, no interest financing
(available upon approved credit)
Call to schedule your appointment
877-360-2442
Operators available Mon-Fri
9 a.m.-9 p.m. (East Coast time)
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
HOTELS
CAR RENTALS
CREDIT UNION
ALAMO/NATIONAL
CAR RENTAL
NARFE’S OFFICIAL CREDIT UNION
CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL
With 6,000 hotels in the United States
and throughout the world, Choice Hotels® offers something for everyone. Join
the Choice Privileges® rewards program
and earn points with every qualifying stay
toward free nights, Airline Rewards, gift
cards and more. As a NARFE member,
receive 20% off your next stay at participating hotels when you use Special Rate
ID 00801967. This offer is subject to availability and cannot be combined with any
other offer. Advance reservations required. To book, visit choicehotels.com
or call 800-258-2847.
1-800-354-2322 — www.alamo.com
Welcome to Alamo Country. Where
NARFE members get unlimited mileage
and year-round discounts off Alamo’s
already great rates. Book with your
travel agent or Alamo®. Be sure to request I.D. Number 262544 and Rate
Code BY (A-1 for weekend rentals) at
the time of reservation. (Same ID
number and code applies to National
Car Rental.)
As a member of NARFE, you have
the privilege of joining NARFE Premier
Federal Credit Union, which has been
serving members since 1935. We offer
extensive services at competitive rates
to members nationwide. Your savings
are federally insured to at least $250,000
and backed by the full faith and credit of
the United States Government.
For more information, call 800-3281500, e-mail jparish@narfepremierfcu.
org or visit us at NARFEpremierfcu.org.
CREDIT CARD
AVIS: 1-800-331-1441
WYNDHAM HOTEL GROUP
As a member of NARFE, you will receive an additional 10% off the “Best
Available Rate” at participating locations
every time you travel. Book online or call
and give agent your special discount ID
number, #20672, at time of booking to receive discount. Whether you are looking
for an upscale hotel, an all-inclusive resort or something more cost-effective,
we have the right hotel for you... and at
the right price. So start saving now. Call
our special member-benefits hotline 1877-670-7088 and reserve your room
today at one of these fine hotels: Wyndham Hotels and Resorts®, Days Inn®,
Ramada Worldwide®, Super 8®,
Wingate By Wyndham®, Baymont Inns
and Suites®, Hawthorn Suites®, Microtel
Inns and Suites®, Howard Johnson®,
Travelodge®, Knights Inn® and AmeriHost Inn®.
NARFE | AUGUST 2010
The employees/owners of Avis offer
guaranteed low rates and quality services to members of NARFE. Mention
ID# A991900.
HEALTH SCREENING
LIFE LINE SCREENING
Life Line Screening, America’s
leading provider of community-based
preventive health screenings, will conduct the following screenings using
state-of-the-art ultrasound technology
in your neighborhood:
1. Stroke/Carotid Artery
2. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
3. Atrial Fibrillation
4. Peripheral Arterial Disease.
You will receive a confidential written
report within 21 days. Life Line Screening
and NARFE encourage you to share
these test results with your doctor. All four
screenings cost just $135. To schedule an
appointment, please call 1-800-324-9906
and give the operator code number:
BKHN075 or visit www.lifelinescreening.
com/NARFE.
Coverage may vary and may not be
available in all states.
Bank of America now offers the officially approved credit card program for
NARFE, featuring the Platinum Plus®
MasterCard® with WorldPoints. This is
the only credit card that helps support
NARFE every time you use it to make a
purchase–at no additional cost to you.
Call toll-free 1-866-438-6262
Use NARFE’s full name, not NARFE.
Use priority code: FAC3LB.
NARFE MERCHANDISE
NARFE
GENERAL STORE
Order NARFE name badges and
apparel, including jackets, baseball
caps, polo shirts and T-shirts!
See MEMBER PERKS
on the NARFE Web site, or go to:
www.narfegeneralstore.com.
Toll-Free Phone: 877-866-0102
Fax: 301-371-6824
53
For the Record
The chart below tracks the CPI-W, the monthly inflation change, and the cumulative percentage gain for
the next CSRS and Social Security COLA.
October
November
December
January 2010
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
CPI-W
MONTHLY % CHANGE
% CHANGE FROM 215.5
211.549
212.003
211.703
212.568
212.544
213.525
213.958
214.124
+0.1
+0.2
-0.1
+0.4
0.0
+0.5
+0.2
+0.1
No Joy in June
ByTracey Ray
F
or the first half of June, it looked
as if at least part of May’s stock
market losses would be reversed, but investor sentiment changed
markedly at midmonth. Growing fears
of a double-dip recession, driven by
signs of a slowdown in China; worry
over weakness of the European
banking system; and a big drop in U.S.
consumer confidence, pushed stocks to
new 2010 lows.
The S Fund, which had been a bright
spot with a positive year-to-date return
through May, posted the worst return
of all the funds for the month of June.
The F and G Funds were the only funds
to advance in June, as investors fled to
the safety of fixed-income securities.
Tracey Ray is chief investment officer
of the Thrift Savings Plan.
Track the TSP
Every Month in NARFE
54
-1.9
-1.6
-1.8
-1.4
-1.4
-0.9
-0.7
-0.6
Prices Up Slightly in May
T
he Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 0.1 percent in May. To calculate the next cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), the indices
of July, August and September 2010 will be averaged for a thirdquarter determinant, which will be compared with the 2008 thirdquarter base index of 215.5 (because of price deflation in the past
measurement year, the 2008 third-quarter average is still the point of
comparison). May’s index of 214.124 is still down 0.6 percent from the
base.
Benefits awarded under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act
(FECA) to individuals suffering work-related injuries or illnesses are
adjusted according to each calendar year’s percentage change in the
CPI-W. May’s index is 1.1 percent higher than the December 2009
base index of 211.7. ■
Thrift Savings Plan Investments*
Month
G Fund
0.28%
2009 July
August
0.28%
September 0.26%
October
0.26%
November
0.26%
December 0.25%
0.29%
2010 January
February
0.24%
March
0.27%
April
0.28%
May
0.28%
June
0.24%
Last 12 Months
3.22%
F Fund
1.59%
1.03%
1.07%
0.51%
1.30%
(1.55%)
1.54%
0.38%
(0.11%)
1.07%
0.85%
1.56%
9.58%
C Fund
7.58%
3.62%
3.74%
(1.86%)
6.00%
1.94%
(3.60%)
3.11%
6.04%
1.58%
(7.99%)
(5.24%)
14.48%
S Fund
8.66%
3.85%
5.94%
(5.51%)
3.85%
6.57%
(2.43%)
4.89%
7.39%
4.82%
(7.51%)
(6.90%)
24.03%
I Fund
9.74%
4.87%
3.79%
(2.41%)
3.16%
1.43%
(5.17%)
0.06%
6.28%
(2.35%)
(11.20%)
(1.75%)
4.81%
Month
2009 July
August
September
October
November
December
2010 January
February
March
April
May
June
Last 12 Months
L 2010
2.44%
1.30%
1.32%
(0.38%)
1.47%
0.70%
(0.58%)
0.81%
1.61%
0.51%
(1.64%)
(0.68%)
7.01%
L 2020
5.16%
2.57%
2.63%
(1.39%)
3.00%
1.50%
(2.03%)
1.61%
3.75%
0.76%
(4.98%)
(2.34%)
10.20%
L 2030
6.16%
3.02%
3.14%
(1.81%)
3.55%
1.85%
(2.49%)
1.94%
4.52%
0.94%
(6.07%)
(2.98%)
11.64%
L 2040
7.01%
3.41%
3.56%
(2.15%)
3.98%
2.12%
(2.88%)
2.18%
5.15%
1.05%
(6.97%)
(3.47%)
12.74%
L Income
1.94%
1.07%
1.08%
(0.26%)
1.27%
0.59%
(0.45%)
0.74%
1.43%
0.50%
(1.50%)
(0.61%)
5.90%
*This chart is provided as a service to NARFE members who enrolled in the Thrift Savings Plan while
employed by the federal government. Retirees are not eligible for enrollment. These returns are net
of the effect of accrued administrative expenses and investment expenses/costs. Percentages in ( ) are
negative. Source: tsp.gov.
AUGUST 2010 | NARFE
Mom bought her first convertible!
NEW
The WeGo from Rascal solves a variety of mobility problems
making it the most versatile product on the market today.
It’s simple, easy-to-operate, portable, and can be steered by
you or a walking companion. This portable, companion (or
self) controlled, compact, motorized transport chair seeks
to replace cumbersome manual wheelchairs, heavy scooters
and power wheelchairs for all transport needs. The rider no
longer has to feel guilty about being pushed around in a
wheelchair, and the burden of the caregiver's neck, shoulder,
back and leg injuries should be dramatically reduced with
this modern, motorized mobility solution.
y Mother is getting up in years81! And she loves to get out of
the house. She gets bored at
home, especially since it’s a two story
house, and she’s basically confined to the
first floor. She’s always calling me to take
her to the mall or to restaurants. I love
doing it, but she’s unstable on her feet, so
she goes in a wheelchair. I'm small, not
overly strong and not so young myself. I
have a lot of trouble pushing her around
– so much so that I’ve even made up
excuses to avoid taking her ... I feel really
bad about this, that is – I used to feel bad.
That was before a friend told me about
the WeGo from Rascal. It’s given Mom
back her independence, and it’s given me
back my peace of mind. Gotta go– I'm
taking her to her Tuesday Bingo game.”
Do you, or someone you love, have
difficulty walking? If so, solutions in the
past were to get a manual or electric
wheelchair, power chair or scooter. Don't
get me wrong, each of these products
provide help for millions of Americans
with mobility issues, but each one is
limited in how it can be used. Power chairs
are fine for getting around your home,
but they are too heavy to take in the
car. Scooters are
more portable,
Rider Operating
but they are too
Steering Column
big to fit through
included to allow for
most doorways.
self operation and
What's worse, if
rider independence!
you are riding
one in a crowded
situation, like a
mall, you can’t
see where you
are going and
might hit someone.
Manual
wheelchairs are
fine, that is, as
M
“
long as you have someone handy that’s
strong enough to push it around. Now, for
the first time, there's a product that solves
all of these problems. It's from Rascal,
the nation's mobility leader, and it’s called
the WeGo.
It's taken design engineers years to come
up with just the right features for this
remarkable product. They've taken a
traditional power chair and made it
Why WeGo is Better:
• Adjusts to accommodate both the
caregiver and loved one’s individual
size, arm length and stature
• This portable, stable, compact,
motorized transport chair makes
transportability easier than ever
• Features a wireless connector system
for easy 3-step frame disassembly
and assembly
• The Rascal WeGo has a weight
capacity of 250 lbs. and a top
speed of 3 mph with up to an
all day range
• WeGo comes with a one-year
service contract
more versatile than ever. Your companion
or caregiver can operate it from behind, so
they can walk with you without having to
push — it even has variable speeds in
forward and reverse. Ramps and inclines
can now be ascended and descended
without effort or worry! The ergonomic
position of the attendant operating system
helps reduce carpel tunnel injuries and can
be adjusted easily to all heights. If the rider
prefers independence, simply attach the
Rider Operating Steering Column and
they can operate it by themselves. The
WeGo features a complete line of safety
enhancements to ensure that when you
want to stop moving, you stop moving. It
has an automatic parking brake to
Comes
with a
90-day
Home
Trial
protect against accidental "runaways" on
inclines and ramps prevalent with manual
wheelchairs.
Hills and inclines are a
breeze for The Rascal WeGo's powerful
electric motor. The automatic regenerative
braking provides another level of safety,
even on inclines the wheels automatically
and instantly brake when the power lever
is released.
Even if you already own a scooter or
power wheelchair, you and your caregiver
can benefit from the Rascal WeGo. It's
better and safer to use in crowds because
it's compact and the caregiver has a better
view to see oncoming pedestrians. It's
easier to transport than almost any
scooter or power wheelchair because of the
wireless connections and lightweight
design. It serves as a back-up chair in
case of an emergency when the primary
mobility vehicle breaks down.
The Rascal WeGo comes with a one-year
service contract. If, for any reason, you are
not completely amazed by how this
product improves your life, simply return
it for a “No Questions Asked” refund of
the product purchase price within 90 days.
Call now.
The Rascal® WeGoTM
Motorized Transport Chair
Call now for our lowest price
Mention promotional code 40466.
1-877-665-3318
www.firststreetonline.com
Copyright © 2010 by firstSTREET for Boomers and
Beyond, Inc. All rights reserved.
80101
On her 81st Birthday,
We Can Fit You!
Waists up
to 54!
•
Exact
Inseams!
•
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These are NOT ordinary
slacks because these are not
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leveraged in extra features,
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pair, now just $10 each in
lots of 2. Look what you get:
• Fine Deluxe Woven Polyester
• No-Roll Waist
• Indestructible Zipper
• 4 Deep No Hole Pockets
• Full Proportion Tailoring
• 100% Permanent Press
• Easy NO IRON Automatic
Machine Wash & Wear
Don’t spend time and gas running
all over town! Don’t spend $45 to $85
for lesser slacks! Join over 7 1⁄2 million
demanding executives nationwide —
Get these universally respected
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Send ______ slacks. I enclose $________ purchase
price plus $5.99 toward postage. In GA add sales tax.
On-Line Quick Order
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WHAT
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3 for $30
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2 for $20* On-Line 5 for $50
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8A RUSHMORE SLATE
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04 OAKWOOD BROWN
PITCH BLACK
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Waist: 32 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 42 44
Inseams: 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34
*Big Men (add $3 each): 46 48 50 52 54
Big Men’s Inseams: 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
Quick
Order
$
SHIRTS 7.99* each
HOW
7FW –16K23 WHAT
SIZE? MANY?
08 LIGHT BLUE
NAVY
03
WHITE
09
TAUPE
13
BLACK
01
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