Rayna Retirement

A major update to the Thrift Savings Plan is now in effect, and it could have meaningful tax implications for federal employees and retirees. 

In this episode of Rayna Retirement, Rayna Reyes explains the new ability for TSP participants to complete in-plan Roth conversions, effective January 28, 2026. She breaks down how Roth conversions work inside the TSP, what taxes apply when moving pre-tax dollars to Roth, and why planning ahead for the tax impact is essential. 

Rayna also reviews key rules around Roth contributions, conversions, and growth, including five-year timelines and age-based considerations, and shares why thoughtful, smaller conversions may be more effective than large lump-sum moves.

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Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500
Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857
Visit: AmericanFederal.org

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement

Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning.

Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.

Retirement.Radio's Matt McClure sits down with Rod Griffin, Senior Director of Consumer Education and Advocacy at Experian, for a practical and timely conversation about emergency savings. With rising living costs, recent holiday spending, and ongoing debt repayment putting pressure on household budgets, many Americans struggle to set money aside for unexpected expenses.

Matt and Rod break down common emergency fund guidelines—ranging from three to six months of expenses or more—while emphasizing that the most important step is simply getting started. Rather than focusing on intimidating savings targets, the discussion highlights the value of small, consistent contributions that build momentum over time.

The conversation also explores actionable strategies for freeing up cash flow, including tracking expenses, reducing recurring bills, and using available tools to identify unused subscriptions or high-cost credit options. Matt and Rod wrap up by connecting emergency savings to long-term financial stability, stressing the importance of automation, protecting credit health, and taking full advantage of employer-matched retirement contributions.

Host: Retirement.Radio’s Matt McClure
Guest: Rod Griffin, Senior Director of Consumer Education and Advocacy at Experian

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Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500
Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857
Visit: AmericanFederal.org

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement

Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning.

Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.

On this episode of Rayna Retirement, host Rayna Reyes breaks down federal survivor benefits in a clear, relatable way—helping listeners understand what their spouse may (or may not) receive after retirement. Rayna explains who qualifies as a survivor, how disabled children may be treated differently, and why survivor benefits are typically reserved for spouses only.

She walks through the key differences between CSRS and FERS survivor benefit options, including how much of a pension can be left behind, what those benefits cost each month, and why the decision is often permanent. Using real-life examples, Rayna shows how survivor benefits affect monthly income, health insurance eligibility, and long-term financial security.

Most importantly, this episode emphasizes that survivor benefit decisions are not one-size-fits-all. Age differences, health insurance needs, retirement timing, and overall household income all play a role. Rayna encourages listeners to slow down, model their options, and make sure the choice they make today will still work years down the road.

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Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500
Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857
Visit: AmericanFederal.org

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement

Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning.

Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.

The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Lifecycle Funds are changing more often than many federal employees realize. In this episode of Rayna Retirement, host Rayna Reyes explains how L Funds automatically adjust every quarter—and why understanding these changes is critical to managing risk as retirement approaches.

She also explains why holding multiple L Funds at once doesn’t provide additional diversification—and how, at the end of the day, all TSP investments still funnel into the same five core funds.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your TSP is still aligned with your goals—or if it’s changing without you realizing it—this episode provides clarity, education, and practical guidance to help you stay informed and confident.

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Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500
Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857
Visit: AmericanFederal.org

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement

Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning.

Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.

If you’re a federal employee and you have FEGLI Basic life insurance, this is an episode you don’t want to skip.

This time on Rayna Retirement, she’s breaking down what your Basic life insurance really does, why it’s one of the few benefits that can stay with you forever, and how it can play a critical role in protecting your family—both while you’re living and after you’re gone.

Whether you’re feeling confident in your benefits or unsure if you have “enough,” this episode will help you understand your options and why planning before you retire matters more than you think.

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Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500
Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857
Visit: AmericanFederal.org

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement

Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning.

Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.

If you’ve ever heard the phrase “the more money we come across, the more problems we see,” this episode might hit close to home.

In today’s episode of Rayna Retirement, Rayna is breaking down IRMAA—the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount—and how it can cause your Medicare Part B premiums to jump significantly after you retire.

Here’s the tricky part: Medicare doesn’t look at what you make today. It looks at what you earned two years ago. That means many retirees are shocked to learn they owe more for Medicare simply because they had a strong income before retirement. 

If you’ve recently retired—or you’re about to—this is a must-listen episode that could save you hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars a year.

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Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500
Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857
Visit: AmericanFederal.org

--

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement

Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning.

Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.

In this fast-paced and fun episode of Rayna Retirement, Rayna dives into the wonderfully overwhelming world of federal retirement acronyms—the alphabet soup every federal employee eventually has to decode. Whether you're under FERS or CSRS, choosing FEHB plans, deciding what to keep from FEGLI, or navigating the TSP, Rayna breaks it all down with her signature blend of clarity and humor.

More importantly, she explains why understanding these acronyms truly matters for your financial future—and how her team can help you apply them to your retirement plan.

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Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500
Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857
Visit: AmericanFederal.org

--

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement

Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning.

Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.

If you’re a federal or postal employee preparing for retirement, a major shift has officially arrived — and for many, it feels bittersweet.

On this episode of Rayna Retirement, Rayna reflects on the end of an era as the Postal Service fully transitions away from paper retirement applications and into the online retirement portal. Using a heartfelt analogy inspired by Slippin’ Through My Fingers, Rayna shares what it feels like to watch long-time processes change — and why this shift doesn’t have to be scary if you know what to do next.

Rayna walks through what postal employees must now do to access the online retirement system, how to request the “magical email” from Shared Services, and what happens if your paperwork was submitted during the transition window. 

If you’re retiring soon — or helping someone who is — this episode will help you understand what’s changing, what to expect, and how to make sure your retirement paperwork is done right the first time.

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Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500
Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857
Visit: AmericanFederal.org

--

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement

Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning.

Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.

In this fast-paced and fun episode of Rayna Retirement, Rayna dives into the wonderfully overwhelming world of federal retirement acronyms—the alphabet soup every federal employee eventually has to decode. Whether you're under FERS or CSRS, choosing FEHB plans, deciding what to keep from FEGLI, or navigating the TSP, Rayna breaks it all down with her signature blend of clarity and humor.

More importantly, she explains why understanding these acronyms truly matters for your financial future—and how her team can help you apply them to your retirement plan.

Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500
Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857
Visit: AmericanFederal.org

--

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement

Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning.

Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.

Starting January 1, 2026, USPS employees can no longer submit paper retirement applications—everything must go through the online ORA system. In this episode, Rayna explains what’s changing, how to get access, what documents still require paper, and how her team can help postal workers complete the process with confidence. 

From login tips to survivor benefit notarizations, Rayna walks you through every step. 

Contact Rayna directly at 850-450-6500
Or call the American Federal Benefits Consultants team at 1-800-872-8857
Visit: AmericanFederal.org

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaynaRetirement

Rayna Retirement is the go-to podcast for federal employees – or anyone – looking to make smarter financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Rayna Reyes, co-founder of American Federal Benefits Consultants, this show simplifies the complexities of retirement, benefits, and financial planning.

Whether you're navigating your FERS or CSRS pension, maximizing your TSP, or seeking expert advice on 401(k)s or IRAs, Rayna is here to guide you every step of the way. Tune in for practical knowledge, ethical solutions, and expert insights as you prepare for a secure and fulfilling retirement.