Anonymous wrote:I know this thread is totally trollbound, but I don’t want to start a new one. Is there any word about the Student loan repayment starting up again? How is the gap going to affect employment obligations? Will it restart the three year requirement from scratch?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lost the 3% and $10,000 in the student loan repayment program. In addition no cash awards this year vs the $3500 I received last year.

yeah, my suspicion is that OP is handcuffed due to prior student loan payment agreements, so switching agencies would entail repaying some or all of the last three years of student loan repayment (possibly up to $30,000), versus the known 1% cut (say, $2500 for the suspended 4 months) to the supplemental retirement program. What OP is ACTUALLY whining about is the uncertainty-- if the 3% annual additional retirement match is reinstated with the new fiscal year, it would be a bad financial move to leave over a loss of less than $3000 to his deferred comp. If Gary comes out and says it's never coming back, that's a different financial calc (though I suspect it still wouldn't come out in OPs favor.) And who knows how long Gary's sticking around?

Other FIRREA agencies offer additional discretionary (discretionary! that's the critical word there!) retirement comp- OCC and OFR and CFPB and FDIC give an additional 5% in a 401k, I think FRB gives 7% matching to thrift. not sure if CFTC gives any additional match. I switched to the SEC despite lower additional retirement comp, and so far am very happy with the trade.

I got a couple cash awards this fiscal year; less than prior years but still appreciated.


Do you work for SEC and did you get a cash bonus this fiscal year?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lost the 3% and $10,000 in the student loan repayment program. In addition no cash awards this year vs the $3500 I received last year.

yeah, my suspicion is that OP is handcuffed due to prior student loan payment agreements, so switching agencies would entail repaying some or all of the last three years of student loan repayment (possibly up to $30,000), versus the known 1% cut (say, $2500 for the suspended 4 months) to the supplemental retirement program. What OP is ACTUALLY whining about is the uncertainty-- if the 3% annual additional retirement match is reinstated with the new fiscal year, it would be a bad financial move to leave over a loss of less than $3000 to his deferred comp. If Gary comes out and says it's never coming back, that's a different financial calc (though I suspect it still wouldn't come out in OPs favor.) And who knows how long Gary's sticking around?

Other FIRREA agencies offer additional discretionary (discretionary! that's the critical word there!) retirement comp- OCC and OFR and CFPB and FDIC give an additional 5% in a 401k, I think FRB gives 7% matching to thrift. not sure if CFTC gives any additional match. I switched to the SEC despite lower additional retirement comp, and so far am very happy with the trade.

I got a couple cash awards this fiscal year; less than prior years but still appreciated.

Actually whining about piss-poor financial planning. Anyone with common sense could have seen the crunch coming from a mile away, but instead of tightening belts and planning, we spent like drunken sailors. (Which is ironic, given the regulatory standards imposed on others.)

People can disagree whether cancelling the match is a good thing to do as a policy matter. But it should be a deliberate, thought-out decision. Not a hasty, emergency, panicked scramble to balance the books — especially when the economy is relatively stable and predictable. My 9 yo manages her allowance better than that.

Again, it’s telling that the commission is the only agency in all of government that had to cut pay or benefits — from federal finregs to the parks dept in Zippo, WV. What does that tell you?

It tells me that you're prone to hyperbole and terrible at research?

I agree that the spending/planning is a problem. But I believe that it was a deliberate choice by the Chair, who would prefer to make line staff as unhappy as possible. But his term, too, will eventually end. Anyway.

EEOC says they have to do a furlough:
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/hiring-retention/2024/08/budget-shortfalls-forcing-eeoc-to-prepare-for-1-day-furlough/

DOL is cutting 20% of its workforce (hopefully) with only VERA/VSIP
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2024/01/labor-dept-watchdog-offers-buyouts-early-retirement-to-cut-staffing-by-20/

A bunch of agencies declined to implement the 2210-series special salary rate (SSR), and the VA is in hot water for trying it.

Army is making a massive reduction in its credentialing assistance program:
https://www.quickstart.com/military/army-credentialing-assistance-changes/#:~:text=What%20changes%20are%20being%20proposed,with%20a%20%244%2C000%20career%20cap.

Sorry, not seeing the links to stories about cuts in salary or benefits. By your logic, let’s all take a 50 pct pay cut and hire 500 more staff.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lost the 3% and $10,000 in the student loan repayment program. In addition no cash awards this year vs the $3500 I received last year.

yeah, my suspicion is that OP is handcuffed due to prior student loan payment agreements, so switching agencies would entail repaying some or all of the last three years of student loan repayment (possibly up to $30,000), versus the known 1% cut (say, $2500 for the suspended 4 months) to the supplemental retirement program. What OP is ACTUALLY whining about is the uncertainty-- if the 3% annual additional retirement match is reinstated with the new fiscal year, it would be a bad financial move to leave over a loss of less than $3000 to his deferred comp. If Gary comes out and says it's never coming back, that's a different financial calc (though I suspect it still wouldn't come out in OPs favor.) And who knows how long Gary's sticking around?

Other FIRREA agencies offer additional discretionary (discretionary! that's the critical word there!) retirement comp- OCC and OFR and CFPB and FDIC give an additional 5% in a 401k, I think FRB gives 7% matching to thrift. not sure if CFTC gives any additional match. I switched to the SEC despite lower additional retirement comp, and so far am very happy with the trade.

I got a couple cash awards this fiscal year; less than prior years but still appreciated.

Actually whining about piss-poor financial planning. Anyone with common sense could have seen the crunch coming from a mile away, but instead of tightening belts and planning, we spent like drunken sailors. (Which is ironic, given the regulatory standards imposed on others.)

People can disagree whether cancelling the match is a good thing to do as a policy matter. But it should be a deliberate, thought-out decision. Not a hasty, emergency, panicked scramble to balance the books — especially when the economy is relatively stable and predictable. My 9 yo manages her allowance better than that.

Again, it’s telling that the commission is the only agency in all of government that had to cut pay or benefits — from federal finregs to the parks dept in Zippo, WV. What does that tell you?

It tells me that you're prone to hyperbole and terrible at research?

I agree that the spending/planning is a problem. But I believe that it was a deliberate choice by the Chair, who would prefer to make line staff as unhappy as possible. But his term, too, will eventually end. Anyway.

EEOC says they have to do a furlough:
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/hiring-retention/2024/08/budget-shortfalls-forcing-eeoc-to-prepare-for-1-day-furlough/

DOL is cutting 20% of its workforce (hopefully) with only VERA/VSIP
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2024/01/labor-dept-watchdog-offers-buyouts-early-retirement-to-cut-staffing-by-20/

A bunch of agencies declined to implement the 2210-series special salary rate (SSR), and the VA is in hot water for trying it.

Army is making a massive reduction in its credentialing assistance program:
https://www.quickstart.com/military/army-credentialing-assistance-changes/#:~:text=What%20changes%20are%20being%20proposed,with%20a%20%244%2C000%20career%20cap.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lost the 3% and $10,000 in the student loan repayment program. In addition no cash awards this year vs the $3500 I received last year.

yeah, my suspicion is that OP is handcuffed due to prior student loan payment agreements, so switching agencies would entail repaying some or all of the last three years of student loan repayment (possibly up to $30,000), versus the known 1% cut (say, $2500 for the suspended 4 months) to the supplemental retirement program. What OP is ACTUALLY whining about is the uncertainty-- if the 3% annual additional retirement match is reinstated with the new fiscal year, it would be a bad financial move to leave over a loss of less than $3000 to his deferred comp. If Gary comes out and says it's never coming back, that's a different financial calc (though I suspect it still wouldn't come out in OPs favor.) And who knows how long Gary's sticking around?

Other FIRREA agencies offer additional discretionary (discretionary! that's the critical word there!) retirement comp- OCC and OFR and CFPB and FDIC give an additional 5% in a 401k, I think FRB gives 7% matching to thrift. not sure if CFTC gives any additional match. I switched to the SEC despite lower additional retirement comp, and so far am very happy with the trade.

I got a couple cash awards this fiscal year; less than prior years but still appreciated.

Actually whining about piss-poor financial planning. Anyone with common sense could have seen the crunch coming from a mile away, but instead of tightening belts and planning, we spent like drunken sailors. (Which is ironic, given the regulatory standards imposed on others.)

People can disagree whether cancelling the match is a good thing to do as a policy matter. But it should be a deliberate, thought-out decision. Not a hasty, emergency, panicked scramble to balance the books — especially when the economy is relatively stable and predictable. My 9 yo manages her allowance better than that.

Again, it’s telling that the commission is the only agency in all of government that had to cut pay or benefits — from federal finregs to the parks dept in Zippo, WV. What does that tell you?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lost the 3% and $10,000 in the student loan repayment program. In addition no cash awards this year vs the $3500 I received last year.

yeah, my suspicion is that OP is handcuffed due to prior student loan payment agreements, so switching agencies would entail repaying some or all of the last three years of student loan repayment (possibly up to $30,000), versus the known 1% cut (say, $2500 for the suspended 4 months) to the supplemental retirement program. What OP is ACTUALLY whining about is the uncertainty-- if the 3% annual additional retirement match is reinstated with the new fiscal year, it would be a bad financial move to leave over a loss of less than $3000 to his deferred comp. If Gary comes out and says it's never coming back, that's a different financial calc (though I suspect it still wouldn't come out in OPs favor.) And who knows how long Gary's sticking around?

Other FIRREA agencies offer additional discretionary (discretionary! that's the critical word there!) retirement comp- OCC and OFR and CFPB and FDIC give an additional 5% in a 401k, I think FRB gives 7% matching to thrift. not sure if CFTC gives any additional match. I switched to the SEC despite lower additional retirement comp, and so far am very happy with the trade.

I got a couple cash awards this fiscal year; less than prior years but still appreciated.

Anonymous wrote:I lost the 3% and $10,000 in the student loan repayment program. In addition no cash awards this year vs the $3500 I received last year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why was the SEC the only government entity in the entire country to cut pay or benefits in this environment? Was management really that incompetent and planned that poorly?

You’re so tiring. No one cares. You make more than almost any other agency. Take your money and shut the f up. Why don’t you go to any GS scale agency and enjoy being capped at $180k. The 3% add on to your TSP was a benefit above and beyond what any other agency gets. Why don’t you address this point? Why don’t you explain what you do that’s so goddamn special that you deserve a higher base pay than everyone else and then feel the need to complain when you only get the standard TSP contribution that everyone else gets?

Anonymous wrote:Why was the SEC the only government entity in the entire country to cut pay or benefits in this environment? Was management really that incompetent and planned that poorly?

Anonymous wrote:Why was the SEC the only government entity in the entire country to cut pay or benefits in this environment? Was management really that incompetent and planned that poorly?