CFP Board to Host Free Virtual Event to Help Federal Government Workers Manage Financial Uncertainty

March 24, 2025 at 14:00 PM EDT

Federal government employees are facing unprecedented career uncertainty, making informed financial decisions more critical than ever. To help navigate these challenges, CFP Board is offering a no-cost virtual event, Managing Your Finances in Uncertain Times: Resources for Federal Government Employees, on Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET.

The Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary will introduce the virtual event.

Former CFP Board Chair Karen P. Schaeffer, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® professional specializing in holistic financial planning for federal government employees, and government benefits expert Tammy Flanagan will advise attendees on managing financial uncertainty, whether they are considering a career transition or remaining in their current roles. Key insights will include:

Surviving without a paycheck.
Appropriate use of debt.
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), pros and cons of withdrawals.
Health insurance, life insurance and other benefits if you lose your job or retire.
Who should say “yes” to Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA).
How to avoid missteps with retirement decisions, including Social Security.
Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), the difference between reductions and withholdings, cost-of-living adjustments, deferred vs. “postponed” retirement and the FERS Supplement.
Resources for personalized advice.

“Federal employees are facing a storm of financial uncertainty,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. “CFP^® professionals are here to provide clarity and confidence to navigate the unknown.”

CFP Board is committed to making financial planning accessible. This event has limited capacity, and early registration is encouraged. A recording will be available following the event.

Meet the Experts

Karen P. Schaeffer, CFP^®is a former CFP Board Chair and the managing member and co-founder of Schaeffer Financial, a premier financial planning firm in the Washington, D.C., area. With over 40 years of experience, she has built a specialized practice serving federal employees across nearly every federal department and agency, helping them navigate the complexities of federal pension and benefit programs. As a trusted advisor, Karen provides comprehensive financial planning and readiness strategies, ensuring that federal employees make informed decisions about their retirement, benefits and long-term financial security.

Tammy Flanagan is the founder and Principal Retirement Specialist at Retire Federal, with decades of experience assisting federal employees in retirement planning. As a former retirement benefits specialist at the FBI, Tammy has an in-depth understanding of federal benefits systems and is known for simplifying complex retirement concepts. She serves as Senior Benefits Director for the National Institute of Transition Planning and has authored the widely followed “Retirement Planning” column for Government Executive since 2006, educating over 250,000 subscribers.

Michelle Singletary writes the nationally syndicated personal finance column “The Color of Money,” which appears in The Washington Post on Wednesdays and Sundays. Her award-winning column is syndicated by The Washington Post News Service and Syndicate and is carried in dozens of newspapers nationwide. In 2021, she won the Gerald Loeb award for commentary. She has written four personal finance books, including, “What to Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits: A Survival Guide” and “The 21-Day Financial Fast: Your Path to Financial Peace and Freedom.”

ABOUT CFP BOARD

CFP Board is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board consists of two affiliated organizations focused on advancing the financial planning profession for the public’s benefit. CFP Board of Standards sets and upholds standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® certification — widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planners — so that the public has access to the benefits of competent and ethical financial planning. CFP^® certification is held by more than 100,000 people in the U.S. CFP Board Center for Financial Planning addresses diversity and workforce development challenges and conducts and publishes research that adds to the financial planning profession’s body of knowledge.