Lacie Harmon - Federal Benefits & Retirement Specialist

11/03/2026

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween, all!! May your day include dogs in costumes. Here's Maisie celebrating her chihuahua roots in her Mexican dress. 🎃

10/29/2026

Happy Thursday, federal folks,

Because the current administration is attempting once again to downsize the federal workforce, I thought I'd share this as a reminder that you have options.

We see you, we appreciate you, and we are here if you have questions or need help with benefits or retirement.

10/27/2026

Desk pumpkin, you are a perfect thing in an imperfect world.

10/22/2026

Q: Can you retire on workers comp?

A: If you're retiring and you've been paid by the Department of Labor because something happened at work - you got injured or sick - and you've been paid (not your doctors are being paid) for what happened to you, but you're actually getting paid by the Department of Labor because you can't work, then you're going to have an opportunity at retirement time to choose whether you'd prefer to take your pension, your FERS pension that is, or your worker's comp payment. And of course, you're going to choose whichever is higher in general. And you will have the option at any time of switching. So if initially you say, keep paying my workers comp, but later on you decide to switch to pension, you can do so.

10/15/2026

Q: What are required minimum distributions, otherwise known as RMDs?

A: This is when basically Uncle Sam says, it's time to start paying taxes on those funds that you've been holding in pre-tax accounts: tax-deferred accounts like your TSP or your 401k for long enough, somewhere between age 70 and a half and 75, depending on your year of birth, you must begin withdrawing from those accounts so that your taxes get paid. And so those start out low and they become higher the older you get. But once you've reached your RMD age, You've got to start taking funds from your pre-tax accounts and you've got to keep on doing that for life. All right. Many accounts will automatically send you your RMDs because it's law. You have to take it. Also, the penalties for not doing so are very high. You don't want to mess around with this.

10/13/2026

To Our Dedicated Federal Workforce:

I recognize your immense dedication and hard work, especially during these challenging times of reduced workforces.

If you're looking for support and real advice from those who understand, may I recommend the FedFam private Facebook group?

With over 60,000 federal employees sharing their experiences, it's an invaluable place to connect.

I've asked questions in the group a handful of times that I simply could not find the answer to anywhere else, and I've always gotten answers. If it's happened to you, someone in this group has been through it.

And as always, I've got your back. ♥️

Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/236110660657869

10/08/2026

📣 Big news for federal employees!

Effective immediately, my Federal Retirement Webinar is available on demand. You don’t have to wait for a live date or plan around a schedule anymore. Watch it whenever works for you.

In the webinar, I walk through the essentials of FERS, Social Security and TSP so you can approach retirement with clarity and confidence.

👇 Link to watch free is in the first comment.

Know a coworker who’s thinking about retirement? Please share this with them!

10/06/2026

Planning to retire soon? Navigating the paperwork can feel overwhelming, but there’s a sweet spot for timing your application. While it is technically possible to submit your application on the day of retirement—or even retroactively—rushing the process can lead to administrative errors and unnecessary delays.

The ideal window is 30 days prior to your target date; this gives the agency enough time to process everything without the added pressure of a last-minute scramble. However, aiming for the 60-day mark is often the smartest move. With current requirements involving printing, signing, and re-uploading documents, that extra month provides a buffer to handle potential technical or administrative hiccups, ensuring a smoother transition into retirement.

10/02/2026

I am so excited to announce that the FERS pension calculator I developed is now live on my website, LacieHarmon[dot]com! I cannot describe how thrilled I am to bring this to you.

It is built to be simple and yet thorough, and I believe it's the best, most user-friendly FERS pension calculator out there.