Mason & Associates, LLC

06/10/2026

One of the most common things we see among federal employees who've done everything right, saved diligently, planned carefully, built real security, is guilt around spending on things that aren't strictly necessary.

But a retirement plan isn't just a preservation strategy. It's a permission structure.

If your plan allows for it, spending on joy isn't a failure of discipline. It's the whole point. The camping trip your grandkid remembers. The tech toy you've been eyeing. The trip you keep pushing to "someday."

At Mason, we help federal employees build plans that are honest about both sides of retirement: protecting what you've built and actually enjoying it.

Bill Perkins calls these "memory dividends" in Die with Zero—the idea that some spending creates value that compounds in ways your portfolio never will. Make sure your plan accounts for them.

Want to talk through what your plan actually allows?

Mason & Associates Fee-Only Financial Planning and Tax Planning for Federal Employees Host of the Federal Employee Financial Planning Podcast Mason & Associates Fee-Only Financial Planning and Tax Planning for Federal Employees Host of the Federal Employee Financial Planning Podcast Mason & Associat...

06/09/2026

Getting help the first time can be scary. Getting help again after feeling burned is even harder.

John Mason knows this firsthand. A bad experience with a local ENT, an outdated allergy test that sent him into anaphylaxis, and a sweeping food elimination diet that turned out to be largely unnecessary. The advice wasn't great. But he followed it, figured some things out, and eventually sought a second opinion from a specialist at UVA.

The UVA allergist acknowledged what hadn't worked, and then they built a new plan. One he could actually maintain.

That's the part worth holding onto.

We work with a lot of federal employees who've had a frustrating experience with financial advice. Maybe it was incomplete. Maybe it missed their specific benefits entirely. Maybe it left them more confused than when they started. And now the idea of trying again feels like more risk than it's worth.

We'd push back on that.

At Mason, we're not going to dwell on what didn't work before. We'll acknowledge it, make sense of it, and build forward from where you actually are. And if the right help isn't in your backyard, that's okay too. We work with federal employees across the country.

Don't let a bad first experience be the reason you never find a great one.

Ready to take another look? masonllc.net/get-started

06/08/2026

In this special episode, John and Tommy walk through an updated version of a seminar the firm's founders created in the 1990s, now refreshed for 2026. They cover what federal employees actually need to know: how to calculate the real economic value of your pension, TSP pitfalls to avoid, FEHB timelines, and the nuances of life insurance and survivor benefits.

🎙️ Listen to the latest episode of the Federal Employee Financial Planning Podcast wherever you stream, or watch on YouTube here:

Are you maximizing the true value of your federal benefits, or are ...

06/05/2026

Mason is a proud sponsor of York County's Safety Town program! Each summer, rising kindergartners spend a week learning lifesaving skills through hands-on, age-appropriate experiences -- from pedestrian safety to meeting first responders and riding a school bus for the very first time. It's a wonderful program that invests in the youngest members of our community. Learn more: yorkcounty.gov/601/Safety-Town

06/04/2026

Mason & Associates is proud to support Peake Childhood Center, a Hampton Roads organization dedicated to providing quality early childhood education to local families.

Investing in our community means investing in its future, and we're honored to stand alongside so many other local organizations doing meaningful work.

Learn more about Peake Childhood Center at peakecc.org.

06/02/2026

Rising mortgage delinquencies are a reminder that getting approved for a loan and being ready to take it on are two very different things.

Mason & Associates partner Tommy Blackburn, CFP®, CPA, was recently quoted in CNBC on what homebuyers often miss: lender approval reflects what you can bear, not what's comfortable. That gap, plus rising insurance costs, property taxes, and everyday expenses, is squeezing more homeowners than the headlines let on.

Whether you're a federal employee considering a home purchase or approaching retirement with a mortgage still in the picture, your housing costs are part of a bigger financial plan. The goal is a plan that works, not just one that qualifies.

Read the full CNBC article:

While the overall share of delinquencies among all mortgages remains small, the growth is occurring faster than late payments for other types of consumer loans.

06/01/2026

FEGLI Option B can be a great benefit when you're young. But as federal employees approach retirement, the premiums increase significantly, and the decisions you make at that point can cost you if you're not prepared.

In this video, John Mason breaks down how Option B works, when it makes sense to keep it, and the mistake that catches a lot of federal employees off guard at retirement.

The key takeaway: don't drop it without shopping first. And don't keep it without understanding what it's actually costing you.

Watch now:

FEGLI Option B can be great life insurance for federal employees when you're young, but it gets expensive as you age. Here's what you need to know.Most feder...

05/29/2026

Most federal employees know retirement adjudication takes time. But knowing it and being financially prepared for it are two different things.

In this clip, John Mason, CFP® at Mason, walks through what to have in place before you retire so the wait doesn't catch you off guard:
✅ Cash on hand for 3 to 6 months (or longer for special circumstances like divorce)
✅ Why an in-service TSP to IRA transfer may give you more flexibility during the transition
✅ What "game on, I'm retiring" actually has to look like financially

The adjudication process hasn't gotten as fast as we'd all hoped. The preparation piece is still on you.

05/28/2026

Not all advice is *good* advice.

John Mason learned this firsthand after years of jaw pain, a partial mouth guard from his dentist, and an open bite that took almost a decade to resolve. He could stick a Dorito between his front teeth, and it wouldn't touch. Eventually, an orthodontist recommended Invisalign to address the open bite caused by his partial mouthguard. The results were fantastic: open bite fixed, reduced daytime snacking, and a boost to his confidence.

The original advice wasn't wrong. It just wasn't comprehensive. One problem got fixed. Another got created as a result.

Sound familiar?

Many of the federal employees we work with have received financial guidance before they found us. Some of it was solid. Some of it missed the mark. And occasionally, a well-intentioned recommendation created a new problem down the road.

That's not a reason to avoid seeking advice. It's a reason to find the right team.

At Mason, when we identify a gap or a misstep from prior guidance, we'll name it clearly so you understand the full picture. Then we move forward. Because the goal isn't to relitigate the past. The goal is to build a retirement plan that actually works for you.

The worst outcome isn't bad advice. It's letting bad advice become a reason to go without any guidance at all.

Ready to take a fresh look at your federal retirement plan? Start the conversation at masonllc.net/get-started.

05/27/2026

Community partnerships like this are what it's all about.

Thanks to everyone who came out for Military Weekend. 182 guests were admitted with military discounts, and 19 new military families joined as members. It's an honor to support organizations that serve those who've served our country.

To the military families who protect and serve: thank you.