Is this you?

  • Are you tired of the traditional approach where an instructor recites information virtually verbatim from various government websites?
  • Are you finding that when class is over there is no one to help to get an understanding of what you just heard during the last four to eight hours?
  • Are you having a hard time understanding how all of this information affects you and your family in retirement?
  • Are you looking to retire from the Federal Government within the next 10 years, OR
  • Are you trying to get a head start on planning for a future retirement?
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Attend a GEBI Class/Webinar and get the information you need in a format you can use.

We have been working with Federal Employees for over the last two decades as financial planners. Upon recognizing that Federal Employees were underserved by OPM when it came to preparing for retirement, we decided in 2010 to create an effective training program for Federal Employees, and with this The Government Employee Benefit Institute was born. Since officially opening our doors at GEBI, we have helped thousands get the most out of their Federal Retirement with our classes and planning.

One of the most common comments on our Evaluation Form is: Best class I ever attended

GEBI version 1.0

We created a training platform that focused on the practical application of the material. We would teach with an eye toward understanding, instead of merely reciting off a powerpoint slide. By focusing on the practical application of the material, we were able to help people actually truly understand the material so that they could make intelligent informed decisions. We call this “Empowerment”. Empowered employees make smarter decisions.

GEBI version 2.0: A new approach for a new world

With many of us recently having been mandated to work from home and/or prohibited from attending physical classes due to social distancing guidelines, we developed a way to help Federal Employees across the nation benefit from our unique training approach. We have created a platform that will allow you to plan for retirement through Webinars and interaction with our instructors during your telecommuting. FERS classes will cover FERS, FERS-RAE, and FERS-FRAE employees. CSRS classes will cover CSRS and CSRS-Offset Employees.

Are these courses for you?

Our Virtual Classes are designed to provide you with an overview of your benefits and important things to know as you are looking to apply for retirement, without getting overwhelmed by the complexity of the Federal Retirement system in its entirety. Take in the information at your pace, however once you have the basics and have a good understanding we will provide you with a customized summary of your benefits at retirement that will help you tie it all together to achieve the best clarity possible.

We’re here to help you begin to set a plan in motion that will allow for a smoother retirement process and to get the most out of your benefits through being able to make better benefit decisions. Our Instructors are Financial Professionals who have gone through various rigorous trainings over the past 10 years, and who have earned the Federal Retirement Counselor(SM) designation. They bring real-world experience to the courses they teach and focus on the practical application of the information being presented.

The combination of their knowledge of the Federal system of benefits and their ‘real world’ experience will help you see how your decisions now will affect your life after retirement

As an important part of the class (and included in the cost of attendance) is an opportunity for each student to meet virtually with one of the instructors. In this second session, you will work with the instructor to create a customized summary of your benefits at retirement. While the redemption of this secondary session is entirely optional, it is designed to help you:

  • Gain valuable personally relevant retirement planning information related to the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) and/or the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS).
  • You will learn valuable information as it relates to Social Security, and different insights relating to the decision as to when you should file.
  • You will get a better understanding of your Thrift Savings Plan investment options, withdrawal options, distribution strategies and other aspects of which you should be aware in retirement.
  • You will be able to determine when you are eligible and able to retire, and understand major considerations pertaining to submission of your retirement application
  • You will understand how your basic annuity will be computed and what benefits will be payable to your survivors
  • You will understand important considerations as they pertain to your Federal Health Benefits (FEHB) and life insurance (FEGLI) benefits before and after retirement, and important considerations pertaining to Medicare Part B
  • You will Identify your retirement income needs and develop appropriate financial plans for your retirement

Cashflow – The Silent Adversary

As you become eligible for retirement, most agencies make a Statement or Summary of Benefits available to you. How soon you can receive this, or how often prior to retirement varies from agency to agency. However, one thing is clear; the Statement or Summary merely shows a snapshot in time. However, your retirement represents much more than merely this snapshot; your retirement will be as long if not longer than your working career with the Federal Government. During that time, your income & expenses will be made of different components – each moving in a different direction at a different speed. How you look on the day you retire will look very different than the same day 10 years in the future!

Having a long-term perspective of your benefits, expenses, and income through your retirement years is critically important. The Full Benefit, Expense, and Income Report (this report is available at an additional cost) will allow you to have that long-term perspective. In the report, we will summarize your benefits, take a look at the here and now regarding income, and look at long-term expenses, and how they compare to your income sources in retirement. Then we will project everything forward through your age 90 to make sure that your current retirement plans are truly financially sustainable.

Basic Financial planning tells us that a person can fully retire only when they have enough income in retirement to cover their lifestyle expenses. Knowing if you have enough starts with figuring out what your lifestyle expenses in retirement will be, and doing the Full Benefits, Expenses, and Income Report. We will work with you to get an understanding of your expenses in retirement (Federal, Lifestyle, and Taxes), and help you identify income sources in retirement.

Is the GEBI Virtual Training Platform right for you?

Our modules are designed for Federal employees who are within 10 years of retiring. However, employees who do not anticipate retiring within the next 10 years can find value in going through the modules as it is never too early to plan and prepare for retirement.

After attending our virtual training course, for those who wish to take advantage of their second session, our instructors will be available to coordinate an information exchange with you and provide you with a Basic benefit summary in addition to a one-on-one virtual meeting to go through the report. After this process, you can expect that you will have a better understanding of the material presented in the class. Moreover, this will give you a solid foundation of understanding should you wish to go through the Full Report process with us later.

How do I start?

It all starts with getting the basics pertaining to your benefits and how they work. There is no question that having an empowered approach will help you to make better decisions. The first step is attending one of our Virtual Classes.

Start down the path to a more understandable retirement today!