Investment Options within the Thrift Savings Plan

Investment Options within the Thrift Savings PlanInvestment Options within the Thrift Savings PlanUS government employees are automatically enrolled in the Thrift Savings Plan as part of their retirement package under the Federal Employees Retirement System. Federal workers automatically receive an amount equal to 1.0% of their salaries deposited monthly into their Thrift Savings Plan accounts. They can invest additional salary dollars with limited matching by the federal government. Federal employees under the Civil Service Retirement System may participate in the Thrift Savings Plan, but they do not receive the automatic 1.0% contributions or matching contributions. Contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan are important, but they can only get you so far. The key to growing this money is investing it. Two Approaches to Investing Thrift Savings Plan participants have two vorkaufsrechts for investing. The first option is to invest in the Lifecycle Funds or L Funds. These funds wor k like retirement date funds offered by investment companies. The second option is to invest in individual funds that are used to make up the L Funds. Participants can use either or both approaches. L Funds L Funds are named by the approximate year that investors believe they will begin withdrawing money from their Thrift Savings Plan accounts. This year is not necessarily the year that an employee will retire however, the retirement year and year when an employee starts withdrawing funds are often the same. Individual circumstances may compel a plan participant to leave money infor longer. Participants choose to invest in L Funds for simplicity. Federal employees may not have the time, knowledge or willingness to manage their Thrift Savings Plan money through individual investments. L Funds allow the employee to make one decision when they expect to begin withdrawing money and let the funds do the rest. Following basic investing principles, a younger investor should be willin g to assume more risk than an older investor. The younger investor has more time to ride out the ups and downs of investing. The mix of investments within L Funds changes over time to become more conservative as the fund year approaches. A more conservative approach means less risk but lower earning potential. There are currently five L Funds available to Thrift Plan Participants L 2050L 2040L 2030L 2020L Income The L Income Fund is for plan participants who are already withdrawing money or intend to between now and 2014. Federal employees who intend to begin withdrawing money around the midpoint of a decade should decide whether theyre more likely to withdraw sooner or later than their chosen year and invest accordingly. As time goes on, more L Funds will be created to replace ones that become outdated. Individual Funds If plan participants want to manage their accounts closely, they will skip the L Funds and put their money in individual funds. While the L Funds become less ri sky over time, participants investing in individual funds must manage how much risk they are willing to tolerate over time. The individual funds make up the mix of investments within L Funds. There are five individual funds for Thrift Savings Plan participants Government Securities Investment (G) FundThis fund invests solely in short-term US Treasury securities. Earnings are similar to those of long-term Treasury securities. There is no risk of losing principal. Common Stock datenbankindex Investment (C) FundThis fund mimics the Standard Poors 500 (SP 500). Stocks come from mid-sized US companies. Fixed Income Index Investment (F) FundThis fund mimics the Barclays Capital US Aggregate Bond Index. The bonds in this fund are from various areas of the bond market. Small Capitalization Stock Index (S) FundThis fund mimics the Dow Jones US Completion Total Stock Market (TSM) Index. It is more volatile than other individual funds but offers higher earning potential. International Stock I ndex Investment (I) FundThis fund mimics the Morgan Stanley Capital International EAFE Stock Index. It allows you to invest in large companies in developed countries. Guides Note The content of this article is for informational purposes only. This article is not intended to give investment advice. Consult a qualified financial professional for investment advice.

Understanding Military Medical Care and TRICARE

Understanding Military Medical Care and TRICAREUnderstanding Military Medical Care and TRICAREMilitary Medicine Depending upon their status, active duty members, retired members, members of the Guard/Reserves, family members, and certain veterans receive free or government subsidized medical and dental care. For the fruchtwein part, this care falls under an overall program known as TRICARE. Beginning in 1988, the military offered service families a choice of ways in which they might use their military health care benefits. Five years of successful operation and high levels of patient satisfaction convinced Defense Department officials that they should extend and improve the concepts of military medicine reform initiative (called CRI - Champus Reform Initiative), as a uniform program nationwide. The new program, known as TRICARE, is now fully in place. In FY 1996, the TRICARE/CHAMPUS budget was more than $3.5 billion, and more than 20 million claims were received. Today, nearly 5.5 mi llion people are eligible for TRICARE benefits. Types of TRICARE When TRICARE was first instituted, there were only three types.Over the past few years, more TRICARE health plan options have been established.Visit the TRICARE website for complete details on all TRICARE plans TRICARE PrimeTRICARE Prime RemoteTRICARE Prime OverseasTRICARE Prime Remote OverseasTRICARE Standard and ExtraTRICARE Standard OverseasTRICARE For LifeTRICARE Reserve SelectTRICARE Retired ReserveTRICARE Young AdultUS Family Health Plan TRICARE Prime This option is similar to an HMO in concept. It requires that one specificallyenrollin the program (active duty membersare enrolledautomatically). Individuals enrolled in TRICARE Prime are assigned to a primary care lieferant (PCP), which is usually the local military medical facility (base hospital). In order to receive specialist care, enrollees must be referred by their PCP. Under this program, there is no enrollment fee or cost-sharing for active duty me mbers and family members of active duty. For retirees (under age 65) and family members of retirees (under age 65), there is an enrollment fee for TRICARE Prime that increases each year.One can get the forms to enroll inTRICARE Prime online. A brand new option under TRICARE Prime is the Point of Service (POS) enrollment option. Normally under TRICARE Prime, you must be referred by the PCP in order to receive any reimbursement for medical care received from anyone other than the PCP. But, if you elect the POS option attimeof enrollment, you can use TRICARE Prime andtotenstilluse the TRICARE Standard or TRICARE Extra options described below. TRICARE Standard and Extra This program gives more flexibility than TRICARE Prime, but could result in addition costs. You do leid need to enroll in advance to use TRICARE Extra. Under this program, you see anyAuthorized TRICARE Provider, present your ID Card and receive medical care. The TRICARE Authorized Providers have a contract with the m ilitary to limit costs to designated amounts. Under TRICARE Extra, active duty family members pay an annual deducible (the year begins every October)See link for costs updates - TRICARE COSTS For retirees and retiree family members (under age 65), the program costs a little more, though the annual deductible is the same. Visit the TRICARE Standard and Extra Costs webpage for all cost details. Under TRICARE Extra, the medical provider fills out the TRICARE Claim Forms for you, and they receive direct payment from TRICARE for their portion. You simply pay them your portion of the costs. TRICARE for Life Until recently, when a retiree or retiree family member reached the age of 65, they were no longer eligible for TRICARE. Instead, they were expected to receive medical care under the provisions of Medicare. This changed in 2001 with the introduction of TRICARE for Life (TFL). Again, there is no need to enroll in advance (except one must be enrolled in Medicare Part B). Additionally , the only charges for this program are the monthly Medicare Part B premiums. Under this program, you see an authorized Medicare Provider and present your ID Card. TRICARE then becomes the second payer and picks up any costs that Medicare doesnt cover. Although Medicare doesnt cover services provided outside of the continental United States, retirees residing in foreign countries can still take advantage of TFL because TRICARE becomes the primary source of health benefits for them. Like those living in the United States, to be eligible overseas retirees must be enrolled in Medicare Part B. TRICARE for Life will provide the same level of coverage afforded retirees under 65 and they will be responsible for the same TRICARE cost shares and deductibles as the under 65 retirees. Since a great number of retirees living overseas did not enroll in Part B because Medicare didnt cover medical care received in foreign countries, some of the military related organizations are pushing for a wai ver of the Part B penalty which entails a 10 percent penalty for each year the individual was eligible for Part B but didnt enroll. However, there is currently nothing in the works that indicates such a waiver is coming. Pharmacy Benefits with TRICARE There are several ways to fill prescription medications through TRICARE Military Pharmacies You may have prescriptions filled (up to a 90-day supply for most medications) at a military treatment facility (MTF) pharmacy free of charge. Please be aware that not all medications are available at MTF pharmacies. Each facility is required to make available the medications listed in thebasic core formally(BCF). The MTF, through their local Pharmacy Therapeutics Committee, may add additional medications to their local formally based on the scope of care at that MTF. TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP) You can order medicationsonline or through the mail. You can receive up to a 90 day supply (for most medications). Generic formular y costs are $0, while the brand name formulary is $20. Non-formulary cost is $49 unless you have a medical necessity. Network Pharmacies Youmay receive up to a 30-day supply of prescription medication from a pharmacy within theTRICARE Pharmacy Network. The cost for generic formulary is $10, and the cost for brand name formulary is $24. Non-formulary is $50 unless you have medical necessity. Non-network Pharmacies The costs for non-network pharmacies are based on where you are, who you are and in some cases, what plan youre using.You may need to pay up front and file a claim for reimbursement. The costs will generally be higher, however, for non-active duty beneficiaries. Active duty service members will receive full reimbursement. For complete details and costs for beneficiaries, visit the TRICARE prescription costs web page. Active Duty/Reserve Dental Care Dental care for active duty, of course, is free through the Military Dental Clinic. TRICARE does, however, offer op tionaldental plansfor family members of active duty and members of the Guard/Reserves and their family members. These programs require a monthly premium. The programs pay the total cost of some dental care, plus cost-share for other dental care.See current rates for dentalThree different dental programs VA Medical Care I run into folks all the time who think that any military retiree or any veteran can get free medical care from the Veterans Administration. bedrngnis true. To receive medical care from the VA, you must be a Veteran (over 180 days of military service), have an honorable discharge and have either a service-connected illness, injury or disability, or you must fall into a certain range of poverty. More information about VA Medical Care is available on theVAs Web Site.

Will the Applicant Tracking System Love Your Resume

Will the Applicant Tracking System Love Your ResumeWill the Applicant Tracking System Love Your ResumeWill the Applicant Tracking System Love Your ResumeI recently posted about what happens to your resume once a hiring manager receives it. But applying online (directly from a job posting) is a bit different. In fruchtwein cases, resumes submitted online go into the employers Applicant Tracking System (ATS) before they reach a person. The ATS scans the resumes for job-related keywords. No keywords? No chance.An ATS is a database-type program that helps employers store, organize, screen, sort, track, and reply to all the resumes they receive. Small organizations dont use ATSs yet, but all of the really big employersand a growing number of mid-sized organizationsuse these ordnungsprinzips. For each job opening, the employerprograms specific, job-related words and phrases into the ATS. Roughly, what happens is your resume goes into the ATS, gets scanned, and if it doesnt contain enough o f those words and terms, the ATS smacks you with a generic rejection email and stores your resume in the dreaded future consideration bin. End of story.In other words, using keywords to target the employers hiring criteria is a good idea in general, but if youre applying online, its really, really important. How to Choose KeywordsThe job description (and other, similar job descriptions from other employers) is your best source for figuring out what to use for keywords. Look for the main criteria and terminology in the job description, and mimic those words and phrases in your resume.Susan P. Joyce has an excellent article about selecting keywords at job-hunt.org. Although shes talking about the use of resume keywords to help executive recruiters place you in an appropriate job, the same rules apply for ATS keywords. She defines keywords this wayKeywords are the nouns and noun phrases used by recruiters searching through applicant databases and Web job sites for resumes meeting the r equirements on job descriptions ... for example, Assistant and manager are nouns. Administrative assistant and marketing manager are noun phrases.You should read the whole article, but here are some of suggestions for the types of keywords you should include (not all will apply to everybody)Your job titles, past and present, and the title of the job you want.Names of tools (e.g., forklift), software (e.g., Microsoft Project), hardware (e.g., Mac), or techniques (e.g., forklift operation) youre qualified to use and that are specific to your job, profession, or industry.Relevant education and training, including degrees, diplomas, orapplicable majors, coursework, licenses, certifications, etc.Common terms that describe the work you do, the products or services youre involved with, or the people who do your job.Professional and technical acronyms.Professional committee or association memberships.Trade shows and conferences youve attended or where youve presented papers.The automated on line application process, with its form-letter rejections and lack of any thoughtful review of your resume, can feel like yet another obstacle to getting hired. But dont let it demoralize you. Yes, there are hundreds of resumes being submitted for each job opening, but relax... most of them are craptasticLearn to work the system (the Applicant Tracking System, that is) and it can work in your favor. Pepper your resume with appropriate keywords and phrases, and the ATS will flag it and send it on to a member of the species homo sapiens, who will be wowed by your outstanding qualifications and call you for an interview.

How to Get Started in a Film or Television Career

How to Get Started in a Film or Television CareerHow to Get Started in a Film or Television CareerOne of the hardest things about starting a film or television career is getting that first job- but it doesnt have to be that difficult, especially if youre armed with the right information. Here youll find various articles and reference materials to help you navigate your way toward getting your entertainment career off the ground. What Type of Career Are You Looking For? Start by narrowing down the selection of career choices. There are hundreds of entertainment careers, many of which can be quite lucrative and fulfilling. But you should know what youre looking for before you start looking. Here are some career profiles of some of the more popular film and television career choices Makeup artistCasting directorScreenwriterCinematographerFilm director Assessing Your Skills What type of schooling does your particular career choice require? What types of things are you good at? Y oull be surprised, and maybe happy, to know that most people in the entertainment field do not have any sort of specialized training. Most of the training they received welches while on the job, for which there is no real substitute. A good approach, though, when youre beginning is to figure out which careers best match your abilities. You also want to get over the fear of not having enough experience, and figure out whether film school is for you Assess your skills Find out what youre good at. What innate skills do you have that you can immediately apply to a film or television career?Valuable skills you might not know you have You probably took a number of school classes that at the time you thought were useless. You might be surprised to know that many of these skills will come in quite handy as you hone in on your entertainment career path.Should I go to film school? From this article, you can get some answers to that age-old question most people entering the entertainment realm ask themselves. Where Do You Start Looking for Jobs? With the advent of the internet, finding jobs in the entertainment business became quite a bit easier. It used to be that the only way to find a job in the biz was through word of mouth. Now, most production companies have more work than they can handle and try to fill these positions with the most talented people they can find. Some quality resources include entry-level job possibilities. Variety job classifieds Variety is one of the two biggest trade mags and has a great jobs section each day.Major media company job boards Most of the major media companies (Disney, NBC-Universal, Warner Brothers, etc.) have pretty thorough job boards as well as a list of available internships. How Do I Write a Resume? When looking for your first job in the entertainment field, you are often required to provide some form of resume. Even if the only other job youve had was a part-time gig at the local fast food restaurant, you could buil d a solid resume that will help you get your foot in the door. They All Started Somewhere Heres some more good news the vast majority of people who work in the film and television industry had no prior experience, no prodigy-like talent, and even fewer had an uncle with the belastung name of Coppola or Spielberg. Most people approached their entertainment career the same way you are, one day at a time. So, dont worry if the big break doesnt come during your first day, month, or even year. Remember the three Ps of just about any film or television career stay passionate, persistent, and patient, and you will dramatically increase your odds of succeeding in the entertainment industry.

What Has to be Done About Fashion Designer Resume

What Has to be Done About Fashion Designer Resume What to Do About Fashion Designer Resume The fashion world is exciting since its ever-changing and allows for a good deal of self-expression. The fashion designer will normally have to demonstrate a portfolio prior to being hired, in order to be sure the designers fashion sense is consistent with the businesss vision. As youre a Fashion Designer youve got to write about the abilities and values that produce a good one. Crafting a strong fashion designer resume isnt only important, its fundamental Not on the resume for mechanical engineer freshers that you could have mora than one money, youll have a tank. Learn just what you need to put in your fashion designer resume to stand out and find the job. Youre a fashion designer and, while using a few colors to highlight the more important elements can landseem to be a good choice, make sure that you dont exaggerate Indeed, theres predicted to be little if any work growth in fashi on design for the subsequent ten decades. As a fashion designer, you will work with many different people. The designers produce samples with the real materials that will be utilized in manufacturing. Some designers might choose to begin their own design company, or sell their creations in their own retail stores. In addition, fashion designers should study textiles and fabrics, in addition to acquire a thorough comprehension of how apparel creation and distribution works in todays world. What You Need to Know About Fashion Designer Resume Leadership is among the designers strongest points when it has to do with managing a project. Work experience is categorized based on the form of experience. Flexibility is an additional vital factor. Dont select the skills you just have a simple comprehension of. Folks may change up their abilities and qualification. Relevant interpersonal skills would be convenient. Make certain you list all of your good abilities and characteristics. The Fashion Designer Resume Pitfall Some might be unable to afford writing aid in regards to getting the resume paying or written to have a template of a resume. Well, then you need to see the next sample and tips. You might be interested in the following related articles also. Resume templates are normally made by professionals whove been in it for quite a while and therefore they generally give out a sense of confidence. Definitions of Fashion Designer Resume Then you may wind up not including some significant regions and such as other individuals that are not that needed. Usual characteristics incorporate high energy levels, passion about the business and the capability to work in a fast paced atmosphere. Than if youve worked before in the discipline of designing list the regions of expertise youve got. Exactly like other businesses, you have to be well versed in all facets of running an enterprise. You also might work with individual clients to design parts of custom co uture, along with collaborating with sales and marketing and advertising managers to fix the ideal way to present your new ideas to the general public. Keep in mind, buying is an emotional decision in its core. Mostly after you attempt to submit an application for work, the company seeks for your documents. Youre a skilled and you want the recruiter to comprehend that. You will locate all of our resumes that are entirely free to download below. Hiring managers like to know you own a degree of some kind. The recruiters wish to see whether youve got similar job experience. Others are most probably applying to the exact job. If youre applying to a creative job that you might need to start Up in Arms About Fashion Designer Resume? It is very important for your cover letter to have the correct format. Its very easy to use a resume template. The web templates are created in a way they make the resume be noticeable. There are many resume templates that are publicly available o n the web.

New Ideas Into Freelance Resume Writing Word Never Before Revealed

New Ideas Into Freelance Resume Writing Word Never Before Revealed The Freelance Resume Writing Word Game In reality, some freelance writers dont know they ought to be charging per word in the very first place. Put simply, you will be in a position to produce far better work in a shorter quantity of time as you become more experienced. You need to know how to use the most suitable phrases and jargon in a certain sort of resume. The Argument About Freelance Resume Writing Word Writers who are self-employed and who can also be engaged to any employers for a quick time period should construct a self-employed writer resume as a way to display their job expertise in any technical and internet work. If youre asking for work thats a stretch, you should do extra work. You already know that you have to self-edit your work. Freelance work needs to be included as a boost to your resume, and is less valuable if youre doing work that doesnt relate to your field or wouldnt lead to a refer ence. Choosing Freelance Resume Writing Word Is Simple Creating an Effective ResumeA for freelancers can assist you a whole lot in the hiring processes that you want to undergo if youre aiming for an independent work position. Active men and women usually become involved in different sorts of freelance work. Most freelancers wear several hats, and that means you might actually require multiple resume versions. The Appeal of Freelance Resume Writing Word Resume writing is more engaging and client-facing since you need to work one-on-one with the customer. Though your CV is very good at outlining your professional experience, it doesnt illustrate who you are, your nature and your passions. My experience is very beneficial to achieving your targets. You can begin a freelance writing career with zero experience. It can be difficult to fit a self-employed career into a traditional resume structure. Sadly, freelancer sometimes includes an unfavorable connotation. As a freel ancer, you might believe you dont require a freelance resume. Make sure your freelance resume can assist you in getting the interest of your prospective employer. The Pain of Freelance Resume Writing Word You should be able to have a notion of what sorts of jobs require what sorts of resumes. So one has to be careful and selective when listing the expert experience. You may probably get by with no more than two or three primary resumes, which you are going to then adapt further for particular clients. Writing resumes for individuals supplies you with the chance to help them land work, along with earning money from your writing skills. Most beginner freelance writers havent any idea. If you select the word freelance, its far better to bring a particular work you performed. The straightforward answer is you need to incorporate freelance work on your resume. If youre looking for resume writer jobs, were always open for cooperation. Further, there are not many crucial words pertaining to the specific domain of management. ResumeAccomplishments By Category once you have settled on an objective at the start of your resume the following thing you have to do is present some related accomplishments. Some people like to deliver an organization name so the format appears similar to their other work, but thats totally up to you and will be contingent on the level to which your consulting or freelance company is established.