RETIREMENT BENEFITS SERVICE DEPARTMENT

1. RETIREMENT BENEFITSSERVICE DEPARTMENT David Snell Director

2. GOAL: To provide assistance to NARFE members, their families and survivors in taking the proper actions to obtain and retain their annuity, health and federal group life insurance benefits.

3. Functions: • Direct, lead and maintain National Headquarters retirement benefits operations • Maintain good relations and contacts with the Office of Personnel Management • Give non-technical advice on other retirement benefits, e.g., SSA, Medicare • Provide guidance and support to NARFE Service Officers • Advise Resident National Officers on retirement benefits and policies and OPM requirements

4. STAFF • Director – Insures that directives are timely issued. Responsible for quality of written products and verbal responses. Provide advice on CSRS/FERS retirement and benefits matters and related benefits. • Retirement Benefits Specialists – Answers inquiries on all phases of retirement matters. Provide expert guidance on related subjects, including health and life insurance issues.

5. Service Officer Support • What Service Officers said . . . . . • “I was ready to bunch this SO job because I was just plain disheartened after beating my head against the wall the last few years. .” “so keep the flow of information coming.” • “You’d get better exposure by an on-going article/section in the NARFE Magazine, or preferably in the Quarterly News for NARFE leaders.”

6. “We state and chapter service officers generally have a much smaller window on service officer news . . . yet we are expected to provide information to our federations and chapters via reports, newsletters and live presentations. Any assistance from your office could be invaluable to us in the performance of our duties and responsibilities and, perhaps more importantly promote a stronger espirit de corps among us.” • “It would be great to have a full listing of possible direct contacts with personnel in OPM and like organizations rather than taking pot luck and the need to repeat the same information to more than one person.”

7. “What I would like to see is a training module either on-line or on a DVD that could be viewed at home.” • “One training that might help us service officers is the recruitment seminars that NARFE is running.” • “The only thing I recommend is that your office keep service in the forefront.”

8. Areas For Improvement • Communications • Job Aides • Training • Recognition and Appreciation

9. Service Centers • How can we provide assistance and support? • There are 109 active service centers world wide. There are 47 are in private home; 62 in space provided in government/military installations. • Region X – 16 active service centers

10. Service Officer Award • Nominations from Chapter to Federation President. • Federation President selects one to nominate and forward to Regional VP for consideration. • Regional VP selects one to forward to National Vice President.

11. News From OPM • OPM Quick Guide to Federal Insurance Programs • New Web Site: www.opm.gov/insure/quickguide.asp • MSPB Hatch vs. OPM • Premium Conversion for Retired Public Safety Officers • FEHBP Open Season Dates: November 12 – December 10, 2007.

12. OPM’s Retirement System Moderization • Automation of Individual Retirement Case Processing • Electronic Recordkeeping • Self-Service for Retirement Planning • On-Line support in addition to calling OPM or agency human resources

13. Thought For The Day • What’s a “free gift”? Aren’t all “gifts” free?