OPM'S - Practices 3 - Check's in the Mail

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Logic

Federal Times compiles coverage for federal managers, focusing on the Office of Personnel Management’s retirement-check process. OPM chief Linda Springer describes eliminating delays by replacing outdated paper-based claims handling with automation and online access to retirement records. The report also highlights concerns about FBI and homeland security issues, including air marshal briefing exposure and counterterrorism-related smuggling allegations, alongside travel spending and procedural timelines.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

OPM chief vows to get payments out accurately and on time

Check's in the mail

Spending hits record

Smuggled in

FBI to air marshals:Your cover is blown

Acquisition training

# OPM'S BLAIR DEFENDS VET HIRING April 3,2006 # PRACTICES 3 THE NAT10NAL NEWSWEEKLY FOR FEDERAL MANAGERS Retirement checks in 30 days CONGRESSIONAL REPORT FBI:No moreIT troubles The FBI says itsnew case man-agement system will be an im-provement over its failed VirtualCase File.Page 6 ## OPM chief vows to get payments out accurately and on time By TIM KAUFFMAN DESTINATIONS # CHECK'S IN THE MAIL t's normal for political appointees tobring along their senior advisers whenthey testify before Congress.But Officeof Personnel Management Director LindaSpringer lugged a different sort of aid to arecent hearing on the agency's proposedbudget:a file cabinet drawer. The Ofice of Personnel Management has dramatically cut the time it takes to process retirement checks: Springer used the metal drawer,stuffedwith printouts and employee personnelrecords,as a prop to demonstrate the anti-quated,paper-based process OPM uses tocalculate retirement benefits for more than2million federal retirees.The drawer is oneof144,000 from 28,000 file cabinets housingpersonnel records that OPM employeesmust research to calculate a retiring em-ployee's annuity. Souther charm Atlanta's rich civil rights historymixes with the contemporaryculture of the new South.Page12 Days to process initial retirement checks FEDERAL TRAVELER ## Spending hits record "It's a shameful way of doing this,"Springer said during the March 28 hearingbefore the House Government Reform sub-committee on the federal work force andagency organization. Travel to disaster areas can becomplicated—and expensive,as 2005's record spending levelsshow.Page 13 The process is so cumbersome,employ-ees can wait up to six months or longer af-ter retiring to receive their full monthly annuity payments.Until OPM determines thecorrect amount,it withholds between 15percent and 35percent of an employee'sprojected monthly pension. HOMELAND SECURITY Smuggled in Federal investigators used coun-terfeit documents to smuggleenough radioactive material fortwo dirty bombs into the UnitedStates,according to a recent report.Page 15 Springer has made t one of her top priori-ties to eliminate those delays and get em-ployees their full annuities as Soon as they retire.This spring,OPM will launchathreeyeareffort to autonuate the process so claims ex-aminers can calculate pensions without "For 90 pot of checks SOURCE GMCBY GETTING AHEAD 0M8a Managemet MARCIA # FBI to air marshals:Your cover is blown craft have been compromised and many arelivid that their management apparently al-lowed their training to be filmed. By STEPHEN LOSEY ## Acquisition training More managers go back to classas procurement staffs shrink andthe workload grows more com-plex.Page 16 ▲ Qaida told the FBI he used a televi--sion news report on air marshaltraining to assemble a theoretical strikeplan,demonstrating that would-be hijackerswith similar information could use it tooverpower marshalsIn a March 28 cable,obtained by Federal Times,the FBI in-formed the Homeland Security Departmentabout the terrorist's warnings. This completely exposes our positions,"saidone air marshal,who spoke to FederalTimes anonymously because marshals arenot allowed to talk to the press."Our element of surprise has been taken away andgiven to the enemy." The terrorist,who has been in U.S.cus-tody for several years and is described in theFBI cable as a reliable informant,evidentlygave his plan only to the FBI and not to oth-er terrorists.He told the FBI that active ter- Federal Times Air marshals interviewed by FederalTimes said their tactics and positions on air- 2487899879 A Gannet Newsweekly G2006 Army Times Publishing Company Periodicals-Newspaper Handling Vol.42,No.9 Federal TimesSponsored by:Weekly email update of the news that matters most to you! 贝 Subscribe Today online at wuufederaltimes.com/subscribe &MAAGEneNTCONCPrsregister for a FREEENewsletterwww.federaltimes.com/news

FAQs

What major change does OPM plan to make to speed up retirement checks?

OPM plans a multi-year effort to automate the process, enabling claims examiners to calculate pensions more quickly than the antiquated paper-based system.

Why does the article say retirement payments can be delayed?

It notes the process is cumbersome, and employees may wait up to six months or longer to receive full monthly annuity payments while OPM determines the correct amount.

What concern does the FBI coverage raise about air marshals and public information?

The article reports that a terrorist allegedly used broadcast information from air marshal training, claiming their positions and tactics were compromised and surprise was taken away.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Logic