When I was in my 20s and started my first real job at 25 with The DHHS, I was blessed to be able to enroll in the brand new FERS. The Government put in an automatic 1 percent of my salary and matched up to 3 percent more. So for 7 percent of my salary invested, I contributed just 3 percent. So even as a new employee, I added 2 percent more and every single pay raise after, I added that percent to my contributions instead of in my pay. I learned to live on what I made, saved and contributed all my working life and became a FERS millionaire. Additionally, the one word I remember was diversify. Series EE Savings Bonds, paying a minimum of 4 percent guaranteed was a good deal. You could purchase Bonds from each paycheck for as little as 25. and get a 50. Bond or 50. and get a 100. Bond twice a month. I do remember it seemed like a slog and growth would be slow with 30 years to maturity but patience is another word to know here. After 10 years, not only did the interest rates vary, the worst was not being able to buy bonds through payroll deductions and having to go to the Bank. That was OK for a while but it took discipline to do it. Less discipline needed for automatic payroll deductions and the Bonds piled up while I did this. Discipline was another buzzword but then the Banks started making you buy online, making it harder and the interest rates way too variable. But I still had a pile of Bonds. I urge the Feds to bring Bonds back at 4% and make it easy to invest in the USA

When I was in my 20s and started my first real job at 25 with The DHHS, I was blessed to be able to enroll in the brand new FERS. The Government put in an automatic 1 percent of my salary and matched up to 3 percent more. So for 7 percent of my salary invested, I contributed just 3 percent. So even as a new employee, I added 2 percent more and every single pay raise after, I added that percent to my contributions instead of in my pay. I learned to live on what I made, saved and contributed all my working life and became a FERS millionaire. Additionally, the one word I remember was diversify. Series EE Savings Bonds, paying a minimum of 4 percent guaranteed was a good deal. You could purchase Bonds from each paycheck for as little as 25. and get a 50. Bond or 50. and get a 100. Bond twice a month. I do remember it seemed like a slog and growth would be slow with 30 years to maturity but patience is another word to know here. After 10 years, not only did the interest rates vary, the worst was not being able to buy bonds through payroll deductions and having to go to the Bank. That was OK for a while but it took discipline to do it. Less discipline needed for automatic payroll deductions and the Bonds piled up while I did this. Discipline was another buzzword but then the Banks started making you buy online, making it harder and the interest rates way too variable. But I still had a pile of Bonds. I urge the Feds to bring Bonds back at 4% and make it easy to invest in the USA

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