The Foreign Service Journal, April 2020

74 APRIL 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL (afsa.org/retirement-services) . The page includes ALDACs from State on retire- ment issues and other basic information. We also redesigned the annual Directory of Retired Members to include a front sec- tion with answers to the “top hits” among questions we receive, so this information will now be at your fingertips. And if all else fails, you can always call AFSA when you run into a systemic prob- lem or need individualized assistance: this is the heart of AFSA’s retirement services. Over recent months, for instance, AFSA heard frommembers recounting their difficulty in escorting family members into the service areas at the Department of State, something they had been able to do for at least the last 20 years. AFSA brought this to Diplomatic Security, which quickly confirmed the policy and instructed its guards accordingly. We also regularly help those who run into difficulty getting timely answers to complex retirement issues, and we often provide support to the families of deceased FS members who don’t know who to call about annuity and life insur- ance issues. To give you a sense of the full scope of our activities, here is a quick rundown of other benefits: • AFSA helps you to stay plugged into your unique past, profession and pals. The Foreign Service Journal and the Daily Media Digest are two curated tools to keep you abreast of FS news. AFSA also keeps members plugged into 18 local associations where you can meet with your colleagues. Finally, you can attend events virtually through videos or at AFSA headquarters, including a host of events around Foreign Service Day. • AFSA helps you stay engaged and advocating. You, too, are the Voice of the Foreign Service. You can join AFSA’s Speakers Bureau or do local outreach to amplify the story of the Foreign Service in your community, and AFSA will arm you with up-to-date talking points, short explainer videos and other material. Remaining in AFSA also supports AFSA’s advocacy on the Hill to support the Foreign Service and protect our earned benefits. • AFSA helps you stay smart. Our Federal Benefits series, for example, is particularly helpful because many finan- cial advisers beyond the Beltway are not familiar with federal benefits, much less those applicable to the Foreign Service. And in addition to the one-stop shop, AFSA’s bimonthly Retirement Newsletter rounds out AFSA’s special offerings. • And, AFSA’s a great deal: Depend- ing on the grade at which you retire, your AFSA dues will decrease by around one- third to one-half. n I Look Forward to the Daily News Briefs I have found the daily news briefs fromAFSA something I look forward to read- ing every day. The issues continue to interest me and the compilation of news about the administration, and State in particular, from a variety of sources is very well presented. I appreciate the services AFSA offers to retirees to assist with general and individual questions concerning benefits such as health insur- ance. Knowing we have someone to reach out to who understands these things is a huge relief. —Barbara Simpson, Florida Dolores Brown, a retired FSO, is AFSA’s retirement benefits counselor. RETIREMENT SUPPLEMENT