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A Florida firm built to do fewer things, more carefully, and the founder who built it.
You shouldn’t have to translate your own pension just to get good advice.
Independent, fee-only, and built for Florida’s public employees.
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Understand the decisions that shape your Florida Retirement System benefit.
Understanding DROP
Pension vs. Investment Plan · Guide. FRS Retirement Calculator · Tool.
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The pieces that sit alongside your FRS benefit, and the timing decisions that come with them.
Leaving DROP: the decisions with a deadline.
Your DROP exit is a one-time decision. Make it with a plan, not a guess.
Read the DROP guideWho We Serve
Built for the people who built Florida: teachers, first responders, officers, state and county staff, and the retirees who already served.
FRS membership has more nuance than most people realize.
A short conversation usually clarifies what applies to you.
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Pension, DROP, the Health Insurance Subsidy, and Social Security. No Social Security number, no FRS login.
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Plain-language posts on FRS retirement and the decisions around it, written by Derrick Johnson.
The 2027 Social Security COLA is announced Oct 14. What the raise means after Medicare, how it's calculated, taxes on benefits, and what the trust fund means.
Read the postMortgage rates just crossed 7% for the first time in two years. What it does to your payment, why the Fed won't fix it, and how to think about buying now.
Read the postDiesel hit a record and Florida gas topped $4. Why fuel prices show up in your groceries, what it means for inflation and rates, and how to adjust your budget.
Read the postThe Nasdaq hit a record while dozens of its stocks fell. What market concentration means for your index fund, 457, or Investment Plan, and what to check now.
Read the postThe Fed raised rates for the first time since 2023. What it means for your credit card, savings, mortgage, and bonds, and what doesn't change for FRS members.
Read the postAmericans now spend about $111 a month on subscriptions and waste $252 a year on ones they don't use. A simple one-hour audit to find and cut the leaks.
Read the postA year-end checklist for 2026: 457 and 403(b) limits, the overtime deduction for first responders, RMDs, tax-loss harvesting, and deadlines before Dec 31.
Read the postYour Medicare Annual Notice of Change arrives by Sept 30. Here's what changes in 2027, what to check in the letter, and the dates that matter this fall.
Read the postSAVE is over and the first deadlines hit Sept 29. How RAP, IBR, and Standard compare, what it means for PSLF, and the autopay deadline most borrowers miss.
Read the postThe ACA subsidy cliff is back for 2027 coverage. How pension income, DROP payouts, and withdrawals can cost early retirees their subsidy, and what to plan for.
Read the postFlorida's Amendment 3 would raise the homestead exemption to $250,000 for non-school taxes. What it changes, who it affects, and the arguments on both sides.
Read the postBig Tech is borrowing hundreds of billions to build AI. What that means for stocks, for the bond funds in your 457 or Investment Plan, and what to check now.
Read the postTrump Accounts are open. Who gets the $1,000 deposit, how to claim it with Form 4547, contribution limits, what happens at 18, and how it compares to a 529.
Read the postThis page is educational and is not individualized advice. Benowitz Wealth Management is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Florida Retirement System, the Florida Division of Retirement, or the State Board of Administration of Florida. Confirm the figures that apply to your own record at MyFRS.com or with the Division of Retirement.
If a post raises a question about your own record, you can talk it through.
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