# Episode 109: 10 Things You Can Do Outside of an Open Season

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/federal-employee-financial-planning-podcast-4835471/episode-109-10-things-you-can-do-outside-of-an-open-season
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/federal-employee-financial-planning-podcast-4835471/episode-109-10-things-you-can-do-outside-of-an-open-season.md
Podcast: [Federal Employee Financial Planning Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/federal-employee-financial-planning-podcast-4835471)
Published: 2026-01-19T11:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://federalemployeefinancialplanningpodcast.libsyn.com/episode-109-10-things-you-can-do-outside-of-an-open-season
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/federalemployeefinancialplanningpodcast/10_Things_you_can_do_outside_of_an_open_season_podcast_audio.mp3?dest-id=2949974
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/federal-employee-financial-planning-podcast-4835471/episodes/episode-109-10-things-you-can-do-outside-of-an-open-season
Duration seconds: 1225

## Resource

Think you have to wait for Open Season to make meaningful financial decisions as a federal employee? This episode breaks that myth wide open. John, Ben, and Tommy walk through the most impactful moves federal employees can make any time of year, from optimizing your TSP and HSA to updating insurance, beneficiaries, and retirement strategies. Whether you're early in your federal career, nearing retirement, or already retired, this episode gives you a practical checklist to help you avoid costly mistakes, spot overlooked opportunities, and make more confident decisions year-round. Access the full show notes at Mason & Associates, LLC Resources Mentioned: Mason & Associates: LinkedIn Tommy Blackburn: LinkedIn John Mason: LinkedIn Ben Raikes: LinkedIn Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) FEGLI (Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance) FEHB (Federal Employees Health Benefits Program) Blue Cross Blue Shield prescription drug tool Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) FEFP: Medicare Masterclass on Enrollment and the Inflation Reduction Act (EP87)

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/federal-employee-financial-planning-podcast-4835471/episodes/episode-109-10-things-you-can-do-outside-of-an-open-season/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/federal-employee-financial-planning-podcast-4835471/episode-109-10-things-you-can-do-outside-of-an-open-season.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.