Ralph Smith

4 weeks ago | fedsmith.com | Ralph Smith

Encouraging inflation data and an enthusiasm for stocks in the tech sector helped fuel stock market returns in May which propelled last month’s TSP performance. The S&P 500 was up more than 6% in May while the C Fund, based on the S&P 500 index, was up 6.29% for the month. This was the best month for the C Fund since November 2023. In November 2023, the C Fund was up 9.12% (the S Fund was up 11.19% that month). 2025 has not been favorable for the C Fund as it declined in February, March, and April.

1 month ago | fedsmith.com | Ralph Smith

I recently received an unexpected, lengthy report from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). The agency’s mission is to provide “the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation.”The report was eight pages long. It was entirely about the efforts being made by the agency to find the remains of my uncle, the pilot of a Vought F4U-1D Corsair plane as a member of the US Marine Corps Reserve in World War II.

1 month ago | fedsmith.com | Ralph Smith

It has been a long and winding road regarding whether MSPB Chair Cathy Harris will remain in that job. It is getting much closer to the end now with the Supreme Court weighing in on the issue. The Supremes overturned a stay, issued by the District Court in the District of Columbia concluding the stay was inappropriate.

1 month ago | fedsmith.com | Ralph Smith

On May 17th, FedSmith published an article noting the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a stay by a lower court that allowed the administration to proceed taking steps for implementing an executive order expanding exclusions from the federal labor relations program. The focus of the case is an executive order issued by President Trump on March 27, 2025, entitled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs.

1 month ago | fedsmith.com | Ralph Smith

The Executive Order challenged in a recent court decision overturning an injunction of the Order is entitled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs. The labor relations exclusions in the Executive Order signed by President Trump on March 27, 2025, modified Executive Order 12171 of November 19, 1979 signed by President Jimmy Carter. The Carter Executive Order was entitled Exclusions from the Federal Labor-Management Relations Program.