Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Management - Essay Example The basic idea that runs in our mind when we mention personal investment is about the risks and returns, but in reality we ask ourselves are this really the main concerns we ought to look at? In order to understand well this question I undertook a comprehensive look into the factors that affect personal investment in the UK., Personal investment To begin with, we need to understand what personal investment entails. Personal investing is one of the important components that one needs to understand while undertaking personal finance. Personal investment and personal finance are two terms that in many occasions are used interchangeably. However, it is worth noting that as much as one could use them to mean the same thing, in reality they have a slight difference. Personal finance is the broader term that describes the process of effective organization or management of assets that are in the possession of the family or an individual (Tatum, 2006). Therefore, the basic definition for pers onal investment will be a component of personal finance that involves taking investment activities such as undertaking a secure financial cushion that will cater for later years. One can also put it as, a long-term personal commitment that involves inherent risks and accrues regular income or leads to capital growth (Hargreaves Lansdown, 2009). The relationship between risk and return The key question in this symposium is whether personal investment only revolves around risks and returns. From my own opinion, I will agree with the question. The main reason we would be all want to carryout personal investment is for the returns, which determine how our future will turn out (My Wealth Guide, 2008). On the other hand, we cannot talk about returns and leave out risks because the two go hand in hand. Therefore, to be able to answer this question comprehensively we first need to understand what the relationship between risk and returns. This is because, for anyone who wishes to put his mo ney in an investment, the primary concept they need to understand is the relationship between the risks involved and the returns of the investment. It is worth noting that, in investment, the basic trick that an investor has to be aware of is that the more risk an investment has, the higher the chances of having a better return (TD Direct Investing Ltd., 2010). Therefore, before taking the risk one should have an idea of which risks as an individual one would be willing to take in order to generate more returns with the hope that the risk does not occur. This is why in order to formulate a good investment plan; you will need to asses each available risk that you are willing to undertake. There are many risks in the field of investment and when we look at each risk in detail can take a very long time. However, I have compiled a few of the major risks that tend to affect personal investment in the UK that are as following. We have the: Inflationary risk One think we can all agree on i s that the past few years have not been some of the best for UK and the world in terms of the economy. Moreover, this is where the inflationary risk comes in to play. The risk means that the value of an asset becomes lesser as inflation reduces the value of the country’s currency. Liquidity risk It refers to the risk that you as an investor may encounter when you have a need for liquid assets but are unable to sell or buy an investment because of the

Development of Pad Conditioner Drop Detection System Dissertation

Development of Pad Conditioner Drop Detection System - Dissertation Example The project focuses on the design of a sensor system that can trigger accumulation of copper on the pad or detect the optimal parameters of the CMP equipment. Contents Development of Pad Conditioner Drop Detection System 30 1 1.0 Introduction 5 1.1 Background information 5 1.2 Statement of the problem 6 1.3 Statement of the problem 8 On 13h Dec 2010 PCUD712 went to check P2 trace and found Cu was not fully polished at wafer. This problem of having wafer edges that are not fully polished has caused the need for this project. No one did recognize the occurrence of the problem until one of the maintenance team did a random testing. Making CMP equipment that has a sensor can trigger any drop caused by the presence of copper and call for a response from the team. 8 1.4 Project scope 8 1.5 Objective 9 1.6 Specific objectives 9 2.0 literature Review 10 2.1 Types of planarization 10 2.1.1 Doped Glass Reflow 10 2.1.2 Spin etch planarization (SEP) 10 2.1.3 Spin on deposition (SOD) 11 SOP is mo stly applied in deposits on different glasses, porous low-k dielectrics and polymer ILD. By mixing different base catalysts and suitable additives, a precursor solution is prepared at room temperature. Pretreated wafer surface provides an effective surface for solution spreading. A little amount of the solution is dripped on the wafers that are then rinsed, spun dried baked and later cured. This process shows excellent gap filling qualities. Nevertheless, several defects are noted on the spin in the deposited materials. When the materials from this process are exposed to plasma, they show non-homogeneity in subsequent operations. Undue stresses are induced by the tendency of the spin to absorb moisture from the air and releasing it with evolution of thermal stresses. The stresses result to cracking, peel off, shrinking, degradation and contamination of interconnects and thermal instability. 11 2.1.4 Reactive ion etch and etch back 11 2.1.5 Chemical mechanical polishing 12 Historical ly, grinding has always been an inexpensive operation compared to polishing. The level of polishing required nowadays in the IC fabrication can not be matched to these advantages (Yoshio, 2000). Unlike grinders, polishers use elastic media to sever bonds on a molecular level ejecting nanometer sized particles. The grinders’ use rigid media that create cracks through a work piece, the clusters are micron sized. Recent research has shown that the maximum force is a key variable of sub surface damage (Chandra etal., 2000 p.81). CMP focuses on the insights accruing from the investigations on minimizing force/grit by applying knowledge of errant particles that plague polishing processes (Chandra & Bastawros, 2004 p.65). The process involves incorporating the wafer pattern into a gimbal and replacing the polishing pad with two diametrically opposing wheels. The trapped particles will induce a torque on one of the wheels thereby making the gimbal rotate away from offending particle. Through optimization of the dynamics of the gimbals’ response to the acute forces resulting from the errant particles, a defect mitigating maximum-force minimization is realized at low cost. 15 2.2 IC interconnects 17 2.3 Photometric dispersion analyzer (PDA 2000) 19 To monitor properties of flowing suspension and emulsions, a PDA 2000 is used both in laboratories

she said yes :: essays research papers

I read "She Said Yes" by Misty Bernall. The publishing company is The Plough Publishing House, and it is 140 pages long. Cassie Bernall, a 17 year old junior at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, was a typical teen having a typical day, when two rampaging classmates put a gun to her head and asked her if she believed in god. She said yes. Its a story of growing up in the 90’s, of peer pressure, adolescents, turmoil, and the role parents play; a story of tough choices and the battle between good and evil in every person. But in the end, its a story of redemption more enduring than the tragedy that cut Cassie Bernall’s life short. It was a relatively simple question. Do you believe in God? On April 20th, 1999 Cassie Renà © Bernall said "Yes". It was the last word she would ever speak. On the day of the tragedy Cassie became a martyr for her God. In the aftermath of the tragedy its easy to raise Cassie up the status of a saint. Cassie was nothing more then a typical teenager worried about their future, her looks and the things that almost every other teenager worries about, but Cassie also sported a deep love for her God. But it wasn’t always that way. While Cassie had always been a sweet and loving child she took a turn for the worst in her teenage years, and headed down a dark, dangerous path, just like those ones as her killers. Her friends were less then good role models, Cassie became fascinated with witchcraft, drinking, suicide and perhaps the death of her parents. Fortunately, her parents found letters written to Cassie by a close friend which were talking about things that they could do to her parents that would be tragic. Afraid of what might happen, the Bernalls turned the letters over to the local police. A youth pastor spent a lot of time talking with Cassie, only to later say that there was no hope for her. But like most parents Cassia’s wouldn’t give up. The pulled her out her current school and enrolled her in a Christian school, they cut off all contact with her old friends, and basically put her under house arrest. Anything to get their sweet little girl back. Cassie hated them for it. They also hated having to get so serious with their daughter.

Chapter 14 Outline Ap World History.

Outline Introduction: Every year or al least once in their life, the Muslims must travel to Mecca. This is a holy pilgrim that has been a tradition for the Muslims since Muhammad made the trip. At the beginning the pilgrims to Mecca were made by small amounts of people. However, by the ninth century, thousands of people traveled to Mecca in the 9th lunar month. All these people survived on food and water provided by the government. The Muslim government made a great effort to keep the roads and the cities clean and ready for the travelers.The hajj was not only solemn observance, but it was also an occasion for joy and celebration. The word Islam means â€Å"Submission,† which means obedience to the rule of Allah. If somebody accepts the Islamic faith it means that he/she is a Muslim. Even though this belief started with one man, by the end of the eighth century Islam stood alongside the Byzantine Empire. A Prophet and his World: Islam appeared in the Arabian Peninsula, and thi s religion reflected the cultural conditions of it’s homeland. Living in Arabia has always been hard because of the bad agriculture and the harsh climates.However people have been able to survive for a long time and they built a strong empire that was based upon family and submission. Arabia figured out the trading opportunities and took advantage of them. Arabia became an important trading center for India china and the Mediterranean. Plus they started receiving commodities. With the awake of classical empires, trade routes became insecure. Merchants abandoned the overland routes and they started using sea routes that passed through the Arabian Peninsula. This greatly influenced the economy of the city of Mecca.Muhammad and His Message: The prophet Muhammad was son of nomadic Bedouin herders and merchants. He was born in 570 C. E. and he was son of an honorable merchant family. He had an education, and they cared for him. However, when he was young he worked for a wealthy wi dow that later became his wife. He got some power in the Mecca society, but he didn’t get a high position. By the age 30 Muhammad had established himself as a merchant and he lived a comfortable life. He lived and knew about many other different religions and he knew the cultures of other peoples.According to the stories Muhammad received some messages from the Angel Gabriel which told him to convert his family and the world and to give them the message of god. Muhammad presented oral lessons that he passed to his students and the people. However when he dies, his students compiled his teachings in a book called the Quran. Most important after the Quran itself are traditions known as hadith, which include sayings attributed to Muhammad. Muhammad’s Migration to Medina: He first began for converting his family and then the community.Muhammad became popular and that brought him problems with the ruling elites of Mecca. Muhammad insisted that Allah was the only god and tha t there shouldn’t be any other deities to which we pray. The elite also saw him a treat because he said that Allah was going to punish greed. Because of all the danger in Mecca, Muhammad had to fled. He fled and joined a group of his followers in Yathrib, a rival trading city. Muslims called their new city Medina which also means the city of the prophet. In Medina he organized his followers into a community and he provides it with laws and a social code.He looked after the economic welfare of his community; he did this by trading or by launching expedition. Muhammad started to call himself the final prophet because he was going to at last reveal the message of god to the people. He teach that the Christian god and all the other major gods were the same. All of them were Allah and he also accepted the Jewish and Christian prophets. The Establishment of Islam in Arabia: Even thought they succeeded in Medina, Muhammad and his followers planned on returning to Mecca.In 630 he and his followers attacked Mecca and they conquered the city. They forced the rich to take Allah as their main god and they imposed a government dedicated to Allah. They also destroyed the shrines of other deities and they built mosques. In 632 Muhammad made the first pilgrimage to the Ka’ba. The foundations of Islamic faith as elaborated by Muhammad consist of obligations known as the Five Pillars. Added to the Five Pillars the Islamic people must follow the holy law known as the sharia. Through the Sharia, Islam became more than a religious doctrine.It became a way of life that people must strictly follow. Expansion of Islam: After Muhammad’s dead the religion faced a period of instability because he left no predecessor. Some people that had barely been conquered, broke from Islam, took back their independence and they became free again. However, within a short time, the Islamic community built a strong army that expanded its power and conquered many lands that converte d into Islamic. These conquests lead the foundation of the rapid growth of Islamic society. The Early Caliphs and the Umayyad Dynasty:Since Muhammad said that he was the last prophet when he died, there could not be another prophet to lead the Islamic society. However, they decided to chose Abu Bakr as deputy. He was the closest of Muhammad’s friends and he was one of the most devoted disciples that he had. He was a religious leader, but he was also the Military commander. During the century after Muhammad’s dead they expanded beyond the boundaries of Arabia, carrying with them their religion and their authority. Durig this period of time they conquered Persia and Africa.Because of this rapid expansion, the government had problems with governing and administration. It was just too many people to control. Disagreements over the succession lead to the emergence of the Shia sect, which wanted Ali and his successors to caliphs. The Shia survived because they created differ ent rituals and they appointed different holydays. The Shia Muslims also made changes in the Quran in order to support the party’s views. The Abbasid Dynasty: Rebellion in Persia brought the Umayyad dynasty to an end. The chief leader of the rebellion was Abu, he was a descendant of Muhammad’s uncle.Even though he was a Sunni Muslim, he allied himself with other Muslims in order to convert people from the Mediterranean. The Umayyad didn’t want to surrender to the Abu. One day Abu invited the rich, influential men to a banquet to make peace. However, during the banquet they were arrested and murdered. After they were killed Abu founded the Abbasid dynasty. This dynasty was more cosmopolitan than the previous dynasty. Instead of conquering new lands, the Abbasids largely contented themselves with administering the empire they inherited.The high point of the Abbasid dynasty came during the reign of Harun. This king provided with liberal support for artists and writ er, and he distributed money and wealth to the poor people. After the death of the emperor, the Abbasid Empire declined. This was due to the conflicts of succession. At the end the Mongols extinguished the already weakened empire in 1258. Economy and Society of the Early Islamic World: As in other agricultural societies the farmers worked in the land while the merchants stayed at the city and feed themselves with the food that the farmers produced.The creation of empires had dramatic implications and results. For instance, the Abbasid Empire created a zone of trade, exchange of ideas, and a communicating route. New Crops, Agricultural Experimentation, and Urban Growth: As the soldiers, merchants, administrators and the population traveled to other parts of the world, they encounter different animals, plants and cultures. Then they brought those ideas and teach them to the people of their empire. The introduction of new crops to the west had many positive effects for the economy.New food crops led to a richer and more varied diet. They also increased quantities of food and some plants, such as cotton, were used to make a profit. Travel and communication in the dar al-Islam also encouraged experimentation with agricultural methods. The cultivators copied systems of irrigation and techniques that would help them produce more food. The increase of agricultural production contributed to the rapid growth of the empire. Paper manufacture appeared in the Islamic cities during the Abbasid era. Chinese people made paper since the first century B.C. however with the diffusion, the paper techniques spread to Islamic world around 751 B. C. The Formation of a Hemispheric trading Zone: From its earliest days Islamic society drew much of its prosperity from commerce. Muhammad was a merchant, and he held merchants in high stem. According to early accounts of his life Muhammad said that merchants would stand alongside martyrs to the faith on the Day of Judgment. By the time of the Abbasid Empire, trade networks linked all the regions of the Islamic world and joined it to a larger hemispheric economy.Arab and Persian mariner borrowed the compass from its Chinese inventors and used it to guide them on the high seas. From Southeast Asian and Indian mariners, they borrowed the lateen sail, a triangular sail that increased a ship’s mobility. They established multiple branches that honored letters of credit known as Sakk drawn on the parent bank. Trade benefited also from techniques of business organization. As a result of improved transportation, expanded banking services, and refined techniques of business organization, long-distance trade surged in the early Islamic world.They brought many things such as silk and spices form far away. The Changing Status of Women: There was a patriarchal society even before Muhammad’s time. However, Arab women enjoyed right that women in other parts could never dream of. For instance, they could legally inherit property, divorce husbands, and engage in business ventures. However, in some respects the Quran enhanced the security of women in Arabian society. It portrayed women equal to men in the eyes of Allah. However, the Quran and later the Sharia reinforced male dominance. They recognized descend trough the male line.Even though they teach that women should be treated with delicacy and respect, it allowed men to have up to four wives, whereas women could only have one husband. The veiling of women was not originally a tradition of the Muslims. This tradition came from the Byzantine and Sasanid Empires. At the beginning women had many rights stated in the Quran, however as time passed, the scholars modified the Quran and they took away the rights of women. Islamic Values and cultural Exchanges: The Quran has served as the cornerstone of the Islamic society.The Quran established a flexible and powerful medium of communication. Even today the Muslims believe that the Quran is the only reli able scripture, translations as not as powerful as the original one. Muslims missionaries spread Goad’s message, but they allowed the people to still practice their old religions or beliefs. The foundation of an Islamic Cultural Tradition: The Muslims scholars studied the Quran and stories about Muhammad in order to create moral guidelines appropriate for their society. Formal institutions helped promote Islamic values.Many mosques maintained schools that provided elementary education and religious instruction, and wealthy Muslims sometimes established schools and provided endowments for their support. By the tenth century institutions of higher education known as Madrasas appeared. Muslim rulers supported the Madrasas because they had interest in recruiting literate and learned students with an advanced education in Islamic theology and law for administrative position. Sufis also appeared. Sufis were especially effective as missionaries because they emphasized devotion to Al lah above mastery of doctrine.Islam and the Cultural Traditions of Persia and the Cultural Traditions of Persia, India, and Greece: As the Islamic community expanded, the people started interacting with people from other societies, especially with Persia, India, and Greece. Persian traditions quickly found a place in Islamic society, since the culturally rich land of Persia fell under Islamic rule. Persian Influence was as noticeable in literary works from the Abbasid dynasty. While Arabic served as the language of religion, theology, philosophy, and law, Persian was the principal language of literature, poetry, history, and political reflection.Chapter Summary (taken from AP textbook) The religion of Islam emerged on the Arabian Peninsula in the seventh century  C. E. as a result of the vision and the teachings of Muhammad. His message attracted a rapidly expanding circle of devout believers, known as Muslims. After Muhammad's death, Arab conquerors spread the word of Islam throu ghout a vast territory extending from the Indus River to the Iberian Peninsula within one century. This rapid expansion of Islam contributed to the development of a massive trade and communication network in which goods and ideas spread freely.The realm of Islam became one of the most prosperous and cosmopolitan societies of the postclassical world. This new society was characterized by, strong commitment to the monotheistic belief system, resting on the Five Pillars of Islam, first articulated by Muhammad and later elaborated on by scholars and mystics. Also, the development of overland and maritime trade and communication routes that facilitated the spread of new crops, trade goods, and ideas, from improved techniques in agriculture to the writings of the classical Greek philosophers.Engagement with and sometimes adoption of various cultural traditions encountered by the far-flung realm and its trade contacts, helped the country. Hence elements of Persian, Indian, Christian, and G reek cultures found their place into Islamic society and thought. Muslims believe that God is  one and incomparable  and the  purpose of existence  is to love and serve God. Muslims also believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed at many times and places before, including through Abraham,  Moses  and  Jesus, whom they consider  prophets.They maintain that previous messages and revelations have been partially changed or corrupted  over time,  but consider the Qur'an to be both the unaltered and the final revelation of God. Religious concepts and practices include the  five pillars of Islam, which are basic concepts and obligatory acts of  worship, and following  Islamic law, which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, providing guidance on multifarious topics from  banking  and  welfare, to  warfare  and the  environment.The Pillars of Islam are five basic acts in Islam, consi dered obligatory for all believers. The  Quran  presents them as a framework for worship and a sign of commitment to the faith. They are (1) the  shahadah  (creed), (2) daily prayers (salat), (3) almsgiving (zakah), (4) fasting during  Ramadan  and (5) the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in a lifetime. The  Shia  and  Sunni  sects both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts.

Thrift Savings Plan

Thrift Savings Plan HRA-360 Total Compensation Dr. James Waters Jacqueline Kelly 2 March 2010 Every successful organization depends on the abilities of a good workforce. The United States Government is no different. One of the major concerns of most employees is receiving fair compensation for the work performed, even after retirement. In 1920 the U S Federal government provided retirement, disability and survivor benefits for most civilian employees. The plan continues to provide benefits to those still covered under the plan. Employees covered under CSRC were not covered by Social Security. However, realizing a need for change, the United States Congress designed a new program, the Thrift Savings Plan, which was enacted 6 June 1986 and became effective 1 January 1987 in the Federal Employees Retirement Act of 1986. The Thrift Savings Plan is meant to operate like a 401(k) retirement savings plan. The plan permits employees to defer paying taxes on the money saved until they retire, at which time they may be in a lower tax bracket because they are no longer earning a full time income. The Thrift Savings Plan is one of the three parts of the Federal Employees Retirement System, and is the largest defined contribution plan in the world with assets worth over $210 billion dollars. The Thrift Savings Plan has the over 3. 7 million participants who contribute to the plan on a voluntary basis. Some these civilian participants included: Individuals on approved leave without pay to serve as full-time officers or employees of certain unions or other employee organizations Individuals assigned from a Federal agency to a state or local government under an Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignment who choose to retain FERS or CSRS coverage Individuals appointed or otherwise assigned to one of the Cooperative Extension Services, as defined by the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 Federal justice and judges, certain Federal bankruptcy judges and magistrate judges, Claims Court judges, and Court of Veteran Appeals judges Nonappropriated Fund employees of the Defense Department or the U. S. Coast Guard who have chosen to be covered by FERS or CSRS. According to an rticle in the Business Source Complete, participants in the TSP are disproportionately male, higher earners, older, full-time workers, and either white or nonblack minorities compa red with the population at large. I expect this number to continue to grow as people’s concerns increase about Social Security’s existence further down the road. Employees in the Federal Retirement System are limited to contributing 10 percent of their earned income to the program and the federal government will match up to 10 percent. Employees who fall under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) who are not covered by Social Security may invest up to 5 percent of their earnings to the TSP. The federal government contributes 1 percent to TSP accounts for all employees covered under the Federal Employees Retirement System. Many government employees obviously consider this program an important compensation and they continue to increase their contributions as their earnings increase. Data collected by the Department of Labor, the Employee Benefit Research Institute, and the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board for 1992, 1993, and 1997 noted that the TSP had a participation rate of 79 percent, which is more than the 68 percent eligible workers utilizing 401(k) plans, and 8 percent participating in IRAs. A contributing factor to the differences in the number of employees participating in the different programs may be the fact that government employees have a wealth of knowledge available to them on the TSP. They are able to monitor their accounts daily on the internet. In addition, changes may be made on how much is contributed and they may borrow from the account when necessary with minimal penalties. Although, they are advised that the account are established for long-term investing in their future are retirement. Federal employees under FERS have noted a pivotal reason they participate in the program is because of the matching contributions and those employees under CSRS tout the tax benefit as their main reason for participating in the program. Many people consider landing a government a great feat because of the benefits of getting all federal holidays off with pay, vacation and sick leave, and most time tuition reimbursement. But the TSP may now be very a sought after component of a compensation package. An added benefit to the TSP is workers are fully vested in the 1 percent agency automatic contributions after three years( two years for congressional employees and executive-branch political appointees). In addition, workers who leave the federal government for jobs in other sectors of the economy can leave their money in the TSP and it will continue to accrue interest, dividends, and capital gains according to the performance of the funds in which they have chosen to invest. If they opt not to leave their money in the TSP, they may roll it over into another investment vehicle such as an IRA or a 401(k) plan. Furthermore, there are no huge fees for management of the account. A draw back to the TSP is new hires have a waiting period of 6 to 1 year before they can reap the benefit of employer matching contributions. However, they may rollover distributions into the TSP form other tax-qualified retirement savings plans from private-sector firms. Provided certain criteria are met. The TSP is now available to military personnel. On October 30, 2000, the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Public Law 106-398) was signed. One provision of the law extended participation in the TSP, which was originally only for Federal civilian employees, to members of the uniformed services. The uniformed services include: †¢Department of the Army †¢Department of the Navy †¢Department of the Air Force †¢United States Marine Corps †¢United States Coast Guard †¢Public Health Service †¢National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration All contributions made by civilians and military personnel are made by way of automatic payroll deductions. They also had a limit of which they could contribute, mandated by the IRS of $15,500. Fortunately, employees over the age of 50 have a provision that allows for a little catch up, in that they may contribute an additional $5,000 annually. Employees may also make early withdrawals without penalty from the IRS if they need the money to pay for medical expenses of the plan participant, a spouse, or dependent, but only to the extent that they exceed 7. 5 percent of adjusted gross income. Ironically, funds may be withdrawn through an IRS levy to collect back taxes owed by the plan participant. Another allowable withdrawal may be for an alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order (QDRO). Also, early distribution is permissible if it is part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments (SEPPs) over the life of the participant or the joint lives of the participant and the beneficiary. Both CSRS and the FERS retirement pension plans are determined by multiplying three factors: the salary base, the accrual rate, and the number of years of service. Salary base is the final average pay, usually their highest, before retirement. Nevertheless, while the TSP is an outstanding compensation for federal employees it does have some disadvantages. The Thrift Savings Plan is a defined contribution plan similar to a savings account maintained by the employer on behalf of each participating employee. The combined amounts contributed by the employee and employer are invested in stocks and bonds but the employer has no financial obligation other than making contributions to the employees retirement account. All the investment risks fall on the employee. If they do not invest enough for a comfortable retirement, or if the investments lose value or increase too slowly, the employee bears the burden of not having adequate income for retirement. If an employee withdraws from the fund before age 59 they will pay an additional 10 percent tax penalty. This additional tax does not apply to the beneficiary after the death of the participant of if the participant becomes disabled. I feel the government TSP is an excellent compensation afforded to civilian employees because they receive a specific dollar amount matched by Uncle Sam. They are able to make payroll deductions directly into the account and are able to manage their account directly through the internet. Employees covered by FERS have an amount equal to 1 percent of pay contributed to the Thrift Savings Plan by their employing agencies, even if the employee makes no voluntary contributions to the TSP. This amount is not deducted from employee pay. It is paid by the employing agency from sums appropriated to it by Congress for salaries and related expenses. Assuming a nominal annual investment return of 6. 0 percent, an employee who retires after 30 years of federal employment will be able to replace only about 3 percent of final salary from his or her TSP account if he or she never makes a voluntary contribution to the plan. Although it is minimal, employees can still benefit from the plan without contributing a penny. Without using a financial advisor, they have the ability to make intranet transfers on their accounts. Thrift Plan participants can receive account-balance information and conduct transactions using an automated phone system or on the Thrift Plan’s Website at www. tsp. gov. The plans seem relatively simple to understand. Employees no longer have to wait for an open enrollment period to make changes to their account. Government and military personnel have two choices on the bond side to invest in. If they want to invest in a low risk bond, the choice is the â€Å"G Fund† which invests in government securities, or the â€Å"F Fund,† which is tracks the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index. There’s a target maturity plan which they call â€Å"Life Cycle,† or â€Å"L Funds†. Basically, they way the plan works is participants select the fund whose target date corresponds most with the year they hope to retire. It is a diversified portfolio, investing in the C, F, G, S, and I funds that become more conservative as the participant nears their retirement age. The â€Å"C† fund invests in stocks of all of the corporations that represented in the Standard and Poor’s 500 index. The â€Å"F† fund, or â€Å"Fixed Income Index Investment Fund† invests in securities represented in the Shearson Lehman Brothers Aggregate (SLBA) bond index. They are comprised of government bonds, corporate bonds, and mortgage-backed securities. The â€Å"G† fund consist of U. S. government securities and pays interest equal to the average rate of return on long-term U. S. government bonds. This is a very low risk fund and considered the safest of the TSP funds because the principal is guaranteed not to drop in value. The â€Å"S† fund (Small Capitalization Stock Index Fund) invest in the common stocks that are represented in the Wilshire 4500 index. The â€Å"I† fund (International Stock Index Fund) invests in the stocks of foreign corporations represented in the Morgan Stanley Capital Investment EAFE(Europe, Australia-Asia, Far East) index. The â€Å"Life Cycle† Fund uses a combination of these five funds to optimize returns for employees depending on the time frame they have chosen for their expected retirement. The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) plays a fundamental role in helping federal workers achieve adequate financial resources for retirement. Employees covered by FERS who do not make voluntary contributions to the TSP, and thus receive only the 1 percent agency automatic contribution, will be able to replace only 2 percent to 4 percent of final annual salary from the TSP at retirement. Most workers in the lower and middle ranges of the federal salary scale will be able to achieve the 60 percent salary replacement. The TSP makes for an admirable compensation feature for many of the active duty military retirees who seek employment with the federal government after retirement. This would be icing on the cake since the military uses the benefits plan based on salary earned in the years immediately preceding retirement which they start receiving the month after they are completely retired from active duty. I could see how the â€Å"double dippers,† as they are called, may be able to maximize on the TSP using their retirement income. It would allow for employees need for security to be satisfied in knowing that after retirement they may have an adequate income after they leave government service if their funds are invested wisely. They would still be able to meet their physiological, safety and security needs, which is especially important in retirement years. That in turn should help to keep their spirit and self esteem up because they are still able to provide for themselves and others that depend on them which should bring a sense of belonging and love. Ultimately, being able to participate in the Thrift Savings Plan, in the public or private sector, sends a message tol employees that their employer or the U S government thought enough of the people who work for them to implement a compensation plan to reward them for their years of service to the organization. I think if more employees had a compensation package that included a benefit similar to the Thrift Savings Plans less people would be concerned about the solvency of Social Security. Federal employees at all income levels can significantly boost their retirement income by contributing to the TSP, and such contributions are essential in order for those in the upper third of the federal pay scale to achieve a level of income that will allow them to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living. References Purcell, P. (2007). Federal employees' retirement system: The role of the thrift savings plan. Journal of deferred compensation, 13(1), 74-99. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database. Springstead, G. , & Wilson, T. (2000) Participation in voluntary individual savings accounts: An analysis of IRAs, 401 (K)s, and the TSP. Social Security Bulletin, 63(1), 34. Retrieved from Business Premier database. (2007). Thrift Savings Plan participant survey results 2006. Pension Benefits, 16(5), 11. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database (2008). Federal Thrift Plan mirrors 401(k) Plans. 401K Advisor, 15(11), 8-9. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database. Barkume, A. (2004). Using incentive pay and providing pay supplements in US job markets. Industrial Relations, 43 (3), 618-633. Dolmat-Connell, J. , Dolmat-Connell, S. , & Miller, G. (2009). Potential implications of the economic downturn for executive compensation. Compensation & Benefits Review,41, 33-38. Gerhart, B. , & Rynes, S. (2003). Compensation: Theory, evidence, and strategic implications. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications. Hansen, F. (2010). 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