By MOAA Staff

Veterans made up a little more than 31 percent of the federal workforce in FY 2016, the last year for which Office of Personnel Management figures are readily available. While many of these past servicemembers work in departments that have secure funding (DoD and VA, most notably), others may be facing fiscal uncertainty as the new year unfolds.

Some links, tips, news items, and basic guidance for those federal employees:

TSP loan update: Per the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) website, those in the TSP loan program do not need to provide furlough documentation to prevent their loans from going into default. One or two missed payments during the funding lapse will not trigger a default, the site says; users can check the status of their account at www.tsp.gov or by calling (877) 968-3778.

OPM help: The Office of Personnel Management maintains a funding lapse information page that:

• Provides an agency-by-agency list of shutdown contingency plans.
• Offers downloadable sample letters for employees to send to various financial agencies, either requesting or confirming adjustments to loan or other payments.
• Includes unemployment insurance information, broken down by state.

Bank basics: Many financial institutions that serve federal employees have created programs to assist during the funding lapse. Along with names familiar to the military community ( Navy Federal Credit Union, PenFed Credit Union), other large banks have websites that outline available aid, such as Chase and Wells Fargo. Representatives from more institutions, such as USAA, Bank of America, and PNC, have told multiple media outlets that federal employees can contact the bank for possible assistance on a case-by-case basis.

I've got more questions: The White House's guidance for the ongoing shutdown lives here, and it refers readers to the 2015 shutdown guidance for more detailed information on insurance, retirement, and other human resources-related concerns.