As the partial shutdown of the federal government continues, workers are grappling with a looming worry: How will they pay their bills?
While members of Congress and President Donald Trump remain at an impasse over funding for a border wall, about 800,000 federal employees are expected to befurloughed or working without pay.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management's verified Twitter account posted sample letters for affected federal workers to use with landlords and creditors as they request relief from any monthly payments during the stoppage.
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"This isn't the first time there's been a shutdown, and it won't be the last," said Marguerita M. Cheng, a certified financial planner and CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
She is keenly aware of this as her husband is a federal employee, but his agency — the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. — is remaining open.
Click here for a list of federal agencies and their contingency plans amid the shutdown.
Here's how federal workers can shore up their finances and get through the lean times ahead.