Q. I am considering taking an early retirement offer. If I were to have another financial institution purchase an annuity that is offering a better interest rate than what MetLife is offering through the Thrift Savings Plan and do so directly so that it would not be deposited to a personal checking or savings account, would it be exempt from tax penalties because I am under 59½, even though it would be taxed as regular income through the payments from the annuity provider as it would if TSP purchased the annuity for me?
A. Yes. You may roll TSP money over to an IRA where it can be used to purchase an annuity (a qualified annuity) without penalty.
