Q. I’m an Air National Guard military technician, and I’ll be retiring this July at my minimum retirement age of 56. I plan on making monthly withdrawals from my Federal Employees Retirement System Thrift Savings Plan at that time. I know I won’t have to pay a penalty on these FERS TSP withdrawals, but do I have to wait until the age of 59½ to start withdrawals without paying the penalty? Can I roll my military TSP into my FERS TSP when I retire? A. You may combine your military and civilian TSP accounts. Visit www.tsp.gov and search for form…
Yearly Archives: 2012
Q. I’m 72, and I must make a decision on Thrift Savings Plan withdrawals. I do not need any additional monthly income. Is there any advice/guidance on what options are best to take? Is it better to take a TSP annuity or to purchase one from another insurance company? A. I don’t know why you’d use your TSP assets to buy an annuity if you don’t need income, particularly with interest rates so low. I suggest you manage your TSP and have them send you the Required Minimum Distribution each year. You can then reinvest the money, after taxes, in a taxable account.
Q. Is it possible to look at the historical rates of return of the various Thrift Savings Plan funds and predict an allocation for a nominal return of 6 percent, or am I better off looking into the Life Cycle funds and trying to predict the return from there? (Past performance of the L Fund income just falls short of 6 percent). My goal is to make an average of 6 percent per year on my current TSP balance to reach my retirement goal. A. Yes, it’s possible. But you shouldn’t rely on a prediction based on so little data.…
Q. I am a federal employee and would like to have Mike Miles’ contact information at Variplan LLC. I am interested in hiring him for financial planning, retirement benefits counseling, etc. If you have his phone number and email address, I would appreciate it. A. Email is best: mmiles@variplan.com.
Q. I am 59 years old, and will be 60 in July. I will have 42 years of government service in October, at which time I plan to retire. I am weighing my options. If my agency offers a buyout, should I leave in the spring or stay for my 80 percent? I am not sure how much I’ll be losing, but I am so close now. I’m just not sure what to do. I certainly could use the $25,000 (minus approximately $8,000 in taxes). Please give me your ideas. A. You are asking for specific analysis and advice, which I…
Q. I will be retiring this year under the Civil Service Retirement System at age 56 with 33.75 years of service. I read an article on the Voluntary Contribution Program. Can I roll my Thrift Savings Program into the VCP prior to retirement and then roll it into an Individual Retirement Account to save being taxed? A. No. The VCP only accepts after-tax contributions. You may roll your VCP balance into an IRA or Roth IRA, however.
Q. Can I roll my Thrift Savings Plan over to an Individual Retirement Account when I retire? I have at least four more years to go. I will be 57 with 30 years in. I am under the Federal Employees Retirement System. I can’t believe I can’t touch my money unless I am 59.5. Why is it taking so long to get our retirement annuity? I will retire as a GS-6 Step 9. A. Yes, you may roll your TSP money into an IRA after you retire.
Q. Is it ever possible to roll your buyout dollars into your Thrift Savings Plan? If so, how would that be done? A. No.
Buyouts. Career feds anywhere near retirement eligibility can rival Indiana Jones in their determination, skill and daring in hunting this treasure. But, in reality, buyout offers are more like “Let’s Make A Deal” than “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” This game show is actually instructive in some of the fundamentals of probability and decision-making. In playing the game, contestants face a series of decisions in which they must choose to keep or trade a “bird-in-the-hand” for another prize hidden behind a curtain or in a box — a “bird-in-the-bush.” When you are offered the opportunity to retire with incentives, like cash,…
Q. I have 26 years of Defense Department service with a target of six years to go before retiring. The Federal Employees Retirement System isn’t doing very well with the Thrift Savings Plan Offset. Because of a failing market, I have missed my TSP target by a large sum. Does the government have any plans to assist the FERS employees looking to retire with a failed TSP? Most FERS employees are having to work past their target because they can’t afford to retire. The Civil Service Retirement System is much better. Combining FERS, TSP and Social Security, we still fall short compared…