Q. I have been in the Foreign Service since 1986 and am being involuntarily retired for expiration of my time in class on Sept. 30, 2014. I will be 49 years old at the time. Even with an involuntary retirement, do I still get penalized for any lump-sum payment I take from the Thrift Savings Plan? I know annuities and equal payments are not penalized.
A. There is no exception to the early withdrawal penalty for involuntary retirement.
