Q. I have selected a retirement date of June 28, 2014. I will be 59½ years old with 33½ years of government service. I have been FERS my whole career. I have $365,000 in my Thrift Savings Plan. I will retire with a high-3 at GS-13, Step 4 and a 16.51 percent locality pay. I am debating paying off my mortgage on my retirement home by taking a partial withdrawal from my TSP.
The reasons for this are:
1) Escrow of property taxes
2) Flood insurance imposed by Dodd-Frank
3) Desire to be mortgage-free in retirement.
I owe $185,000 on my mortgage. I am single and will have no other debt once I retire. Does this make sense? What are the tax liability consequences if I pay off the mortgage in July 2014?
My TSP distribution is 50 percent C Fund, 25 percent L2020, 15 percent S Fund, and 10 percent G Fund. I am only able to fund my TSP at 5 percent to take advantage of matching funds. Would you recommend a more conservative distribution at this point in my career or continue with this risk model that I have been comfortable with for several years?
I have enclosed my most recent annuity estimates from my human resources center.
Also, if I were to marry after retirement what is the policy for covering my future spouse on my Federal Employees Health Benefits? If I choose a survivor benefit for my future spouse, is it possible to change from a self-only pension to one with survivor benefits?
A. You’re asking for personal financial decision support, which I can’t provide without an engagement agreement and some analytic work. If you’d like to consider hiring me to do the work necessary to answer your questions about using the TSP to pay off your mortgage and how you should invest your TSP to support your goals, visit www.variplan.com.
