Q. I am considering retirement at 62 (FERS) but not collecting Social Security until my full retirement age of 66. I know that once you start withdrawing from your Thrift Savings Plan account, you must continue to make withdrawals each year. To bridge the time from 62 to 66, I’m thinking of taking funds from my IRA instead. If I start taking withdrawals at 62, can I stop taking withdrawals from my IRA at 66 when I start Social Security and then resume withdrawals at 70½?
A. You’ve got the right idea, and it will work. You may start and stop IRA withdrawals any time you want to. When you reach age 66 and stop taking money from your IRA, you should transfer what’s left into your TSP account, if it’s all pretax money.
