Q. I am a 56-year-old federal employee with six years of service. I have traditional and Roth Thrift Savings Plans. I also have a traditional IRA with TIAA-CREF. Since my budget is too tight to take advantage of the full federal matching amount, can I use my TIAA-CREF IRA funds to maximize my federal match? If I roll over TIAA-CREF funds into my traditional TSP, will these funds receive federal matching?
Also, I understand early withdrawal of traditional TSP funds is subject to income tax, but if I roll over TIAA-CREF funds into my traditional TSP, are withdrawals at age 56 penalized?
A. Your transfers into the TSP will not be matched. If you transfer the IRA into the TSP, it will, from that point forward, be treated just like your other TSP money. Any exemption to the early withdrawal penalty for which you may qualify will apply to all of your TSP money, regardless of its original source.
