Q. I’m a federal employee, I contribute 6 percent to my Thrift Savings Plan account I’m planning on putting more into my account this year. When the market went sour and I lost money, I put everything in the G Fund. If that fund doesn’t do anything, is there any advice you can give me? A. Sounds like you’ve done exactly the opposite of what you should have done. Managing your resources to support your financial goals with a minimum of risk is complex exercise. It requires strong analytic skills, diligence and a cool head. If you’re not up to…
Monthly Archives: January, 2014
Q. If my retirement date is in May, would I be allowed to contribute the maximum Thrift Savings Plan and catch-up amounts ($17,500 and $5,500) up to my retirement date in May and still receive matching up to 5 percent of basic pay. If not, what are the rules? A. You can contribute up to your entire paycheck and receive the automatic 1 percent agency contribution, but the matching contributions will be limited to 4 percent of your pay, each pay period.
Q. My wife is a federal employee with 28 years of service and is covered by FERS. She plans on retiring soon, and we have heard that she can take funds (post-tax) and dump them into the Thrift Savings Plan equaling the cumulative difference through the years of what she was unable to put into the TSP. Can you shed any light on this info? A. You may not ever deposit post-tax money into a TSP account, and, except for Federal Erroneous Retirement Coverage Corrections Act cases, there is no provision to make up past contributions that could have been…
Q. I am 50 years old and plan to resign in within two years. I will more than 10 years of service, but my minimum retirement age is 56. Sometime after I turn 56, I plan to submit for a deferred retirement, even though I know I will take a penalty of 5 percent each year under age 62. The Thrift Savings Plan states that “if you are age 55 or older in the year you separate or retire, the 10 percent early withdrawal penalty tax does not apply.” Does this apply to deferred retirements, as well? A. There is no…
Q. How is the federal matching amount handled for the Roth TSP option? Under the traditional TSP, that amount is added to the deferred compensation and taxed when distributed. Is the matching put into the Roth? When is it taxed? A. Matching is based on amounts you contribute to either the traditional or Roth TSP accounts, but agency contributions are directed entirely to your traditional TSP account.
Q. I have separated from federal service with an existing Thrift Savings Plan loan. My intent is to take a lump-sum withdrawal and take a taxable distribution versus paying off the loan. In the end, will I end up paying more or less tax if I were to pay off the loan versus taxable distribution? A. It’s impossible to say what you’ll pay “in the end,” but if you repay the loan on time, your tax on the money owed will be zero until it is ultimately withdrawn.
Q. I am 52 (FERS employee with 29 years of service including military buyback) planning on retiring at age 59-60. I have $400,000 in my Thrift Savings Plan account. I’m not sure that I’ll need TSP right away but want to have the option. My coworkers insist I can’t withdraw before 65, but I can’t find anything that indicates such a restriction. Are there any restrictions other than the 59½ rule that would affect me? A. No.
Q. I am retired at age 63 from the Postal Service. Can I roll over my Thrift Savings Plan funds to a simple IRA without any penalties before I reach 70½? A. Only simple IRA money can be rolled into a simple IRA.
Q. When I retire in two years at age 62, I would like to take a fixed monthly payment out of my Thrift Savings Plan. Can I still leave the balance in the L Fund and earn the rate that the L Fund is earning? A. Yes.
Q. Are the distributions from my tax-deferred TSP account (not Roth TSP) taxed as ordinary income or capital gains when I start drawing the money out? A. Ordinary income.