Q. I want to pay off a few student loans before I retire from the military. I want to use my TSP to do so. Should I convert my TSP to a Roth IRA so I can avoid the heavy withdrawal fees?
A. There are no fees for withdrawing money from the TSP. All withdrawals from the TSP (except contributions you made from tax-free combat pay) will be subject to income taxation and, unless you qualify for one of the exceptions listed on Page 7 of the notice at https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tsp-536.pdf, any withdrawal you take before reaching age 59-1/2 will be subject to the IRS’ early withdrawal penalty. You should seek advice from a CPA before proceeding with this. You might want to consider taking a TSP loan to pay off the student loans, instead.
