Q. Are a spouse’s Social Security retirement benefits subject to the windfall elimination provision after the death of her husband who was a CSRS annuitant? She is eligible to receive the maximum CSRS benefit of 55 percent of her husband’s monthly annuitant benefit.
Author Mike Miles
Mike Miles
Mike Miles is a Certified Financial Planner licensee and principal adviser for Variplan LLC, an independent fiduciary in Vienna, Virginia. Email your financial questions to fedexperts@federaltimes.com and view his blog at money.federaltimes.com.
Q. If I take the FERS supplement at age 61 with 30 years service, do I have to take Social Security at 62 or can I defer it until full retirement age at 66 years, 6 months?
Q. Is it possible to continue paying on a TSP loan after retiring from the uniformed services if I step into another federal job that qualifies me for TSP participation?
Q. I am retired from federal service (age 63) and have a part-time job. Do IRS rules allow me to contribute to an existing Roth IRA I have had since the 1990s (up to $6,500 a year) as long as my earned income exceeds $6,500? Can my wife (age 60) contribute to her Roth IRA up to $6,500 also, as long as my part-time income exceeds that combined total? Does the fact that the company I work part-time for has a 401(k) plan that I contribute minimum to just for the match matter?
Q. Do you have suggestions as to any good books/blogs/websites to read in order to understand how to properly allocate my TSP funds? I am 26 years old and have been working in the federal sector for a little over a year. From everything I have read so far, I should invest most of my allocations into the C, S and I Funds because I can afford to take risk. I would like to know of any material that discusses TSP allocations in more detail.
Q. Where would I find the actual holdings in each of the TSP funds? What stocks, bonds, etc., are in the Target Funds, etc.? For financial planning, the firm we have hired would like a breakdown of what I’m holding in my account.
Q. I was wondering if I would have to pay the 10 percent penalty to make a partial withdrawal from my TSP to pay off my mortgage. I’ll be 56 years old with 32 years of federal service when I retire.
Q. I am currently a CSRS employee with 37 years of service. I plan on retiring in two years and would like to make a withdrawal from my TSP to pay off the remaining balance on my child’s college tuition and possibly pay off a few other debts to be able to retire without debt. Is there any advantage to, or advice you can give on making a lump sum withdrawal and pay off the debts immediately versus a monthly withdrawal covering the debt amounts until the debts are paid off?
Q. When I retire on December 31, 2018, I will have over 400 hours of combined compensatory time and annual leave. If I cash this in at retirement, I understand it may not be paid out until 1-2 months after retirement. As a result, will it be considered earned income for 2019 that will result in a reduction in my FERS annuity supplement for 2019?
Q. When I left the government for six years I pulled out my retirement under CSRS. I since have returned back to the government for the last 17 years. Since I was taxed on it when I pulled it out, can I report it on my taxes as paying back into my retirement?