Browsing: F Fund

Q. What is the annual withdrawal strategy that would allow me to avoid selling stock shares (C,S,I) during years that the market is down? I’m sure I read in “Money Matters” a strategy where a person could avoid a sequence of withdrawals disaster early in retirement by moving to the F and G Funds just prior to the annual withdrawal then back to stock shares immediately after the withdrawal. If there is such a strategy, could you explain it more specifically? A. Here’s the article I wrote for the Federal Times in 2016: How to Take a Selective Withdrawal Your…

Q. I will be retiring in approximately three years. I want to have some TSP funds, say 3-5 years worth of expenses (less FERS pension and Annuity Supplement) in a safe investment. Given today’s interest and bond climates, is it better to use the G or F fund (or a split between the two) for that allocation? A. The G Fund is the only TSP fund that is guaranteed against loss of principal.

Q. My plan is to retire on Dec. 31, 2018, at age 58 (under FERS). My TSP balance is just over $1 million. I plan to leave my TSP account with the federal government at this time. My current distribution in the account is as follows: G 8.83 percent; F 17.5 percent; C 31.5 percent; S 32.05 percent; and I 10.06 percent. How would you recommend that I reallocate my funds before I retire?

Q. For a typical retiree (or near retiree), we utilize the TSP funds as well as outside investments. Do you have a rule of thumb regarding how many funds to own for diversification, i.e., how many is too many? Also, what are the best asset allocation calculators to use (free, of course)? Lastly, for the G Fund, in an asset calculator, since that is unique to the TSP, what proxy ticker should I use to represent the G Fund in overall asset allocation evaluations?

Q. I have $600,000 in my TSP allocated as 41 percent in the C Fund, 6 percent in the S Fund, 22 percent in the I Fund, 23 percent in the G Fund and 7 percent in the F Fund. Is this an appropriate allocation for a 54-year-old retiring in two years? I need approximately $2,000-$3,000 a month for 25-30 years. If not, what allocation do you suggest?

Q. I am 38 years old with 15 years of government service as a GS-14. I hope to work no more than 20-22 more years, assuming age 60 will give me the maximum benefit. My TSP allocations are where my concerns lie. I am blindly diversifying my account as follows: G Fund at 10 percent; F Fund at 0 percent; C Fund at 50 percent; S Fund at 30 percent; I Fund at 10 percent. I have no allocations in the L Fund. I am contemplating having future earnings go into the L2040 fund. Would you recommend this, and how much…

Q. I am 69 years of age and have all my funds in the 2030 fund totaling about $ 89,000. I would like to start taking out $500 per month starting in January 2018. What type of allocation of funds would be good for this amount, percentagewise, where would the spread be best to last 15-20 years. Could you give me an example or two of allocations that would be of great help?

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