Q. My late husband was a FERS retiree when he passed in 2017. I am also a federal employee, but am under CSRS. I’m planning to retire soon, and am wondering if I have our TSP funds in the correct L Funds. I was told it should correspond to your retirement year, but just read that it should be based on my life expectancy. Which is accurate? Also, is it correct that if I withdraw from my husband’s TSP it would not be subject to the 10 percent penalty? A. There is no “accurate” or correct way to choose an…
Browsing: TSP withdrawal
Q. I have a couple nickels in the Thrift Savings Plan and I am very concerned about a turnaround that I believe is coming. Where to do I information as to how much of my TSP can be moved to another IRA or secured account for better growth? Will it hurt me to remove most and leave a little? Where I find answers about moving my current funds, and starting a fresh minimalist account? A. The rules governing the TSP are available at www.tsp.gov. There is no need to move your money out of the TSP to secure it against…
Q. I am currently working, have both a Traditional and Roth TSP but will be subject to required minimum distribution upon retirement. The five-year Roth requirement will not be satisfied by the time I retire. I would like to transfer the entire Roth account, both qualified and nonqualified, to an outside Roth IRA before I retire to avoid paying RMD on the Roth portion. Can I do this without penalty, or am I limited to transferring the qualified portion only? A. Rolling money over from the TSP to an IRA should be free from any penalty, if you do it…
Q. I am 58 years old and seeking retirement soon after my 62nd birthday. I would like to withdraw my Thrift Savings Plan when I am 59 1/2, in a lump sum. How much will I have to pay in penalties and taxes? A. It sounds like you will be taking an age-based, in-service withdrawal. The amount withdrawn from your Traditional account will be taxed as Ordinary Income. There will be no penalty for early withdrawal.
Q. I am retiring from federal service at my MRA of 56 with 30 years of service. I plan to continue to work as a support service contractor to my federal agency. Can I withdraw money from my Thrift Savings Plan savings without penalty while I am working as a support service contractor? I know I will have to pay income tax on my withdrawals, but wanted assurance that my withdrawals will not be subject to a penalty since I meet MRA and years of service requirements. A. Under the circumstances you describe, your TSP distributions will be exempt from the…
Q. I know you can take required minimum distribution from either a Traditional or Roth account. Is the amount of the RMD due figured on just the traditional balance or the combination of the Traditional and Roth balance? A. TSP RMD are figured using the total account balance, including both Traditional and Roth money.
Q. I received a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority in 2012 at the age of 53. I chose to receive a monthly installment payout from my TSP for at least 10 years, believing I would not be taxed. I received a letter of deficiency from the IRS stating that I owe a penalty for not paying taxes on my TSP installments. Is this correct? A. That’s a question for tax accountant, but if you did not follow the rules governing a Series of Substantially Equal Periodic Payments, you might owe the early withdrawal penalty. The rules are complex and you should engage a…
Q. I have been digging through the training materials released by the TSP on the new withdrawal options, but have been unable to find any guidance on when the quarterly and annual withdrawals are paid. If I change from monthly to quarterly or annual for 2020, when will I get the money? A. From the TSP website: “You should allow up to 10 days from the time you submit your completed withdrawal request until the time payment is sent. We will notify you when your payment has been disbursed. You can check My Account or call the ThriftLine to find…
Q. I retired from the U.S. Postal Service at the end of 2018 with 31 ½ years of service. I met my minimum retirement age at 56, so I believe I wouldn’t be taxed a 10 percent penalty if I withdrew from my TSP before age 59 ½. I would like to withdrawal a partial lump from my TSP. Would I be taxed for that withdrawal? A. If you receive a TSP distribution before you reach age 59 ½, in addition to the regular income tax, you may have to pay an early withdrawal penalty tax equal to 10 percent of…
Q. My husband is a retired CSRS annuitant and I’m a retired FERS annuitant. I turn 66 this year, which is my full retirement age for Social Security. I haven’t yet begun to receive SS payments or withdrawn any funds from my TSP, but would like your opinion as to leaving the TSP funds until I need to make Minimum Required Distributions. My feeling is that if I predecease him, he will not receive any of my SS, but will inherit my TSP. Our accountant thinks I should start drawing down the TSP and invest those funds, since we don’t…