Q. I’m 32 years old, have been contributing to the Thrift Savings Plan since 2005. I have 40 percent in my C Fund, 30 percent in S and 30 percent in I. Is this a good contribution allocation? I want to be as aggressive as possible, but I am also looking at moving most of my gains to the G Fund due to the fact the market may be headed in the same direction as 2009. If I want to protect my gains with the means of buying back at a lower price, what would be your recommendation be on…
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Q. I’m FERS and will be retiring in January as soon as we get 100 percent credit for sick leave. I anticipate two checks coming in. If I were to put as much as possible into my Thrift Savings Plan — let’s say I was able to put in $16,000 over the two pay periods — how does the government match this? Is it per pay period or the amount I contribute? What is the consensus to get the most in a short period of time? If I put in all available funds, after deductions, and it is considered pretax, can I…
Q. My husband and I would like to participate in a fixed index annuity offered by a nongovernment company, but the information I gathered about Thrift Savings Plan transfers, withdrawals and annuities is confusing. It appears that if we want any type of annuity, we can only purchase if TSP does it for us, and the choices are extremely limited. Also, there seems to be no “non-hardship” type of distribution available before age 59½ that we can use to move our funds. Am I missing anything here, or are we just stuck with our limited options and no way to…
Q. I am a federal employee considering retiring at age 64. I want to withdraw my Thrift Savings Plan funds in one lump sum, which by then will be approximately $400,000. At what tax rate can I expect to be hit upon withdrawal? A. Your withdrawal will be subject to 20 percent federal tax withholding. Read the document at https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tsp-536.pdf for more information.
Q. I am a FERS employee and will have 30 years of service at age 56, my minimum retirement age. Thus, when I retire at 56, can I start withdrawing from my Thrift Savings Plan without any tax penalty? Or do I have to wait until 59½ to start withdrawing from my TSP to avoid any tax penalty? A. In the circumstance you describe, your TSP withdrawals will not be subject to the early withdrawal penalty.
Q. I am 63 years old and still working. Is it possible to transfer IRA into the Thrift Savings Plan to consolidate? A. Yes, as long as doesn’t contain any after-tax money (usually from contributions that weren’t tax-deductible when you made them). Use Form TSP-60.
Q. I am 63 years old and will be retiring under CSRS in January. I have about $150,000 in my Thrift Savings Plan account. I have talked with a financial adviser who told me it would be better to buy from outside and cheaper than MetLife annuity. The annuity is from Prudential and has a living benefit rider. They claim it is the cheapest one out there. Can you give me any advice as to which annuity would be best? A. Your “financial adviser” is not an adviser but a salesperson. Don’t be foolish. Now is not the time to buy a fixed annuity…
Here are the five basic Thrift Savings Plan funds in order from the highest to the lowest rate of return for the month of October: C Fund (4.60%), I Fund (3.38%), S Fund (2.94%), F Fund (0.89%), G Fund (0.19%). And here are the year-to-date results: S Fund (31.13%), C Fund (25.34%), I Fund (19.43%), G Fund (1.52%), F Fund (-0.78%). Interesting? Maybe to some. Useful? I don’t know how. As an investment manager — or TSP participant, as you are more commonly known — you are responsible for making, or delegating the making of, a massive series of decisions.…
Q. I am 63 years old with 37 years in the Postal Service and still working. I plan to retire in two years. I have $250,000 in my Thrift Savings Plan. I have read about contributing 10 percent of my career earnings to the Voluntary Contribution Program, and then moving the VCP money back to Roth IRA to save the taxes. For example, if my 10 percent is $150,000, can I withdraw it from TSP and move it to VCP and not pay any taxes on my TSP withdrawal? A. No.
Q. I am a FERS employee who turned 71 in September. I plan to retire in January 2015. When do I need to start taking my required minimum distribution? A. Under the current rules, and these circumstances, your first RMD, for tax year 2015, will be due by April 1, 2016.