Q: I consider myself very good at saving money for and with my family as well as managing my family’s budget. We have a young toddler, and my wife and I are still building our family. I am 34, have been with FERS (active employee) since I was 33, and I have four years of active military time I am almost done buying back. I have my wife saving a little more than 11 percent of her incoming from teaching school (company doesn’t match), and I save 15 percent per paycheck (20 percent if you count my federal match). I…
Q: What are the options of drawing out money from my Thrift Savings Plan when I retire? Can I draw monthly payments without buying an annuity and leave the majority invested? A: You have a number of options for withdrawing the money, including partial and full withdrawals. The details are explained in the materials available here. You may elect monthly withdrawals, which are a form of full withdrawal, without buying an annuity, and continue to invest the remaining account value as you choose.
Some observers of the investment markets have deemed 2000 through 2009 a “lost decade” since the most widely recognized gauges of stock market performance — the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index — produced losses over the period. The Thrift Savings Plan’s proxy for the S&P 500 Index, the C Fund, produced a loss of about 10 percent between its closing values at the ends of 1999 and 2009. This decade is characterized to have caused the ruin of, or at least a significant setback to, the retirement plans of scores of workers, including many TSP…
Q: I am being removed from my civil service position because I am ineligible for a security clearance. I’m 53 with 10-plus years of service. Can I withdraw my TSP funds? I’m aware of the tax penalty. A: After you separate from service, you’ll be able to withdraw your vested balance.
Q: I had to retire from federal service because of medical reasons, and I was granted the medical retirement in 2009. I had to withdraw all my TSP funds in order to survive. I was 57 years old and I had 20 years of time, however, I did buy back three years so it should have been considered 23 years of federal service employment. Can someone tell me what to expect with my 2009 income taxes, such as penalties and taxes? A: Your federal service record has no impact on the taxation or penalties imposed on TSP withdrawals. The money you have withdrawn…
Q: I retired in March 2008 (civilian with DODDS under FERS). I need to take an RMD this year as I am 70.5 years old in December 2010. I received the Form TSP-70. I am a bit disappointed that the government has the option of taking an annuity on the form ( I don’t think they even mention the annuity is with MetLife Insurance) without telling you in a brochure (from MetLife, maybe) how much MetLife’s administrative fee, surrender charges, and other pertinent costs are. Is there a good non-biased site to go to to determine which is better (depending on circumstances), TSP…
Q: If I purchase an annuity from MetLife with my Thrift Savings Plan funds and the company goes bankrupt, will the government back my money somehow? With the way financial institutions and large corporations are getting into financial dire straits, it just doesn’t seem safe to turn it over to anyone without some kind of government backing or guarantee. A: There are state-run solvency pools which back up the guarantees of insurance companies, but their terms vary by state, so you should check with your state’s insurance regulators for details. It’s also possible that, if MetLife went bankrupt, your annuity…
Q: Are there any special considerations in terms of penalty when withdrawing from my Thrift Savings Plan if I have a life-threatening condition such a severe aortic stenosis? I’m a 58-year-old Federal Employees Retirement System employee planning to retire on 2010 30 years of service. A: Since you will be retiring during or after the year in which you reached age 55, you will have access to your TSP account assets without penalty.
Q: I am no longer employed and have reached age 70½. I received notice from the Thrift Savings Plan that I have to remove my money or start taking monthly payments, buy an annuity, or some combination of removing my money and buying an annuity. I know about the Required Minimum Distribution and was fully prepared to take that amount out. Am I not able to leave the remainder of my account intact after I take the Required Minimum Distribution? This is really a shock to me if I have to remove the money and pay taxes on it, or…
Q: I retired in 2006 at the mandatory age of 57 under the Civil Service Retirement System/Federal Employees Retirement System. I am able to live comfortably on my monthly annuity and have not made any withdrawals from my Thrift Savings Plan account, which remains in the L2030 fund and now totals approximately $250,000. I would like to start withdrawing from the account in the next year or two to add to my quality of life, and not for living expenses. Does it make more sense to take monthly withdrawals rather than buying an annuity since I am not overly concerned…