Q. I turn 70½ in April 2014. My required minimum distribution can be taken anytime during 2014. Is it calculated on the balance in my IRA for 2013 or 2014? If I take it in 2014, the year I turn 70½, will I also have an RMD taken out Dec. 31, 2014, on the balance in my IRA in 2014? Will I have two RMDs in 2014? A. Your RMD amount for each tax year is calculated for each account that is subject to the RMD, and is based on the preceding year’s ending account value.
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Q. I am reading TSP-775 (6-2013) concerning important tax information about TSP withdrawals. First paragraph (Deadline for withdrawing your TSP Account) states that “By April 1 of the year following the year you become age 70.5 and are separated from Federal Service, the TSP requires that you withdraw your entire account balance in a single payment.” It goes on to give options about monthly payments, life annuities. This leaves me perplexed. I thought I only needed to withdraw the required minimum distribution after becoming age 70½. Also, I thought if I have other IRAs, I could take the RMD from those and leave…
Q. I am 70 years old and have about $100,000 in my Thrift Savings Plan accounts. Can you guide me toward the best options to withdraw the amount? I would prefer to pay the least in taxes to Uncle Sam. A. To minimize the tax burden from required minimum distributions, you should request distributions based on your life expectancy under IRS rules. For the first distribution — the one due for the year you reach age 70½ or retire, whichever comes last) — you should consult a tax adviser to determine whether it is better to take it in that…
Q. I will turn 70½ next year and understand I need to take withdrawals from my retirement accounts. Can I add all of my accounts together — IRA and Thrift Savings Plan — compute the required minimum distribution, and then withdraw from one account which is not doing as well as the others, as I can if I have only IRAs? I want to withdraw my entire minimum from one IRA. Or must I take a minimum withdrawal from my TSP separately from my IRAs? A. You must compute the required minimum distribution for each account separately, but you may…
Q. I am 70 years old and still employed by the federal government. When I am 70½, I understand I must take a required minimum distribution from my traditional IRA/401s, but not clear if this applies to my Thrift Savings Plan account. Can you please tell me what the rules are for those who are 70 and over but still working for the government insofar as taking a required distribution from my TSP account? Can I wait until I retire from government? A. You may wait until you retire. You may also be able to transfer your IRA/401k balances into the TSP…
Q. If I have Thrift Savings Plan funds in both G and C funds when I am required to begin taking required minimum distributions at age 70½, can I specify which funds the RMD are taken from? (My concern is that the C Fund may be at a low due to market conditions, and withdrawals may be better to defer till the market improves.) A. TSP distributions are always taken proportionately from your various holdings at the time. I don’t see the rationale for your concern, though. Your account will be allocated exactly as it was before the withdrawal. If…
Q. I am the CSRS retiree who turned 70 years old in July. My email was posted Aug. 19. Boy, you have a way of really making a person feel small and stupid. I chose to start withdrawing my money so I wouldn’t have to be concerned about the 70½ deadline. These withdrawals were based on my life expectancy, and I knowingly started withdrawing my money a little ahead of time. I have not concluded that I am not receiving any gain from the G Fund with the Thrift Savings Plan. I wondered why I was taking such a significant…
Q. I’ve been making substantial contributions in the Roth TSP and plan to do so until I retire. I have a large sum in my non-Roth TSP account. I’ve read that when I begin to take TSP withdrawals in retirement, I cannot specify whether they come from the Roth or non-Roth TSP. I read that the withdrawals will be taken pro-rata from both forms of the TSP. Is that correct? If I want my Roth TSP to grow for as long as possible, is there anything I can do to preserve it other than keep delaying all TSP withdrawals until age…
Q. I have a Thrift Savings Plan account as a CSRS retiree. I also turned 70½ this year and have non-Roth IRAs. Can I take a distribution from one of the IRAs that will satisfy the required minimum distribution calculation for my TSP account and all non-Roth IRAs? If so, would I still have to take a distribution from my TSP account just because I turned 70½? A. According to the Internal Revenue Service rules, you should be able to satisfy your entire RMD requirement using one or more withdrawals from any covered account or accounts. The TSP will automatically distribute its…
Q. I turn 70½ this year and want to start Required Minimum Distribution withdrawals from the Thrift Savings Plan based on life expectancy. 1. Starting withdrawals now will not equal the total RMD amount required for the year (since withdrawals are paid monthly). Will TSP issue a “catch-up” payment before Dec. 31 to fulfill the total RMD? 2. My TSP account is allocated among all five TSP funds (based on percentages advised by financial adviser). Will TSP apportion the RMD from all of those funds and keep my designated allocation percentages? 3. TSP told me it will not withhold taxes on my RMD…