Q. I have resigned from my position with the federal government in order to attend graduate school effective in May and will have been employed for a year and 10 months. I realize I need to be employed for three years for TSP vesting requirements, and I will likely forfeit my automatic 1 percent agency contribution in May, but after grad school, I intend to return to work for the federal government. How does this work with vesting in this situation? Would I be returned the 1 percent agency contribution (plus interest?) upon working an additional year and two months…
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Q. I recently received my “FERS Your Personal Benefits Statement Based on your Account as of January 01, 2012.” It states, “As of December 31, 2011, your TSP account balance was $130,841.13. It goes on to say, “Assuming you continue TSP contributions [$877 per pay period] at the same rate and earnings on your account average 7% [Wow. How unrealistic is this!], your estimated TSP balance when you are first eligible to retire would be $158,107.” My current TSP balance is $137,000. It gives estimated Thrift Savings Plan monthly annuities as follows: If you retire at age 64, your single life annuity…
Q. I have some money in a traditional Individual Retirement Account that is doing nothing for me, and I was wondering if I could transfer it to my Thrift Savings Plan account. I invested roughly $44,000 in June 2008 and, as of March 30, I have a grand total of $46,190 in the account. I am also paying an annual fee of $344 for this IRA. In the same time frame, I made over $30,000 in my TSP account. I realize I will lose about $2,500 in the transfer, but I feel I can make that back up in no…
Q. I am a Postal Service employee, age 57, and I currently contribute $6,000 a year to a Roth Individual Retirement Account. Am I also allowed to contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan, or would that be considered an excess contribution? A. You are permitted to contribute the maximum to the TSP, but, depending upon your circumstances, this may limit your ability to contribute to a Roth IRA. See Internal Revenue Service Publication 590 for the rules.
Q. I have been working for the federal government for 10 years. I have contributed the max for most of that time to the Thrift Savings Plan/FERS. After a divorce, I have been battling debt in the form of school loans, credit cards, etc. In an attempt to pay off the debt, I pay approximately $700 per month. I have attempted and requested to decrease the annual percentage rate on some items, with little success. I have a fair amount in my TSP. I am debating whether to withdraw just the amount I need to pay off the debt (20…
Q. I haven’t seen any discussion on the employer contribution portion as it relates to the new Roth Thrift Savings Plan option. Is their contribution also part of the Roth TSP, or will it continue to be placed in the regular TSP? A. Employer contributions will flow into the traditional TSP.
Q. I retired from the Department of the Interior on Dec. 31, 1997, and left my Thrift Savings Plan intact until 2003, when I rolled it into a traditional IRA. On the paperwork for the rollover transaction, I find no reference to TSP contributions versus TSP account balance. As I approach age 70½ next year, I realize that I need to know what my contribution (or basis) was. I have filed with the Internal Revenue Service for a tax extension in the hope that I can retrieve contribution/basis info from TSP archives and accurately represent the TSP account in my total IRA…
Q. I am in the military and have a Thrift Savings Plan account set up. I put 10 percent of my paycheck a month into that account. Can I also put $5,000 into a Roth IRA if I am already doing the TSP, or is it a max contribution of $5,000 between them? A. Your eligibility to contribute to a Roth IRA will depend upon a number of factors, including your age, marital status, income and eligibility to participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, like TSP. See IRS Publication 590 for details, or ask your tax preparer for help in…
Q. I am a federal employee with substantial student loan debt. In an effort to maintain my taxable income as low as possible (I am on an income-based repayment), I contribute the maximum allowable amount to my Thrift Savings account. I would, however, like to contribute additional monies to a traditional IRA account but am uncertain if the tax code allows someone to “double dip” by contributing to more than one nontaxable account. The discussions I have read about this issue are inconsistent. I hope you can provide some insight, A. It is possible to contribute to both, but your…
Q. I am a FERS employee, with 27 years of service, making $126,000. My wife focuses on raising our son, but does some substitute teaching making about $2,000 per year. Can I max out my TSP at $22,000 and max out a Roth IRA for myself at $6,000 and put an additional $6,000 into my wife’s Roth IRA? I do not understand IRS Pub 590. A. The answer will depend upon your Modified Adjusted Gross Income for the year of the contribution. If you don’t understand the tax rules and how they apply to you, you should hire a trustworthy…