Q. If I retire under CSRS at 55 years old and 34 years of service, when will I be eligible to get an annuity from my TSP? Will I have to wait until I am 59 or can I start drawing it upon retirement? A. You will be free to buy an annuity or withdraw funds without penalty immediately after you retire.
Browsing: CSRS
Q. My wife is looking to retire and back in the late 70’s and early 80’s she worked under CSRS for about 21 months. Her Veterans Affairs retirement adviser said she could buy back these months. She worked for a private hospital and had a “matching” IRA set up in the early 90’s. Can she use this IRA money to buy back the CSRS time? She never added any money to this IRA after she left the hospital and the amount has slowly grown over the years to about $14,000. A. She can only use it for the re-deposit after…
Q. I am an operations manager for the FAA covered under CSRS. I plan to retire Dec. 31, 2016, at the age of 55 with 34 years of service under the controller bill. Can I make a total withdrawal from my TSP in 2017 without paying the 10 percent early withdrawal penalty? A. Yes.
Q. I am a 55-year-old Postal employee planning to retire sometime in the next year under CSRS. Many years ago, I purchased a $2,000 Vanguard IRA that has grown to more than $40,000. I also have a separate similarly valued Roth IRA. I know that I can begin penalty-free withdrawals from TSP after separation, but can I roll my Vanguard IRA into TSP? I also know that I cannot roll my Roth into TSP. My desire is to have the money accessible before 59-1/2 and to avoid having three pots to withdraw MRDs when I’m 70-1/2. Any suggestions? A. You…
Q. My husband and I both work for the Postal Service. He is retiring March 1 under CSRS. I have 25 years in working for the Postal Service and have at least eight years left to retire (FERS). We elected not to take the survivor benefits because I’m still working at the Postal Service and I will have him on my medical plan. We have two insurance policies on both of us in case of death. But I’m not sure if I understand the point of survivor benefits. Do you have any numbers on the pros and cons of survivor…
Q. Can one transfer money from CSRS voluntary contribution (post-tax money) to a private Roth IRA without tax obligations? Can the interest be transferred to the Thrift Savings Plan? Is the amount transferred at retirement part of the maximum allowed ($23,000) for someone over 50? A. Yes, the VC post-tax money can be moved into a Roth IRA without tax. Yes, the earnings can be moved into the TSP, tax-deferred. No, the amount transferred is not considered a contribution.
Q. I am a retired CSRS annuitant. What is the procedure to add external qualified 401(k) funds to the Thrift Savings Plan? A. Use Form TSP-60, which includes thorough instructions.
Q. I retired from civil service in January 2012 with 25 years contributing to CSRS and FERS. I will be 59½ in April. I plan to make a partial withdrawal and have the balance as monthly payments when I turn 60. Will I incur an additional 10 percent early withdrawal penalty before age 59½ since I retired or do I need to wait until 59½? Do I need to wait until 60 to begin receiving monthly payments, or can that start any time? A. Since you retired after the calendar year in which you reached age 55, your Thrift Savings…
Q. The following question/answer was recently posted. Where can I find the full information to support the answer? Are there penalties involved? Q. I will be 55 this month and plan to retire in November with 33 years of service under CSRS. Do I have to wait until I am 59½ to withdraw from my Thrift Savings Plan? A. Not if you wait until you’re retired to request the withdrawal. A. Check Page 7 of this notice: https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tsp-536.pdf.
Q. I am a federal employee under CSRS and I plan to retire at age 55½. To minimize my debt, I plan to sell my current residence and relocate to a place where my income goes further. Unfortunately, my current residence is underwater by about $80,000. Would a good strategy be to withdraw the funds from TSP? A. I can’t tell you without knowing what other alternatives are available to you. If the $80,000 is a big part of your net worth, you should do what you can to avoid it and proceed very carefully.