Q. I am in CSRS. Can I still invest after-tax money in the Voluntary Contributions Program and then convert it to a Roth IRA, or have things changed in 2013? A. To the best of my knowledge, you can.
Browsing: CSRS
Q. I have a friend who has been receiving workers’ compensation benefits for about 25 years but is not yet separated from service and worked under CSRS. Can he apply to the Office of Personnel Management to receive the monies in TSP in a lump-sum payment without having to retire? Or will he have to apply for disability retirement first? A. As long as he is employed, the in-service withdrawal rules will apply.
Q. I am retiring in June under CSRS at age 54 after 31 years of service (Air Traffic Provision). I have been working outside of the country for the past three years as a loaned executive and have had to pay my CSRS benefits out of pocket to keep my CSRS entitlement while outside of the country. During this period, I have not been able to contribute money into the Thrift Savings Plan since my salary is paid by the out of country organization where I am assigned. I will only return to the Federal Aviation Association for one month…
Q. I am a CSRS employee planning on retiring at age 55. I also have been paying into the Thrift Savings Program. Will I be able to withdraw from TSP when I retire at age 55 without penalty? A. Yes.
Q. I retired in April 2008 and took a lump-sum distribution from my Voluntary Contribution Plan, with the interest going into my Thrift Savings Plan and the principal amount going into my money market fund. Is it still possible to take the entire VCP principal amount and put it into a Roth IRA four years after retirement? When I attended various CSRS federal retirement seminars in 2007 and 2008, I was never informed of the option to transfer the principal amount to a Roth IRA. A. This is not possible.
Q. I have elected to switch to CSRS under FERCCA. I understand I will be given the option of the refund of my portion of Thrift Savings Plan contributions. When I left the Postal Service after my first seven years in the 1980s, I withdrew my CSRS money. If I take the refund of my portion of TSP deposit over the CSRS maximum contribution, can I pay back the withdrawn CSRS money without tax implications? A. The refund of your TSP contributions will be taxable, since you never paid taxes on the money when you earned it. You may then…
Q. I am retiring Jan. 23 from CSRS. Hence, I will be paid in 2013 for about 1½ pay periods. Can I have all of that pay go to the Thrift Savings Plan, tax-deferred? Can I also have my lump-sum annual leave payment go to TSP, tax-deferred, up to the annual limits? A. Your pay can be deferred into the TSP, but not your leave payout.
Q. I am a CSRS employee with less than eight years left until retirement with a Thrift Savings Plan balance of over $200,000. Should I move all of my money to a “safe” fund for the next six months or so until this fiscal cliff mess is cleared up? Looking not to lose money this time, so which fund is the smartest to move my TSP funds to? A. When was the last time it seemed safe to invest? There’s no such time. That’s the problem with timing out of the markets: You then have to time back in or…
Q. My husband and I are both retiring soon, he under FERS and me under CSRS. His income will be made up mostly of Social Security, while mine will be mostly CSRS. A full annuity for him would cost $425 a month. Does it make sense to elect this annuity given the cost? Would a term life insurance policy be a better alternative? I need to put the paperwork in this week. A. There is no universal answer to this question, but if in doubt, the safe bet is to elect the full survivor benefit for your spouse. To answer this question properly would take…
Q. I have 33 years in and am under CSRS. I will be 60 years old in May. I served less than two years in the Army in my 20s. I am a WG-8 making almost $25 an hour. I receive correspondence statements from Social Security that if I retire at age 62, I would be eligible for approximately $300 based on a second job 12 years ago and jobs before joining the government in the 1980s. 1. Should I buy back the time I have in the Army? 2. Will the buyback help increase my Social Security? Or will…