Q. Currently, I am 79. I had planned on retiring on April 30, 2011. My boss has asked me to extend another year because of the inability to replace my talent. If I retire on April 30, 2012, I will have a total of 33 years service. I am a FERS employee. Needless to say, since I have always contributed the max I am allowed under the IRS rules, the amount deposited has become fairly large. My question is simple: “What amount of money or percentage thereof will I be required to withdraw from my TSP account each year? Will…
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Q: I retired as a FERS annuitant Feb. 1, 2006, when I was 62. If I am rehired, will my current FERS gross annuity before taxes be deducted from the new gross salary before taxes? If I have the maximum for retirement, including the over 50 extra amount, deducted and invested in the TSP, am I matched by the federal government and vested from day one for as long as I decide to work? I left my TSP with the federal government and I have not taking anything from the TSP. I’m working as a federal contractor. A: Your TSP…
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: 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 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…
This is my last Money Matters column for 2009, so I’ll take the opportunity to remind those of you who are still active federal employees to carefully plan your retirement savings contributions for the coming year. Unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise, I strongly recommend you first direct your retirement savings contributions into your Thrift Savings Plan account — before you contribute to any other accounts. You should contribute the maximum allowed to your TSP account — which in 2010 is $16,500 if you are under age 50, or $22,000 if age 50 or older — before…
Q: As a Federal Employees Retirement System employee, I was told that the limit on Thrift Savings Plan contributions changes once you reach age 50. Is this true? If so, what is the additional amount? A: You’re talking about catch-up contributions, which are an additional contribution (or total amount of annual contributions) that can be made starting when you reach age 50. For 2009, the catch-up contribution limit is $5,500. Check www.tsp.gov for more details.
Q: I am a federal employee under the Federal Employees Retirement System. In the year and month of my retirement, I will have about $170,000 in my Thrift Savings Plan. In the year of my retirement, can I do a one time withdrawal of $30,000 and not request a monthly withdrawal that year, and then the following year of my retirement start my monthly withdrawals? A: Yes, if you have not used up your one-time partial withdrawal prior to taking the $30,000 withdrawal. — Mike Miles